Conjunctions: and, but, or, so, because
1. What Are Conjunctions?
Conjunctions are words that connect two or more ideas.
They can join two words or two sentences/parts of a sentence.
“I like tea and coffee.” (two words)
“I am tired, but I am happy.” (two sentences)
In this lesson, you will learn how to use:
and, but, or, so, because
2. Using “and”
We use and to add information.
Meaning: one thing + another thing
“I like tea and coffee.”
“She has a dog and a cat.”
“We study English and French.”
Do NOT put a comma before and when you join two things.
✗ I like tea, and coffee.
✓ I like tea and coffee.
Why?
We use and to join similar ideas.
3. Using “but”
We use but to show an opposite or surprising idea.
Meaning: the second idea is the opposite of, or surprising after, the first.
“I am tired, but I am happy.”
“She is tired, but she is not sleeping.”
“He likes coffee, but he doesn’t like tea.”
Why?
The second idea is different from the first.
4. Using “or”
We use or to show a choice.
Meaning: this or that
“Do you want tea or coffee?”
“We can go by bus or train.”
“Is it Monday or Tuesday?”
Why?
There are two options.
5. Using “because”
We use because to give a reason.
Meaning: why?
Structure:
- Main sentence + because + reason
- Because + reason, main sentence
“I am tired because I worked a lot.”
“Because it was raining, they stayed home.”
“She is happy because it is her birthday.”
Why?
We explain the reason for something.
6. Using “so”
We use so to show a result.
Meaning: this is the result
Structure:
Reason + so + result
“I was tired, so I went to bed.”
“It was raining, so we stayed home.”
“She studied a lot, so she passed the test.”
Why?
The second part is the result of the first.
Do NOT use because and so together for the same situation.
✗ Because I was tired, so I went to bed.
✓ Because I was tired, I went to bed.
✓ I was tired, so I went to bed.
7. Easy Way to Remember
- and → add
- but → different
- or → choice
- because → reason
- so → result
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Conjunctions: and, but, or, so, because
A1Conjunctions (and, but or, so, because)
5 wordsLast updated July 15, 2026