17.

1 Conjunctions and, because, but, or, so

Conjunctions are what join different parts of the sentences together.

[00:00:04] Let's start with the most popular conjunctions.

[00:00:07] And.

[00:00:08] The conjunction and is used for two main reasons. First to say that one action follows
the other in chronological order. Meaning earliest first and then later and so on. Second to say
that something is the result of something else. As well to connect generally related pieces of
information that have a positive relationship. I'm going to give you three different sentences,
and I want you to combine them with and.

[00:00:35] COMBINE: I arrived home from school. I ate a small snack.

[00:00:41] I arrived home from school and ate a small snack.

[00:00:45] You don't have to repeat the subject since it's clearly stated twice. Though, if you
want to for emphasis, you can! This is also the order of Events, first get home, second eat.

[00:00:56] COMBINE: He bought a new phone. He called his friend with it.

[00:01:02] He bought a new phone and called his friend with it. Calling his friend is a
consequence of buying the phone, and they happen in the order of first buying the phone and
second calling his friend. Again. We don't need to repeat the subject if it doesn't change.

[00:01:17] COMBINE: I'm single I live in a big city.

[00:01:22] I'm single and I live in a big city.

[00:01:25] We're connecting some generally related pieces of information/ giving personal
details about the speaker. We can repeat the subject if we want to and that's what they did in
this example.

[00:01:37] Using and to make a list.

[00:01:39] If you want to create a list of three or more things or actions, you use a comma to
separate all items in the list except for the last item. Before the last item or action in the list, you
use and with no comma! If the list has just two things use and by itself. Turn the following
actions and things into a list. Remember, we don't want to repeat the subject that much, it gets
very redundant and a little Annoying.

[00:02:06] COMBINE: I went to school. I attended my class. I returned home. I took a nap.

[00:02:14] I went to school, attended my class, returned home and took a nap.
[00:02:19] COMBINE: I need to buy oranges. I need to buy bananas. I need to buy bread.

[00:02:26] I need to buy oranges, bananas and bread.

[00:02:30] We also don't repeat the verb if it doesn't change. So avoid repeating the subject and
verb when possible.

[00:02:36] Because.

[00:02:37] We use because to show the reason for something. Why something was done.
Because can be used in the middle as well as at the beginning of a sentence. It just needs to
come before the part of the sentence that explains why, gives the reason for an action. Try to
use because at the beginning and in the middle with the following sentences.

[00:02:59] COMBINE:I ran outside. Someone was yelling for help.

[00:03:04] I ran outside because someone was yelling for help.

[00:03:08] Because someone was yelling for help, I ran outside.

[00:03:10] When because is at the beginning we use a comma, because it's the dependent
clause. This will be explained later in this section.

[00:03:18] COMBINE: The car wasn't working properly. I took the car to the mechanic.

[00:03:25] Because the car wasn't working properly, I took it to the mechanic.

[00:03:28] Or, I took the car to the mechanic because it wasn't working properly.

[00:03:34] Notice that I don't repeat car. Instead I replace it with a pronoun to avoid being
redundant, but you don't have to.

[00:03:42] But.

[00:03:43] The conjunction but is used to show contrast. How things are dissimilar and different.
Kind of the opposite of and. But often shows us that something in the second part of the
sentence is different than expected. As well, but can be used to mean except or with the
exception of. I'm going to give you some sentences. Combine them with but.

[00:04:05] COMBINE: It was snowing outside. It wasn't very cold.

[00:04:11] It was snowing outside, but it wasn't very cold.

[00:04:14] In the first part of the sentence we're told that it was snowing, which makes us think
that it will be cold out. However, we use but to show that it was actually surprisingly warm.

[00:04:24] COMBINE: He said that he loved her. He cheated on her.

[00:04:29] He said that he loved her, but he cheated on her.

[00:04:33] To cheat on someone is to be unfaithful in a relationship. So we show difference

between his verbal statement of love and his true Behavior. If someone says they love someone
else, you don't expect them to cheat on them. We use but to show that his second action was
unexpected.

[00:04:49] Or.

[00:04:50] Use or to state that only one possibility is attainable. To show that there is only one
option. This is the opposite of how we use and in a list. Using and in a list tells us everything we
need. Or is used to basically say one or the other, one of the above. The rules for using or in a
list are exactly the same as and. So when you are listing more than three things, put or before
the final item or action. If it's only two. Just use or to separate the items. Again. I'm going to give
you two sentences, connect to them with or.

[00:05:26] COMBINE: You can have a piece of cake. You can have a cookie.

[00:05:32] You can have a piece of cake or a cookie.

[00:05:36] And just like with and we don't need to repeat the subject of the verb if they're the
same.

[00:05:40] COMBINE: Your wallet might be in the car. Your wallet might be under the bed. Your
wallet might be by the counter.

[00:05:50] Your wallet might be in the car, under the bed or by the counter.

[00:05:53] Make this list nicer by eliminating the possessive your and might be. It's understood
after the first time we say it.

[00:06:01] So.

[00:06:02] So tells us what the result of something is, because tells us the reason why something
happened. Now, we're focusing on the result. The consequence of an action. Here's our final
group of sentences for you to rewrite for this lecture using so. Good luck.

[00:06:19] COMBINE: Someone was yelling for help. I ran outside.

[00:06:24] Someone was yelling for help, so I ran outside.

[00:06:27] Does this look familiar? It's our example from because. Because told us why we ran
outside, so tells us what the yelling made us decide to do.

[00:06:37] COMBNINE; The car wasn't working properly. I took the car to the mechanic.

[00:06:44] The car wasn't working properly, so I took it to the mechanic.

[00:06:48] Our same because example. Again We're just changing our focus. Because told us
why we took the car to the mechanic. So is telling us what we are going to do, what the result it.
And I don't repeat car again, instead I use pronoun it.

[00:07:04] Using different conjunctions together.

[00:07:06] You can use a variety of conjunctions in the same sentence to express a more
complex thought. Try using various conjunctions from this lecture to combine the following
sentences.

[00:07:16] COMBINE: I woke up early. I was hungry. I made something to eat.

[00:07:23] I woke up early because I was hungry, so I made something to eat.

[00:07:27] I woke up early. Why? Because I was hungry. And what's the result of that? So I make
something to eat.

[00:07:33] COMBINE: Lisa had dinner at my house. Mark had dinner at my house. I burnt all the
food.

[00:07:42] Lisa and Mark had dinner at my house, but I burnt all the food.

[00:07:46] We use but because the outcome is not what we initially think will happen.

[00:07:51] If the food was delicious, we could instead say Lisa and Mark had dinner at my house
and it was delicious.