Learn conjunction types (coordinating, subordinating, correlative), the rules of correlatives and parallel structure, and the usage tested in SSC, HSC, admission, and job exams. With Bengali explanations.
Imagine speaking without conjunctions. “I was tired. I went home. I slept.” It sounds like a robot. Now add a few small joiners: “I was tired, so I went home and slept.” Suddenly it flows like natural speech. That is the quiet magic of the conjunction: it is the glue that joins words, phrases, and whole sentences together, and it makes your English smooth instead of choppy.
একবার ভাবো conjunction ছাড়া কথা বলছ। “I was tired. I went home. I slept।” শুনতে অনেকটা রোবটের মতো। এবার কয়েকটি ছোট জোড়া শব্দ যোগ করো: “I was tired, so I went home and slept।” সাথে সাথেই এটি স্বাভাবিক কথার মতো বয়ে যায়। এটাই conjunction এর নীরব জাদু: এটি হলো সেই আঠা যা শব্দ, phrase আর সম্পূর্ণ বাক্যকে জুড়ে দেয়, আর তোমার ইংরেজিকে খাপছাড়া না রেখে মসৃণ করে তোলে।
In this lesson we will cover everything: the three types of conjunction, the rules of correlatives and parallel structure, and the common confusions that come in J.S.C, S.S.C, H.S.C, university admission, and job exams. This lesson is part of our parts of speech series, and it connects closely with the kinds of sentences.
এই পাঠে আমরা সবকিছু শিখব: conjunction এর তিনটি প্রকার, correlative ও parallel structure এর নিয়ম, আর J.S.C, S.S.C, H.S.C, বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় ভর্তি ও চাকরির পরীক্ষায় আসা common confusion গুলো। তাহলে চলো, শুরু করা যাক।
What is a Conjunction?
A conjunction is a word that joins two words, phrases, or clauses together (দুটি শব্দ, phrase বা clause যুক্ত করে)।
Conjunction হলো এমন একটি শব্দ যা দুটি শব্দ, phrase বা clause কে একসাথে জুড়ে দেয়। এটি ভাষাকে ছোট ছোট টুকরো থেকে মুক্ত করে একটি পূর্ণ, বহমান রূপ দেয়।
Examples:
- Rahim and Karim are good friends.
- She is poor but honest.
- We waited until the rain stopped.
- He failed because he did not study.
Types of Conjunction at a Glance
There are three main types of conjunction. Read this table first, then study each one below.
Conjunction প্রধানত তিন প্রকার। প্রথমে এই টেবিলটি দেখো, তারপর নিচে প্রতিটি প্রকার বিস্তারিত পড়ো।
| Type | What it joins (কী যুক্ত করে) | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinating | Two equal parts (দুটি সমান অংশ) | and, but, or, so, yet |
| Subordinating | A dependent clause to a main clause (অধীন clause কে মূল clause এর সাথে) | because, although, if, when |
| Correlative | Pairs that work together (জোড়ায় জোড়ায় কাজ করে) | either…or, not only…but also |
Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
A coordinating conjunction joins two parts of equal rank: two words, two phrases, or two independent clauses. There are seven of them, and you can remember them with the word FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.
Coordinating conjunction সমান মর্যাদার দুটি অংশকে জুড়ে দেয়: দুটি শব্দ, দুটি phrase, অথবা দুটি independent clause। এদের সংখ্যা সাতটি, আর FANBOYS শব্দটি দিয়ে সহজে মনে রাখা যায়: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So।
Examples:
- She likes tea and coffee.
- He studied hard, so he passed.
- I called him, but he did not answer.
- Hurry up, or you will miss the bus.
Subordinating Conjunctions
A subordinating conjunction joins a dependent (subordinate) clause to an independent (main) clause. It shows a relationship such as cause, time, condition, or contrast.
Subordinating conjunction একটি অধীন (subordinate) clause কে একটি স্বাধীন (main) clause এর সাথে যুক্ত করে। এটি কারণ, সময়, শর্ত বা বৈপরীত্যের মতো সম্পর্ক প্রকাশ করে।
Common ones (সাধারণ কয়েকটি): because, since, as, although, though, if, unless, when, while, after, before, until, so that, lest, that, as soon as.
Examples:
- Because he was ill, he stayed at home.
- Although she is young, she is very wise.
- I will help you if you ask me.
- Wait here until I come back.
Correlative Conjunctions
A correlative conjunction is a pair of words that work together to join two equal parts. This type is tested heavily in admission and job exams, so learn the pairs well.
