Conjunctions

What is this skill?

A conjunction joins words, phrases or whole ideas, and the one you pick tells the reader how the ideas relate. And adds. But and yet show a contrast. Or offers a choice. So shows a result. Because gives a reason. Although admits something that you might not expect, and unless, until, while, if and after set up a condition or a time. Fifth graders sort these into two families: coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so, yet) that join two equal parts, and subordinating ones (because, although, while, unless, until, if, after) that start a part that cannot stand alone.

In this practice the child fills in a blank, such as "I wanted to play outside, ___ it was raining" (but), "You can't go swimming ___ you finish your homework" (unless) or "___ it was late, we kept reading" (Although). Pairs are covered, too: "___ Maya nor Leo has seen the movie" (Neither), "You can have ___ cake or ice cream" (either) and "Priya is ___ smart but also kind" (not only). Two questions ask the child to find the conjunction in a sentence such as "She smiled because she won," and a sorting game puts and, but, because, although, or and while into coordinating and subordinating groups.

Why it matters

Conjunctions are what turn short, choppy sentences into smooth, connected ones. "It was cold. I wore a jacket." becomes "It was cold, so I wore a jacket." The writer has added a relationship, and the reader sees why one thing led to the other.

They are also the language of reasoning. A child who can say "I think this because..." or "Although the author says X, I disagree" is using conjunctions to build an argument, which is a big part of writing in middle school and beyond.

Knowing the two families helps with punctuation. A comma comes before a coordinating conjunction that joins two full sentences, and a comma comes after a subordinating clause at the start of a sentence.

Common mistakes

• Picking a joining word that is grammatical but says the wrong thing. "I stayed home although I was sick" reads smoothly, yet it treats being sick as a surprise, when it was the reason. Ask what the relationship is: a reason, a contrast, a condition or a time?
• Mixing up although and because. Both start a clause, but because gives a reason and although gives a surprise. A child can test them by asking whether the second idea explains the first or goes against it.
• Using only the paired words, such as "neither" without "nor" or "either" without "or." They come as a pair, and the practice includes each pair so children hear both halves.
• Starting every sentence with and or but in writing. Those words are fine to start with in speech, and in school writing a child can try a stronger word like however or yet.

How to help at home

• Play "because, but, so." Give your child the start of a sentence, such as "I wanted to go outside..." and have them finish it three ways with because, but and so. They will see how one word changes the whole idea.
• Ask for a "because" when your child makes a claim. "I like this book." "Why?" "Because..." This is reasoning practice with a conjunction.
• Combine two short sentences from a favorite book into one. Try more than one conjunction and decide which one says it best.
• Print the worksheet and have your child read the full sentence aloud each time. A wrong joining word often sounds odd when it is said.

Worked examples

These are real questions from the Tutorsaurus conjunctions practice, with the answers worked out.

1. Example 1

   Which word fills the blank? Zoe likes both apples (blank) bananas.

   Zoe likes both apples ___ bananas.

   Choices: and, or, but

   Answer: and. "Both" pairs with "and": both apples and bananas.

2. Example 2

   Which word fills the blank? Rex is big, (blank) he is gentle.

   Rex is big, ___ he is gentle.

   Choices: or, so, yet

   Answer: yet. Yet shows a contrast, like "but." Big, yet gentle.

3. Example 3

   Which word fills the blank? Priya is (blank) smart but also kind.

   Priya is ___ smart but also kind.

   Choices: neither, not only, either

   Answer: not only. "Not only" pairs with "but also."

Printable worksheet (PDF) — one page of questions from this practice that work on paper, easier ones first, with an answer key on page 2. Free to print, no sign-up.