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Exercise about conjunctions.

In the following questions, you will be presented with different sentences. Put a tick next to the ones you think are correctly punctuated.

1

a) I like fried chicken, but I really really love cous-cous.
b) She went to the shops but couldn't find anything she liked.
c) Everybody, but Tim was given a huge present.
a) Well done. But is connecting two independent clauses.a) Think again. But is connecting two independent clauses.b) Well done. But is connecting two independent clauses.b) Think again. But is connecting two independent clauses.c) Well done. But is used in the sense of 'with the exception of'. c) Think again. But is used in the sense of 'with the exception of'.
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2

a) I brought the washing in because it was raining.
b) I brought the washing in, because it was raining.
c) Because it was raining, I brought the washing in.
a) Because is a subordinating conjunction, no comma needed. a) Because is a subordinating conjunction, no comma needed. b) Because is a subordinating conjunction, no comma needed. b) Because is a subordinating conjunction, no comma needed. c) As the subordinate clause comes first in the sentence, it must be offset with a comma.c) As the subordinate clause comes first in the sentence, it must be offset with a comma.
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3

a) She was shaking, as she had never been to the palace before.
b) She was shaking as she had never been to the palace before.
c) As she had never been to the palace before, she was shaking.
a) As is a coordinating conjunction and needs a comma. a) As is a coordinating conjunction and needs a comma. b) As is a coordinating conjunction and needs a comma. b) As is a coordinating conjunction and needs a comma. c) The introductory clause needs to be offset with a comma. c) The introductory clause needs to be offset with a comma.
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4

a) Find the bag of gold, or I shall be forced to cut off your ears.
b) I cannot find the gold or the diamonds.
c) Find the bag of gold or I shall be forced to cut off your ears.
a) Or is a coordinating conjunction and is preceded by a comma. a) 'Or' is a coordinating conjunction and is preceded by a comma. b) No need for a comma if 'or' is separating two elements in a list. b) No need for a comma if 'or' is separating two elements in a list. c) 'Or' is a coordinating conjunction and is preceeded by a comma. c) 'Or' is a coordinating conjunction and is preceeded by a comma.
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5

a) Go to your room, and finish your grammar exercises.
b) Fetch me a bucket, and a large sponge.
c) He went to London and he found a good job with a leading bank.
a) Here 'and' is joining two independent clauses and needs a comma.a) Here 'and' is joining two independent clauses and needs a comma.b) 'And' is separating two items in the same clause and does not need a comma.b) 'And' is separating two items in the same clause and does not need a comma.c) Here 'and' is joining two independent clauses and needs a comma.c) Here 'and' is joining two independent clauses and needs a comma.
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6

a) Although the weather was awful, we went fishing, and caught a lot of fish.
b) We went fishing, although the weather was awful.
c) We went fishing although the weather was awful.
a) The initial clause needs to be set off with a comma. a) The initial clause needs to be set off with a comma. b) 'Although' is a subordinating conjunction and does not need a comma.b) 'Although' is a subordinating conjunction and does not need a comma.c) 'Although' is a subordinating conjunction and does not need a comma.c) 'Although' is a subordinating conjunction and does not need a comma.
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7

a) Unless you finish that essay, you will not get any tea.
b) You will not get any tea unless you finish that essay.
c) Your marks will suffer unless you learn some grammar.
a) The introductory clause needs to be offset with a comma.a) The introductory clause needs to be offset with a comma.b) No comma needed for a subordinating conjunction.b) No comma needed for a subordinating conjunction.c) No comma needed for a subordinating conjunction.c) No comma needed for a subordinating conjunction.
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8

a) She could have got a good job in the City, or she could have gone to work with the poor in Africa.
b) She could have worked in the City, or with the poor.
c) You can have custard or ice-cream.
a) A comma is required when 'or' separates two independent clauses. a) A comma is required when 'or' separates two independent clauses. b) When separating elements in the same clause, no comma is needed. b) When separating elements in the same clause, no comma is needed. c) When separating elements in the same clause, no comma is needed. c) When separating elements in the same clause, no comma is needed.
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9

a) Paul took a holiday in Dorset, and his mum had a quiet week in Ibiza.
b) Steve wanted to go camping in Cornwall and his brother wanted to come too.
c) Paul's mum went to Ibiza, and Mallorca this year.
a) 'And' is separating two independent clauses and needs a comma. a) 'And' is separating two independent clauses and needs a comma. b) 'And' is separating two independent clauses and needs a comma. b) 'And' is separating two independent clauses and needs a comma. c) When 'and' separates two elements in the same clause, no comma is needed. c) When 'and' separates two elements in the same clause, no comma is needed.
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10

a) You can go to Ibiza, or you can have a nice week in Dorset.
b) You can go to Ibiza or Dorset.
c) I wanted to go to Dorset, but my parents insisted that we go to Ibiza.
a) 'Or' is connecting two independent clauses and needs a comma. a) 'Or' is connecting two independent clauses and needs a comma. b) When 'or' is separating two elements in a list, no comma is needed. b) When 'or' is separating two elements in a list, no comma is needed. c) 'But' is connecting two independent clauses and needs a comma. c) 'But' is connecting two independent clauses and needs a comma.
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Find out more about using and punctuating conjunctions.

See a list of other grammar exercises.