Correlative conjunction হলো এক জোড়া শব্দ যা একসাথে কাজ করে দুটি সমান অংশকে জুড়ে দেয়। এই ধরনটি admission ও job পরীক্ষায় খুব বেশি আসে, তাই জোড়াগুলো ভালোভাবে শেখো।
Common pairs (সাধারণ জোড়া): either…or, neither…nor, both…and, not only…but also, whether…or, no sooner…than, scarcely…when, so…that.
Examples:
- Either you or your brother must go.
- Neither the pen nor the ink was there.
- He is not only clever but also kind.
- No sooner had I arrived than the show began.
Important Rules of Conjunctions
These rules are tested again and again from SSC up to job exams. Learn them carefully.
এই নিয়মগুলো S.S.C থেকে শুরু করে চাকরির পরীক্ষা পর্যন্ত বারবার আসে। মন দিয়ে শেখো।
Rule 1: With correlative conjunctions, the same part of speech must follow each word (parallel structure).
correlative conjunction এর ক্ষেত্রে প্রতিটি শব্দের পরে একই part of speech বসতে হয় (parallel structure)।
Examples:
- Correct: She is not only beautiful but also kind. (adjective, adjective)
- Correct: He likes both singing and dancing. (gerund, gerund)
Rule 2: With ‘either…or’ and ‘neither…nor’, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
‘either…or’ এবং ‘neither…nor’ এর ক্ষেত্রে verb টি কাছের subject অনুযায়ী বসে।
Examples:
- Correct: Neither the boys nor the teacher was present.
- Correct: Either you or he is at fault.
Rule 3: Use ‘than’ (not ‘then’) after ‘no sooner’, and ‘when’ after ‘scarcely’ and ‘hardly’.
‘no sooner’ এর পরে ‘than’ (not ‘then’) বসে, আর ‘scarcely’ ও ‘hardly’ এর পরে ‘when’ বসে।
Examples:
- Correct: No sooner had he come than it started to rain.
- Correct: Scarcely had we sat down when the phone rang.
Rule 4: Do not use ‘but’ after ‘although’ or ‘though’. Use a comma instead.
‘although’ বা ‘though’ এর পরে ‘but’ ব্যবহার করা যাবে না; বরং একটি কমা বসবে।
Examples:
- Correct: Although he is rich, he is not happy. (not “although he is rich, but…”)
Rule 5: Do not use ‘so’ after ‘because’. One conjunction is enough.
‘because’ এর পরে ‘so’ ব্যবহার করা যাবে না; একটি conjunction ই যথেষ্ট।
Examples:
- Correct: Because he was tired, he rested. (not “because he was tired, so…”)
Rule 6: ‘Lest’ means ‘so that not’, so it is already negative. Follow it with ‘should’, and never add another ‘not’.
‘lest’ এর অর্থই ‘যাতে না’, তাই এটি নিজেই negative। এর পরে ‘should’ বসে, আর কখনো আরেকটি ‘not’ যোগ করা যায় না।
Examples:
- Correct: Walk fast lest you should miss the train. (not “lest you should not miss”)
Rule 7: ‘Unless’ already means ‘if not’, so do not add another negative after it.
‘unless’ এর অর্থই ‘যদি না’, তাই এর পরে আরেকটি negative যোগ করা যায় না।
Examples:
- Correct: Unless you work hard, you will fail. (not “unless you do not work hard”)
Common Confusions to Clear Up
These pairs trip up students in every exam. Learn the exact difference.
এই জোড়াগুলো প্রতিটি পরীক্ষায় শিক্ষার্থীদের বিভ্রান্ত করে। সঠিক পার্থক্যটি শেখো।
like vs as: ‘like’ is a preposition and comes before a noun; ‘as’ is a conjunction and comes before a clause (like = preposition, as = conjunction)।
Examples:
- He swims like a fish. (before a noun)
- Do as I tell you. (before a clause)
if vs whether: use ‘whether’ when there are two clear alternatives, and after a preposition (দুটি বিকল্প বা preposition এর পরে whether)।
Examples:
- I do not know whether to stay or leave.
- Tell me if you need help.
while: ‘while’ can mean ‘during the time that’, or it can show a contrast, like ‘whereas’ (সময় অথবা বৈপরীত্য বোঝায়)।
Examples:
- She read a book while the tea was brewing. (time)
- Rahim is tall, while his brother is short. (contrast)
Conjunction or Preposition?
Some words, like after, before, since, till, and until, can be either a conjunction or a preposition. The rule is simple: if it is followed by a clause (subject + verb), it is a conjunction; if it is followed by only a noun or pronoun, it is a preposition.
