Lesson 5: The Conjunction and the Interjection

Definition

A conjunction is a word used to join words or word groups.

Explanation

Think of conjunctions as the 'glue' words in your sentences! They connect words, phrases, or even whole ideas. There are two main types. Coordinating conjunctions are single words (like and, but, or) that join equal parts. Correlative conjunctions are special pairs of words (like either...or) that work as a team to connect items.

Examples

Coordinating Conjunctions

• The dog slept on the chair or under the desk. [The conjunction or joins two phrases.]
• I wanted to visit the museum, but it was closed today. [The conjunction but joins two clauses.]

Definition

An interjection is a word used to express emotion.

Explanation

Interjections are sudden bursts of feeling! Words like Wow! or Oops, add emotion to your writing and are not grammatically connected to the rest of the sentence. Remember this important tip: a strong emotion gets an exclamation point, while a milder feeling is separated by a comma.

Examples

• Awesome! We got tickets to the concert! [This shows a strong emotion and uses an exclamation point.]
• The correct answer is, um, on the next page. [This shows a mild emotion or hesitation and uses a comma.]
• Ouch! I stubbed my toe on the chair. [This shows a strong emotion.]