Conjunctions
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Summary
Conjunction questions on the ACT test both grammar and meaning, so success depends on recognizing how conjunctions connect ideas and whether they express the intended relationship. The most important patterns involve coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, and the logic that determines which connector best fits a sentence.
- Coordinating conjunctions, remembered as FANBOYS, join equal elements and can either create compound sentences between two independent clauses or simply connect words and phrases within a sentence.
- Subordinating conjunctions such as after, because, if, though, unless, and until introduce dependent clauses, provide transitions, and make those clauses secondary to the main clause.
- To understand subordinating conjunctions, identify the main clause first and then notice how the subordinate clause adds information about time, cause, place, or condition.
- ACT questions often test the logic of conjunctions by asking whether the relationship between two clauses shows addition, contrast, cause and effect, or concession.
- Words like but, so, and although are not interchangeable; each one signals a specific logical connection, and the correct answer must match the meaning of the sentence, not just sound acceptable grammatically.
- A useful strategy is to move an opening subordinate clause after the main clause to make the relationship easier to evaluate and reveal whether the conjunction truly makes sense.
- When choosing a conjunction on the ACT, check both grammar and logic: the connector must fit the sentence structure and express the clearest relationship between the ideas.
Chapters
00:00
Coordinating Conjunctions and FANBOYS
01:35
Subordinating Conjunctions and Main vs. Dependent Clauses
03:58
Using Logic to Choose the Right Conjunction
05:59
ACT Strategy for Testing Conjunction Meaning