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The Important Joining Words

In English, the most commonly used conjunctions (or joining words) are:

and           although           as           because           but           if           or

There are a number of other important conjunctions that you can use. These can be put into categories of time, place, or agreement:

TIME before    after    until    since      when      whenever      while

For example:

  • We all went home before a fight broke out.
  • She went to bed after she put the cat out.
  • There will be no peace until somebody says that they are sorry.
  • It has not been the same around here since  our friends moved away.
  • They put the television off when  the program had finished.
  • He washes his new car whenever  it gets dirty.
  • The children go to the crèche while Mum goes to work.
PLACE where

For example: 

Remember that restaurant where you ate a huge steak.

AGREEMENT though            although                 whether

For example:

  • He could play the violin though he was only five years old.
  • I would invite you to come in although the place is a mess.
  • It was a great show whether you wanted to join in or just watch.

Tips:

  • Try to avoid using the same conjunction over and over again. It is much better to 'mix and match'.
  • The conjunction you use can change the meaning of the sentence. You cannot use every conjunction everywhere - so choose wisely!

For more on joining words, see the Connecting Words and Transition Signals Tip Sheet.