English grammar can be confusing, and this is especially true now in the era we live in. Just because we see something on the internet, it doesn’t mean it is correct. Sometimes people are in such a rush to reply that they don’t even notice typos. In this article, we will describe the terms togather and together and which one is correct.
The correct word to use is «together.» It is the proper spelling when talking about things in the same spot or associated with each other. The term «togather» doesn’t exist in the English language.
«Togather» might be a typo of the word «together» or the expression «to gather.» But there’s not a word like this in English. Let’s now see more details so you can understand the term together.
Understanding The Term «Together» And «Togather»
Now, we will see more details about these two terms. Where they come from, and what is the meaning they have had throughout history.
Etymology Of Together
The term «together» comes from the Proto-Germanic «tōgadar,» which meant to unite or join.
It made its way into English before the 11th century. At the time, the spelling was togædere. By the 15th century, there were two acceptable spellings togedere and togadere. Eventually, it changed to the spelling we know today.
When it comes to «togather,» we explored the etymology of «gather.» We found out that it has a similar origin as the word «together.» They both come from Proto-Germanic expressions; in this case, it is gadurōn which means bring together.
Meaning
The definition of the word «together» conveys a simple meaning, to unite. It is an adverb, so you will mostly find it along with a verb. Some of the definitions of this adverb include:
- Things that are combined
- Two or more items are approximate to each other.
- Two or more people have a relationship.
- Something occurred uninterruptedly.
As an adjective, «together» describes:
- Someone balanced and organized.
How People Use The Terms «Together» And «Togather»
«Together» is an adverb. Sometimes, it can work as an adjective, but it is not common and is considered informal.
A common usage of the word is when someone asks a question or makes a statement and wants to include themselves.
Also, people can say «we are together» to imply that they are in a romantic relationship with someone. If they decide to go on with their relationship after a break-up, you can say they «got back together.»
Our Two Cents About «Togather»
As we previously stated, we consider «togather» a typo from the word «together» or the expression «to gather.» It is not weird; if you think about it, people don’t always have time to proof-check what they write.
It can happen to anyone, you tap the wrong key or miss a space, and then you have a different word. Thankfully, we have software that looks for grammatical errors to let you know about them.
The Phonetics On «Together» And «Togather»
The IPA symbol for «together» is /tə ˈgɛð ər/. In this word, we have three syllables. As you can see, marked with an apostrophe, the stressed syllable is the second one.
The Sounds On The Words «Together» And «Togather»
The consonants and vowel sounds in the word «together» include:
- /t/: it is the typical unvoiced t sound you find in words like «time» or «today.»
- /ə/: the schwa sound is a mid-central unstressed vowel and one of English’s most common vowel sounds.
- /g/: it is a voiced consonant, the sound you have in words like «girl.»
- /ɛ/: it is the open-mid front unrounded vowel, the exact sound you find in the word «bed.»
- /ð/: it is the voiced, dental, fricative consonant. It is the same sound as in the word «this.»
- /r/: it is called an alveolar approximant and is the sound you hear in words like «river.»
The Pronunciation Of The Words «Together» And «Togather»
Now that you have the symbols, we will explain how to pronounce the word «together.»
Start with your lips spread, teeth touching each other, your tongue placed behind your teeth, push air from your throat and release your teeth-tongue seal. Slightly drop your jaw, relax your tongue and vibrate your vocal cords.
Now, your tongue goes to the back of your mouth to block the throat and vibrate your vocal cords. Dramatically drop your jaw, relax your tongue, spread your lips and vibrate your vocal cords. Bring your tongue as if you were to bite it and vibrate your vocal cords to make the «th» sound; you will also feel your tongue vibrating.
Finally, release your tongue into a resting position and vibrate your vocal cords. Quickly move the tip of your tongue to touch your palate while you vibrate your vocal cords.
Related Terms
Other words, idioms, and phrasal verbs related to the term «together» are:
- Altogether: an adverb that means in total.
- Cobble together: a phrasal verb that means to create something promptly.
- Pull together: to accompany someone through a challenging situation.
- Hang together: support someone even when you are in disagreement.
- Hold oneself together: it means to keep control of one’s emotions and act accordingly.
- Herd together: to form a group of people.
- Throw together: 1) when two people meet each other by chance, or 2) create something without any care.
- Weld together: to fuse two or more metals.
- Stick together: to not separate.
- Rake together: to struggle to collect money because you only get small amounts.
- Sleep together: to have sexual intercourse with someone.
