Chapter 15: Stop Press! Student to Deliver Sentence 225
✓ Coordinating conjunctions join two sentences together when each sen-
tence is as important as the other. So you can teach students to change
from writing two short sentences to one longer one:
She sits on the sofa. She reads her book.
She sits on the sofa and reads her book.
Michael plays well. He can’t jump high.
Michael plays well but he can’t jump high.
✓ Subordinating conjunctions work in sentences with two distinct parts
where the understanding of one part depends on understanding the
other:
We must go now. We might be late.
We will be late unless we go now.
✓ Correlative conjunctions work together in pairs, so you can’t usually
use one without the other:
I don’t want milk. I want sugar.
I want neither milk nor sugar.
Weaving conjunctions into writing and speaking
You teach each individual conjunction one by one. For example, ‘and’, ‘but’
and ‘because’ usually appear in elementary level course books, then when
students get used to longer sentences and varied tenses they learn more
sophisticated conjunctions such as ‘whereas’ and ‘however’.Rules surround each conjunction too, which is all the more reason to work
through them slowly and progressively, but once you’ve presented a few, the
best way to get students using them frequently is by using practice exercises.Giver your students sentences with lists and have them write them using ‘and’
before the last item:I like tea/coffee/hot/chocolate. Answer: I like tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
He went /bank/ park/ friend’s house. Answer: He went to the bank, the
park and a friend’s house.She is /big/bold/beautiful. Answer: She is big, bold and beautiful.