Editing English grammar (section)

===Conjunctions===
{{Main|Conjunction (grammar)}}

[[Conjunction (grammar)|Conjunction]]s express a variety of logical relations between items, phrases, clauses and sentences.<ref name="carter-mccarthy-p315">{{Harvnb|Carter|McCarthy|2006|p=315}}</ref> They help link ideas, show relationships, and form more complex sentences. 

The principal [[coordinating conjunction]]s in English are: ''and'', ''or'', ''but'', ''nor'', ''so'', ''yet'', and ''for''. These can be used in many grammatical contexts to link two or more items of equal grammatical status,<ref name=carter-mccarthy-p315/> for example:
*Noun phrases combined into a longer noun phrase, such as ''John, Eric, and Jill'', ''the red coat or the blue one''. When ''and'' is used, the resulting noun phrase is plural. A determiner does not need to be repeated with the individual elements: ''the cat, the dog, and the mouse'' and ''the cat, dog, and mouse'' are both correct. The same applies to other modifiers. (The word ''but'' can be used here in the sense of "except": ''nobody but you''.)
*Adjective or adverb phrases combined into a longer adjective or adverb phrase: ''tired but happy'', ''over the fields and far away''.
*Verbs or verb phrases combined as in ''he washed, peeled, and diced the turnips'' (verbs conjoined, object shared); ''he washed the turnips, peeled them, and diced them'' (full verb phrases, including objects, conjoined).
*Other equivalent items linked, such as prefixes linked in ''pre- and post-test counselling'',<ref>British Medical Association, ''Misuse of Drugs'', Chapter 4, "Constraints of current practice."</ref> numerals as in ''two or three buildings'', etc.
*Clauses or sentences linked, as in ''We came, '''but''' they wouldn't let us in. They wouldn't let us in, '''nor''' would they explain what we had done wrong''. 
Another example of clauses or sentences linked is: ''I like reading books, '''and''' I also enjoy watching movies''.

There are also [[correlative conjunction]]s, where as well as the basic conjunction, an additional element appears before the first of the items being linked.<ref name=carter-mccarthy-p315/> The common correlatives in English are:
* ''either{{nbsp}}... or{{nbsp}}...'' ('''''either''' a man '''or''' a woman'');
* ''neither{{nbsp}}... nor{{nbsp}}...'' ('''''neither''' clever '''nor''' funny'');
* ''both{{nbsp}}... and{{nbsp}}...'' (''they '''both''' punished '''and''' rewarded them'');
* ''not{{nbsp}}... but{{nbsp}}...'', particularly in ''not only{{nbsp}}... but also{{nbsp}}...'' ('''''not''' exhausted '''but''' exhilarated'', '''''not only''' football '''but also''' many other sports'').

An example of a correlative conjunction can be seen in: '' '''Not''' only did I finish my homework, '''but''' I also helped my sibling''.

[[English subordinators|Subordinators]] make relations between clauses, making the clause in which they appear into a [[subordinate clause]].<ref name=carter-mccarthy-p316>{{Harvnb|Carter|McCarthy|2006|p=316}}</ref> Some common subordinators in English are:
*conjunctions of time, including ''after'', ''before'', ''since'', ''until'', ''when'', ''while'';
*conjunctions of cause and effect, including ''because'', ''since'', ''now that'', ''as'', ''in order that'', ''so'';
*conjunctions of opposition or concession, such as ''although'', ''though'', ''even though'', ''whereas'', ''while'';
*conjunctions of condition: such as ''if'', ''unless'', ''only if'', ''whether or not'', ''even if'', ''in case (that)'';
*the conjunction ''that'', which produces [[content clause]]s, as well as words that produce interrogative content clauses: ''whether'', ''where'', ''when'', ''how'', etc.

Subordinating conjunction generally comes at the very start of its clause, although many of them can be preceded by qualifying adverbs, as in ''probably because{{nbsp}}...'', ''especially if{{nbsp}}...''. The conjunction ''that'' can be omitted after certain verbs, as in ''she told us (that) she was ready''. (For the use of ''that'' in relative clauses, see {{slink||Relative pronouns}} above.)

An example of a subordinating conjunction being used is: ''I went to the store '''because''' I needed milk''.