- Bunch together: to be part of a mass of people.
- Piece something together: to solve a situation.
- Put your heads together: when a group of people explore different options and come to a final decision.
Synonyms To The Word «Together»
Here we have a list of some words you can use to replace the term «together.»
As an adverb
- Collectively
- Jointly
- Closely
- Mutually
As an adjective
- Dependable
- Even-tempered
- Rational
- Level-headed
- Assertive
Here are some phrases that people use to convey the same meaning:
- As one
- Shoulder to shoulder
- Cheek to jowl
- As cool as a cucumber
- Chilled
Example Sentences Using «Together» And «Togather»
Here are some sample sentences using the term together.
- Do you want to go to the concert together?
- Susan never thought about leaving Mike, even after his alcohol problem, they are together.
- I know Caroll, we went to college together.
- After all the time she had to complete the assignment, Monica decided to leave it to the last minute to cobble together the essay.
- Something I learned at this job is that red and white cables always go together.
- Kids, we are going on a field trip; please stick together to avoid any inconveniences; thank you!
- The purpose of this meeting is to piece something together so we can solve this quarter’s results.
- It was more than evident that they would sleep together; I noticed they were attracted to each other.
Final Thoughts About The Terms
The word «togather» does not exist in English; any grammar-check tool will highlight it as incorrect. It might be a typo from the word «together» or the verb «to gather.»
If you are talking about the association of two or more objects or people, then the correct spelling is «together.» Additionally, you can find many phrasal verbs using the word; in most of them, you see how it helps to convey the meaning of connecting things. We hope this article helps you to clear any doubts you might have had.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.
Unless you are a robot, then you know that writing requires some level of flow for readers to understand. Connecting words or linking words help writers create continuity in writing.
In this guide, we will cover not only what connecting words are, but their functions and when to use them.
A Quick Review of Conjunctions
Connecting words, at their core, are just conjunctions. But, when you are unsure of what a conjunction is, then you can’t effectively use connecting words.
A conjunction is a word that links other words, phrases, or clauses together.
There are three kinds of conjunctions: coordinating, correlative, and subordinating. Each of these conjunctions includes connecting words, so it’s safe to safe that connecting words and conjunctions are virtually the same thing.
The most significant difference with connecting words is that they also include phrases to more clearly express a thought.
The Original Coordinating Conjunctions
We are taught coordinating conjunctions in elementary school, so it’s easy to understand why this might feel easy to some. Do you remember how you were taught in school to remember connecting words? If you’re like me, then teachers drilled us to recognize the simple mnemonic device: F A N B O Y S
Fanboys is a group of letters that each represents a connecting word.
F = For
A = And
N = Not
B = But
O = Or
Y = Yet
S = So
These basic connecting words are the jumping – off point to dig deeper into the various purposes of connecting words.
Below we have extended the list of connecting words to the eight most common roles of connecting words.
One Final Usage Rule
It is commonly taught that coordinating conjunctions should never be at the beginning of a sentence. But this is incorrect. There are many opportunities where it is correct to use a conjunction at the beginning of a sentence.
Do English usage rules like this confuse you? You’re not alone. English is complicated and filled with rules that can make it difficult to know if you are trying to become a better writer.
ArgoPrep is ready to help! With online access to countless resources, users have seen an improvement to their test scores and abilities in as little as 30 days.
What are Connecting Words?
A connecting word or phrase is used to connect two separate thoughts. You could use connecting words for a variety of different reasons, including:
- To Give Examples
- Add Information
- Summarize
- Sequence Ideas
- Give a Reason
- Give a Result
- Contrast Ideas
- Emphasize a Thought
- To Make a Concession
- To Generalize a Thought
- To Restate Prior Thoughts
Connecting words go by a variety of different names, including linking words and transitions. At the core, all of these things have the same goal, which is to connect thoughts in writing.
Just like the example above of the robot, without connecting words, writing can feel blocky and unrelated.
Connecting words serve as the glue to bind thoughts together in a logical way and also helps drive home the “point” (or ) of writing.
Examples of Connecting Words
| Type | example |
| To Give Examples |
|
| Add Information |
|
| Summarize |
|
| Sequence Ideas |
|
| Give a Reason |
|
| Give a Result |
|
| Contrast Ideas |
|
| Establish Opposition |
|
Conclusion
If you want to add interest to your writing, but aren’t sure how a great place to start is connecting words. There are many different forms of connecting words, so it’s important to determine your purpose before selecting the words you’re going to use.