After, before, since, till, until এর মতো কিছু শব্দ conjunction অথবা preposition দুটোই হতে পারে। নিয়মটি সহজ: এর পরে যদি একটি clause (subject + verb) থাকে, তবে এটি conjunction; আর যদি শুধু একটি noun বা pronoun থাকে, তবে এটি preposition।
Examples:
- Conjunction: I met her after the class ended. (before a clause)
- Preposition: I met her after the class. (before a noun)
How to Identify a Conjunction (Quick Trick)
Here is a fast test. If a word is joining two words, two phrases, or two clauses, and you can point to what sits on each side of it, then it is a conjunction. Ask yourself: “What is this word linking?” If you can name both parts, you have found a conjunction.
দ্রুত পরীক্ষা: কোনো শব্দ যদি দুটি শব্দ, দুটি phrase বা দুটি clause কে জুড়ছে, আর তুমি দেখাতে পারো এর দুই পাশে কী আছে, তাহলে সেটি একটি conjunction। নিজেকে জিজ্ঞেস করো: “এই শব্দটি কী কী জুড়ছে?” দুই পাশের অংশ দুটি বলতে পারলেই বুঝবে এটি একটি conjunction।
Practice Exercise with Answers
Part A: Name the type of the bold conjunction. Part B: Fill in the gap with the correct word.
নিজে চেষ্টা করার পরে নিচের উত্তরগুলো মিলিয়ে নাও।
Part A:
- He is poor but honest.
- Because it was raining, we stayed inside.
- Neither Rahim nor Karim came.
Part B: 4. No sooner had he left ______ the bell rang. (than / then) 5. Walk fast ______ you should miss the bus. (lest / unless) 6. Do ______ I say. (like / as) 7. Neither the students nor the teacher ______ present. (was / were)
Answers
Part A:
- but = Coordinating Conjunction
- Because = Subordinating Conjunction
- Neither…nor = Correlative Conjunction
Part B: 4. than (‘no sooner’ takes ‘than’) 5. lest (‘lest’ means ‘so that not’) 6. as (‘as’ is a conjunction before a clause) 7. was (the verb agrees with the nearer subject, ‘teacher’)
A Tip for the Exam
The easy conjunction questions ask you to name a type. The hard ones test the rules: the correlative pairs, parallel structure, the verb agreement in ‘neither…nor’, and traps like ‘no sooner…than’ and ‘although’ without ‘but’. When you meet a conjunction question, first spot whether it is a correlative pair, because that is where most of the tricky marks hide. Learn the pairs by heart, and these questions become some of the easiest on the paper.
সহজ conjunction এর প্রশ্নে প্রকার চেনাতে বলা হয়। কিন্তু কঠিন প্রশ্নগুলো নিয়ম পরীক্ষা করে: correlative জোড়া, parallel structure, ‘neither…nor’ এর verb agreement, আর ‘no sooner…than’ ও ‘but’ ছাড়া ‘although’ এর মতো ফাঁদ। conjunction এর প্রশ্ন দেখলে আগে দেখো এটি correlative জোড়া কিনা, কারণ কঠিন নম্বরগুলো সেখানেই লুকিয়ে থাকে। জোড়াগুলো মুখস্থ করে ফেলো, তাহলে এই প্রশ্নগুলো তোমার কাছে সবচেয়ে সহজ হয়ে যাবে।
Related Lessons
Keep building your grammar foundation with these lessons:
- The 8 Parts of Speech: Rules, Examples & Chart
- Noun: Definition, Types, and Examples in English Grammar
- Pronoun: Types, Rules, and Examples (incl. Unclear Pronoun)
- Adjective: Types, Order, and Usage Rules
- Verb: Types (Finite, Non-Finite, Auxiliary) with Examples
- Adverb: Types, Position, and Examples in English Grammar
- Preposition: Rules and Common Uses with Examples
- 5 Rules of Changing Degree (Positive, Comparative, Superlative)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a conjunction?
A conjunction is a word that joins two words, phrases, or clauses together, such as and, but, because, and either…or.
What are the three types of conjunctions?
Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if, when), and correlative conjunctions (either…or, not only…but also).
What are correlative conjunctions?
They are pairs of words that work together, like either…or, neither…nor, both…and, and not only…but also. The same part of speech must follow each word in the pair.
Why do we say ‘no sooner…than’ and not ‘no sooner…then’?
‘No sooner’ is always followed by ‘than’, not ‘then’. ‘Than’ is used for comparison, and ‘then’ means afterwards, so this is a common exam trap.
Is ‘as’ a conjunction or a preposition?
‘As’ is a conjunction when it comes before a clause (Do as I say). ‘Like’ is the preposition used before a noun (He swims like a fish).