New Hampshire Foundations of Reading Practice Test

What do conjunctions primarily do in a sentence?

1. Modify verbs

2. Show relationships

3. Join words, phrases, or clauses

4. Express emotions

The correct answer is: Join words, phrases, or clauses

Conjunctions primarily function to join words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence. This role is crucial in enabling sentences to convey complex ideas and relationships clearly and cohesively. For instance, when we use coordinating conjunctions like "and," "but," or "or," we can link independent clauses to create compound sentences, thus enhancing the flow of thought. Additionally, subordinating conjunctions, such as "although," "because," or "while," allow for the joining of dependent clauses to independent clauses, indicating a relationship between ideas such as cause and effect or contrast. Therefore, the central purpose of conjunctions is to facilitate the connections among different sentence components, promoting clarity and progression in writing.