Let’s review:
- Conjunctions are the basic form of connecting words.
- There are three kinds of conjunctions: coordinating, correlative, and subordinating.
- The most basic conjunctions are the words that create fanboys (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
- Connecting words connect different thoughts.
- There are many kinds of connecting words to use so that your purpose can be communicated to your readers.
- If you are struggling with concepts like connecting words, check out ArgoPrep for easy-to-use and high-impact resources to help you grow.
1. Complete the collocations with the verbs below.
buy catch get on get out of go by go up take travel to
1 …………………….. taxi / bus / tram / train / plane, etc.
2 get to / …………………….. school / work / London
3 …………………….. / get off a train / a bus / a tram, etc.
4 get in / …………………….. a car / a taxi / a van, etc.
5 …………………….. the stairs / the escalator
6 …………………….. a ticket
7 …………………….. a taxi / a train / a tram, etc.
8 …………………….. a bus / a plane, etc. (but not a taxi)
cross drive give go lose miss ride wait for
9 …………………….. a train / a bus / a tram / a plane, etc.
10 …………………….. on foot
11 …………………….. a bicycle / a scooter / a horse, etc.
12 …………………….. your way
13 …………………….. the road / street
14 …………………….. to work / into town / to London
15 …………………….. a bus / a tram / a train, etc.
16 …………………….. somebody a lift
Answer
1 go by 2 travel to 3 get on 4 get out of 5 go up
6 buy 7 take 8 catch 9 miss / wait for 10 go
11 ride 12 lose 13 cross 14 drive 15 wait for / miss
16 give
2. Complete the texts with the words below.
HOW DO YOU GET TO SCHOOL?
a lift by bus school the bus work
Millie: How do I get to 1…………………….? That depends. My mum drives to 2……………………. on Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesdays, so she gives me 3……………………. On Thursdays and Fridays, I go 4……………………. If I miss 5……………………., then I have to walk.
a tram bicycle for a tram the road
Jacob: In the winter I always take 6……………………. to school. It’s the best way. It stops in front of my flat – I only have to cross 7……………………. I never have to wait long 8……………………. in the morning. In summer I sometimes walk or ride my 9…………………….
a ticket a train on foot the train
Daisy: I live a long way from the school, so I have to walk to the station and catch 10……………………. I buy 11……………………. in September at the start of the school year. I get off 12……………………. Near my school and then go 13……………………. The journey takes an hour.
Answer
1 school 2 work 3 a lift 4 by bus 5 the bus 6 a tram
7 the road 8 for a tram 9 bicycle 10 a train
11 a ticket 12 the train 13 on foot
3. Answer the questions.
1 How do you usually get to school?
…………………………………………………..
2 How do your parents usually get to work?
…………………………………………………..
3 When you go shopping, how do you usually get to the shops?
…………………………………………………..
Answer
1 What time do you get to London?
2 Taxis are expensive, but I always take a taxi to town.
3 I usually arrive home at 4.40 in the afternoon.
4 Take a map with you so you don’t lose your way.
5 My mum arrives at / gets to work at nine o’clock.
6 Joe is waiting for the bus at the bus stop.
7 The plane arrives in Italy at ten o’clock.
8 Sally usually goes on foot to school.
4. Find and underline one mistake in each sentence. Rewrite the sentences correctly.
1 What time do you arrive to London? ✗
…………………………………………………..
2 Taxis are expensive, but I always catch a taxi to town. ✗
…………………………………………………..
3 I usually arrive to home at 4.40 in the afternoon. ✗
…………………………………………………..
4 Take a map with you so you don’t miss your way. ✗
…………………………………………………..
5 My mum arrives to work at nine o’clock. ✗
…………………………………………………..
6 Joe is waiting the bus at the bus stop. ✗
…………………………………………………..
7 The plane arrives at Italy at ten o’clock. ✗
…………………………………………………..
8 Sally usually walks on foot to school. ✗
…………………………………………………..
Answer
1 ferry, moped 2 flight attendant, ticket collector
3 coach station, taxi rank 4 depart, land
5 book a ticket, change trains
VOCAB BOOST!
You can record and learn words by topic. For example, for the topic of transport, you can record forms of transport (e.g. bus), jobs (e.g. driver), places (e.g. station), verbs (e.g. drive), collocations (e.g. catch a bus).
