73Rule #13: Conjunctions ..........................................................................
How to Find: Look for underlined conjunctions.
How to Fix: Change to the correct conjunction.
We have already reviewed conjunctions in the Parts of Speech section of this book. For a refresher, the most
common conjunctions are: or, by, and, but, yet, so, because.
Remember, conjunctions are either carrying the sentence along in the same direction
(and, so....) or they are flipping the direction of the sentence (but, although...)
OR indicating cause and effect (because, since...)
Let’s try some:
She wanted to go to a good college, and she got horrible grades in high school.
Step 1: Spot the conjunction (and).
Step 2: Ask: Is the sentence flowing in the same direction or a different direction? The sentence is actually
flipped. Wanting to go to college and getting horrible grades are not along the same lines. We need a
flip word, such as “but.”
Revised sentence: She wanted to go to a good college, but she got horrible grades in high school.
Tara studied for her physics test in the library; however, it was difficult to concentrate because of the couple
whispering incessantly at the table across from her.
Step 1: Spot the conjunction (however).
Step 2: Ask: Is the sentence flipping direction? Yes, it is. She is studying, BUT getting distracted.
The “however” is correct.
The construction of the however following a semicolon seems funky, but is totally correct,
so memorize the visual – “blah, blah, blah; however, blah, blah, blah.”
Your teacher may have taught you that it is not okay to start a sentence with “because.”
It is absolutely okay to start a sentence with “because.” In fact, a sentence that begins with
“because” is often the right answer, as ETS knows students are warned against the “because.”
Why do teachers discourage against the use of “because” at the start of a sentence? The word
“because” often forms an incomplete sentence when it is used to answer a question. For example,
“Why did Barack Obama run for president? Because he thought he could change the world.”
In that example, the word “because” turns a perfectly good complete sentence (“He thought
he could change the world”) into an incomplete sentence. Thus, it is NOT okay to begin
sentences with “because” if it creates an incomplete sentence.