1. Coordinating conjunctions: These connect words, phrases, or clauses of equal grammatical rank. They are the most common type of conjunction.
* Examples: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet.
* Meanings:
* and: Adds information.
* but: Shows contrast.
* or: Shows alternative.
* nor: Shows negative alternative.
* for: Shows reason or explanation.
* so: Shows consequence.
* yet: Shows contrast, similar to "but."
2. Subordinating conjunctions: These connect a dependent clause to an independent clause.
* Examples: after, although, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, while.
* Meanings: They show the relationship between the dependent clause and the independent clause. For example, "because" indicates a reason, "although" indicates a contrast, "when" indicates time, etc.
3. Correlative conjunctions: These are pairs of conjunctions that work together to connect words, phrases, or clauses.
* Examples: both...and, either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also.
* Meanings: They emphasize the connection between the elements they join. For example, "both...and" indicates that both elements are true, while "either...or" indicates that only one of the elements is true.
4. Conjunctive adverbs: These are adverbs that connect clauses, but they also function as transitional words.
* Examples: however, therefore, moreover, consequently, nevertheless, besides, accordingly, otherwise.
* Meanings: They provide additional information about the relationship between the clauses they connect. For example, "however" indicates a contrast, "therefore" indicates a consequence, "moreover" indicates additional information.
It's important to note that these categories are not always distinct, and some words can function as more than one type of conjunction. For example, "while" can act as a subordinating conjunction (as in "While I was walking, I saw a dog") or a conjunctive adverb (as in "I was tired; while, I still wanted to go out").