5. Read the Vocab boost! box. Then put the words and phrases below into the correct groups.
book a ticket change trains coach station depart ferry
flight attendant land moped taxi rank ticket collector
Topic: Travel
1 Forms of transport: bus, train, plane, ………………………
2 Jobs: pilot, driver, ……………………..
3 Places: train station, motorway, ………………………
4 Verbs: fly, walk, ride, ………………………
5 Collocations: buy a ticket, lose your way, …………………………
6. Match the first parts of sentences 1-6 with the second parts (a-f).
1 Let’s go
2 Don’t lose
3 Can you give
4 Don’t get off
5 Don’t miss
6 Get in
a me a lift, please?
b your way in the park!
c the last train!
d the car quickly.
e the train here.
f on foot.
Answer
1 F 2 B 3 A 4 E 5 C 6 D
In both essay writing and public speaking our goal is to convey information clearly and concisely or even to convert the reader or listener to our way of thinking. To achieve these goals you should remember to connect your ideas so that your audience can easily follow them. In other words you should use linking words and phrases, or transitions.
Read the following two paragraphs. How are they different?
Paragraph 1
There are many causes of air pollution. There is the use of private cars. This can cause many breathing problems because of fumes. Other forms of transport cause air pollution, these are buses, boats and motorcycles. Factories produce gasses that go into the air causing pollution. These things make people’s health suffer.
Paragraph 2
To begin with, there are many causes of air pollution. Firstly, there is the use of private cars. This can cause many breathing problems because of fumes. Furthermore, other forms of transport cause air pollution, for example buses, boats and motorcycles. In addition, factories produce gasses that go into the air causing pollution. All in all, these things make people’s health suffer.
This is an example of how using linking words and phrases can improve the quality of your speech. Note how the ideas flow more smoothly, and the logical relationships between the ideas are expressed clearer in the second paragraph.Most pieces of formal writing and presentations are organised in a similar way: introduction, development of main ideas or arguments, and conclusion. Linking words and phrases act like bridges between parts of your writing. They join each part together as well as sentences and paragraphs within each part or even two ideas within one sentence. Transitions are not just verbal techniques that decorate your paper or speech by making them sound or read better. They are words with particular meanings that tell the reader (listener) to think and react in a particular way to your ideas.
And now let us take a closer look at words and phrases which you can use to link the parts of your presentation/essay together. These act as a signal to the audience/readers, telling them what they will hear/read next. They are divided in the following groups:
1. Sequence (послідовність)
There are natural sequences, like infancy followed by childhood, adolescence, maturity and old age. In language we can express sequences both by our choice of tenses, and by our choice of sequence words and phrases. Look at the chart below:
| Beginning | Going further | Concluding |
| First(ly) First of all For a start In the first place Initially To begin/start with Let us begin/start by First and foremost First and most importantly |
Second(ly)/third(ly) In the second place Subsequently Simultaneously And then Next Formerly/previousely |
Summing up/to sum up To conclude/in summary Finally In short/in brief On the whole Ultimately Last/lastly Last of all Last but not the least |
Such words as after, afterwards, before, currently, meanwhile, in the meantime, until , till, when, as soon as, soon after, etc. serve the same purpose when we’re indicating time sequence.
Here is an example of a specific sequence:
First, / To start with, / To begin with, / First of all… wash the wound with cold water.
Secondly, / After that, / Afterwards, / Then, / Next,… wrap a bandage around the cut.
Finally, / Lastly, / Last but not least, … place the patient in a comfortable position.
2. Addition to what has been previously indicated.
When stating your main points you may need to introduce additional ideas. Then use the following phrases:
| Above all Along with Additionally As well as Besides |
Equally important Furthermore Further In addition Moreover |
Not only . . . But also . . . Not to mention One could also say What is more |
Check these examples:
It was a brilliant game. What’s more, we didn’t have to pay to get in!
I don´t really want to go out tonight. Besides / in addition / furthermore, there is a good film on TV.
The painting is not only valuable but also a work of art.
3. Personal or other people’s opinion
To express your personal or somebody else’s point of view or to quote the authorities, use the following phrases:
| Personal opinion | Another source |
| In my opinion/In my view/To my mind To my way of thinking Personally I believe that/ I think that… It strikes me that I feel very strongly that I’m inclined to believe that It seems to me that As far as I am concerned |
It’s popularly believed that People often claim that It is often alleged that Some people argue that A lot of people think/believe that |
I’m inclined to believe that, / It seems to me that, / As far as I am concerned, / I think that the world would be a much better place without nuclear power.
