Coordinating conjunctions are the simplest kind, and they denote equality of relationship between the ideas they join. Their relatives, correlative conjunctions, not only denote equality, but they also make the joining tighter and more emphatic.
Examples:
| Coordinating Conjunctions | Correlative Conjunctions |
| and but or nor for so yet | both . . . and not only . . . but also either . . . or neither . . . nor whether . . . or just as . . . so too |
Examples:
- John and Sally built a fish pond.
- The train was late, and Tom was tired.
- Just as the smell of baking brought back memories, so too did the taste of the cider.
Coordinating and correlative conjunctions are great when two ideas are of the same importance, but many times one idea is more important than another. Subordinating conjunctions allow a writer to show which idea is more and which is less important. The idea in the main clause is the more important, while the idea in the subordinate clause (made subordinate by the subordinating conjunction) is less important. The subordinate clause supplies a time, reason, condition, and so on for the main clause.
Examples:
| Subordinating Conjunctions | |||||
| Time | Reason | Concession | Place | Condition | Manner |
| after before since when whenever while until as as . . . as once | because since so that in order that why | although though even though while | where wherever | if unless until in case provided that assuming that even if | as if as though how |
Examples:
- Sally steamed the corn while Fred fried the steaks.
- After the rain stopped, the dog ran into the mud to play.
- The snowman melted because the sun came out.
- Even though John fell asleep, the telephone salesman kept talking.