4. Comparison/Contrast
Sometimes you may like to compare what you’ve already stated with what you’re going to say next. Your ideas may seem similar or contrast with one another. Look at these sentences:
1. Alcohol reduces our ability to concentrate on our work. Similarly/ likewise/ in the same way, it reduces our ability to concentrate while driving.
2. It is a known fact that smoking causes cancer, yet,/ however, / nevertheless,/ but, / at the same time,/ still, / nonetheless millions of people around the world continue to smoke.
In the first sentence all the underlined phrases express the similarity of two ideas: alcohol badly affects our 1) work; 2) driving. In the second example the highlighted phrases help us make contrasting points: smoking is bad, but a lot of people don’t care.
Here are more of these phrases:
| Similarity | Comparison/Contrast |
| Both… and … Analogously Equally Likewise Just like Similarly Correspondingly In the same way In the same manner By the same token |
Alternatively |
- Although /Though / While / Even though / Despite the fact that the identity of the attacker is known to the police, no name has been released.
- I prefer city life, whereas John prefers country life.
- Donahue established his reputation as a novelist. In contrast, his new book is a non-fiction work.
5. Emphasis (наголос, акцент)
If you want to stress a point, to emphasize what you say, use the following phrases:
| Indeed/truly In fact/actually Notably Particularly/specifically |
Especially/mainly Admittedly Of course /certainly/surely No doubt/undoubtly |
Obviously Needless to say As a matter of fact For this reason |
See which effect they produce:
- Clearly, / Obviously, / Of course, / Needless to say, if everyone were allowed to carry a gun, the crime rate would rise considerably.
- In fact, / As a matter of fact/, Actually/, Indeed, a crash helmet would be quite useless in the event of a serious motorcycle accident.
6. Clarification (роз’яснення)
In order to help your audience perceive your information better, especially when it’s quite sophisticated you may need to clarify your ideas, to make them easier for understanding or give some examples. For this use these linking phrases:
| In other words That is Namely That is to say To put in another way, One example of this is |
For example/for instance |
For example: In other words, / That is to say, / To put in another way, if people make more effort to protect the environment, the world would be a much healthier place to live in.
7. Result
These phrases help you to show the consequence or result of what has been said in the previous sentence or sentences. They help to express relationships of cause and effect. To express these relationships we can choose one of the 3 following ways:
a) Conjunctions (сполучники)
The most important conjunctions are because, as, since, and so. Because, as, and since introduce a cause; so introduces an effect. These are used to join two complete sentences (or independent clauses) together:
I stayed at home because it was raining.
Since it was raining, I stayed at home.
It was raining, so I stayed at home.
b) Transitions
The most important conjunctions are therefore, consequently, and as a result. All of these introduce an effect.
It was raining; therefore, I stayed at home.
It was raining. Consequently, I stayed at home.
|
Accordingly |
In that case |
c) Prepositions
The most important prepositions are due to and because of. Both of these introduce a cause in the form of a noun phrase.
I stayed at home due to the rain.
Because of the rain, I stayed at home.
Thus, the effective usage of linking phrases can help connect your ideas logically. Using them fluently and confidently you’ll come across as a skilled speaker. BUT there are some tips you should consider:
- Don’t over-use linking phrases. Use them sensibly where they are needed.
- Don’t try to be clever by using more unusual words and phrases, you’ll probably misuse them and get a lower score.
- Don’t use the same phrases again and again. There must be a variety of them, so just make sure you a few common ones that are used with simple structures.
The following video will help you summarize the information about transition in spoken and written language:
Мы рассмотрели правила и примеры использования связывающих слов и фраз в английском языке. Чтобы узнать больше об английской грамматике, читайте другие публикации в разделе Grammar!
Conjunctions are words we use to link other words or ideas together. In this posting I talk about 3 types of conjunctions and how they work. You will see many example sentences. The download at the end will give you additional practice using and understanding these important words.
What are conjunctions?
Conjunctions are words that join other words, phrases, clauses, and ideas together. They help our speech and writing to be more complex and flowing. In addition, they keep our expression from being choppy. There are 3 types of conjunctions: coordinating, correlative, and subordinating conjunctions. We will now look at each type.
Coordinating conjunctions
Coordinating conjunctions link words, phrases, ideas, or clauses that are of equal importance in the sentence. There are 7 common coordination conjunctions. We can remember them with the mnemonic device FANBOYS.
- for (means because)–He had no trouble traveling in Mexico, for he speaks fluent Spanish.
- and (means in addition or also and joins similar ideas together)–Bob lives in Denver, and he drives a Toyota. Bob and Mary both drive Toyotas.
- nor (joins two ideas together in a negative sentence)–He has no money, nor does he have any plans for earning money.
This means that he has no money, but he does not have any plans to get a job and earn money. - but (links tow contrasting, but equally important ideas)–Bob likes apples, but Mary likes oranges.
- or (links two ideas where there is an alternative or a choice)–We could go to the zoo, or we could go to the art museum. Would you prefer animals or art?
- yet ( means someone continues to do something)–The doctor told her she has diabetes, yet she keeps on eating sugar.
- so (shows that the second idea is the result of the first)–He was always late for work, so the boss fired him.
Correlative conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions work in pairs. Each must have its partner with him to function correctly. Here are the 3 most common correlative conjunctions.
- either…or (This gives and alternative or a choice)–Either you pay your rent on time, or the landlord will evict you.
Note that the first idea follows either, and the second idea follows or. All correlative conjunction pairs work in this way. - neither…nor ( This shows and alternative in a negative sentence.)–Neither his friends nor his neighbors realized that he had gone on vacation.
- This means that his friends did not know that he had gone an vacation. His neighbors, also, did not know that he had gone on vacation.
- not only…but also (This means that in addition to one idea. there are also others.)-He wants not only a high-paying job, but also a lot of time off. I’m not sure he can have both.
This means that he wants a high-paying job, but that isn’t enough. He insists on lots of time off as well.
Subordinating conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions link and independent clause (a group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone) with a dependent clause (a clause that can’t stand alone). They can signal a cause/effect relationship, a contrast, or other things. Many subordinating conjunctions also introduce adjective or adverb clauses. You may wish to label these words as adjectives or adverbs rather than conjunctions. That is not a problem. These words have a “double identity.” There are a large number of these words or expressions–far to many to discuss in one posting. Below are some of the more common ones.
- after (shows time)–After you finish work, call me.
- although (shows contrast)–Although she was tired, she kept on dancing.
The as family of subordinating conjunctions
- as (means because)–He grew up speaking Chinese, as his parents are from China.
- as if (shows contrast between what is reality and what is not)–Cindy acts as if she knows everything.
- as long as (shows a condition)–As long as my neighbor keeps his dog in the yard, I won’t be afraid of it.
- as though (means the same as as if)–My brother spends money as though he were a millionaire.
Additional subordinating conjunctions
- because (shows a reason for something or cause/effect)–She went to the doctor because she was sick.
- before (shows time)–I eat breakfast before I leave for work.
- if (shows a condition)–I will cook dinner tonight if you bring the dessert.
- rather than (shows a preference)–She would prefer to work and night rather than work a split shift.
- since (means because)–He drove slowly since he was in a school zone.
- though (shows contrast about what you would think logically makes sense)–Though he has a PhD in theoretical mathematics, he can’t do simple math calculations.
- unless (shows a condition)–Unless he finishes his project at work, he will not get a raise.
- until (shows time)–Simmer the rice on low until all the water is absorbed.
- whatever (shows a preference)–Order whatever you want on the menu. It’s my treat.
- when (shows time)–He will move when he finds an apartment he can afford.
- whenever (shows time)–Come whenever you want. I’ll be home.
- whereas (shows contrast)–Diego prefers jazz, whereas Anita prefers classical music.
- wherever (shows location)–You can vacation wherever you want to.
- while (shows contrast)–I need 8 hours of sleep every night, while my brother only needs four.
Conjunctions at the beginning of a sentence
You may have heard that you should never begin a sentence with a conjunction. This is not always true. There is no problem beginning a sentence with a correlative or subordinating conjunction. Beginning an sentence with a coordinating conjunction is acceptable in conversation. However, you should not do this in writing.
You now know that conjunctions are linking words. The join together other words, phrases, clauses, or ideas. Coordinating conjunctions connect equal elements. Correlative conjunctions work in pairs. Both member of the pair must be there to be correct. Subordinating conjunctions link independent and dependent clauses. Most subordinating conjunctions can also be called adjectives or adverbs, and introduce an adjective or adverb clause. Sentences often begin with correlative and subordinating conjunctions. They may begin with coordinating conjunctions in conversation, but not in writing.
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Idioms of the day
- from the get-go–This means from the beginning. Roberto never did his work correctly, so his co-workers never liked him from the get-go.
- to face the music–This means to accept the unpleasant consequence of a poor choice you made. Dave hardly ever went to class and failed every test. Now he needs to face the music. He’s failed the class.