Conjunctions are words used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause, such as "and," "but," and "if."
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Use of ‘or’ when it means ‘and’ in negatives [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How does negation affect the use and understanding of “or” and “and”
If I want to negate a sentence such as
I like beer and whiskey. [Most ...
4
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4answers
194 views
What’s the role of ‘because’ in this conversation?
I’ve lost track of the logical flow of the following conversation between Lucius Malfoy and Harry.
And still, behind his back, Dobby was pointing, first to the diary, then to Lucius Malfoy, then ...
2
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3answers
830 views
Commas after Conjunctions
So we've already discussed at length whether it's okay to start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction, and it's pretty clear that it is (and I've already done it in this sentence). But (there we ...
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4answers
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What is correct syntax with 'entail'?
My instinct is that when it means "to have as an inescapable consequence", entail must be followed by a noun. In all the grammatical examples I have come across this is how it is used — without ...
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2answers
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Comma placement in “developing cutting edge websites and previously video games”
This is the opening line of my CV so I would like it to be correct. Would this be the correct place to put the comma? I've always been taught not to put a comma before and.
I’m a talented and ...
2
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3answers
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Precedence of “and” and “or”
Do and and or have any particular precedence as they do in programming languages?
What does the following sentence mean?
Will it be cold and rain or snow today?
Will it (be cold and ...
2
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3answers
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What does “if and when” mean, and is it the same as “when and if”?
Rather than trying to describe my beef with this idiom, I will give a bunch of successively objectionable examples. None of these are taken from real life.
As I see it, if (and when) both "if" and ...
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5answers
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When do we need to put a comma after “so”?
I noticed that most of the times when the conjunction "so" is used at the beginning of a sentence, it is followed by a comma:
So, this gets published but the fact that it is inaccurate gets ...
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4answers
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When should we use “and” and/or “and/or”?
Does anyone know when we should use and and when we should use and/or?
Is and/or even official English?
And when using it in conversation, do we actually pronounce "and" and "or" as such: Heys i ...
3
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3answers
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What sentence parts needs to be repeated here?
What of the following is right?
"We need to find out..."
"...how to lower the costs or how to produce more."
"...how to lower the costs or to produce more."
"...how to lower the costs or produce ...
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6answers
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Using a comma before “but”
I was once told by an English professor that a comma should never be used before but in a sentence. For years, I have followed her advice but sometimes I just feel like it just needs to be there. On ...
2
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4answers
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Is there any difference in meaning between these sentences?
A: Positive and negative numbers cannot satisfy the condition.
B: Positive or negative numbers cannot satisfy the condition.
C: Non-zero numbers cannot satisfy the condition.
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1answer
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“'n'” as an abbreviation for “and” as in “rock 'n' roll”
I wonder if there are other cases where and is abbreviated in writing as in rock 'n' roll.
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2answers
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Should “vice versa” be treated as an independent clause?
I know "vice versa" more or less means "conversely," but when it is used by itself, should it be punctuated as if it were an independent clause?
Dogs don't like cats, and vice versa.
or
Dogs ...
4
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2answers
305 views
Use of “although” with a modifier
Is it grammatically correct to use "although" in a modifying clause, but without a conjugated verb? Example:
Although not regarded as nocturnal, the Black Bear of North America is active at night ...
2
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1answer
986 views
“Should” cannot replace “if?” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
Are “should” and “if” interchangeable at the beginning of a sentence?
A special use of “should”?
For sentences that begin with ...
2
votes
2answers
207 views
How does negation affect the use and understanding of “or” and “and”
I'm trying to make more sense of how negation effects how a sentence is parsed and understood if and's and or's are used within them.
Pop quiz: You are trapped on a bus with a bomb going 50 MPH. You ...
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4answers
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Confusion with Use of “Though” [closed]
Today I came across this sentence:
Though I don't sell photos taken by me it still makes me feel good/appreciated/wanted
I want to know exactly what this sentence means. I assumed two possible ...
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1answer
207 views
Problem with the usage of “but” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Specific usage of the word 'but'
Interpreting the meaning of 'but' as an implication for exclusion/inclusion
“nothing but” vs. “anything but” vs. “everything but”
...
1
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2answers
267 views
Grammar: Use of 'that' [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Use of “that” in a sentence
Which of the following is correct in British English?
1) There are 100 people going to the party, so I expect it will be a good ...
4
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1answer
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How to use 'as well as' and 'even'?
When I was doing my English homework, I came across this question:
In his research paper Dr Brown suggests that snacking, if done properly, makes people healthier and __ helps control weight.
A. ...
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1answer
563 views
Can I start a sentence with “because”, whether I am answering a question, or giving a sample of an idea? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Can a sentence start with “Because”
I would like to know if the next sentence is right:
"Because in this case, both are spelled the same way"
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6answers
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“The larger of A and B” or “the larger of A or B”
I was wondering which one is more correct between "the larger of A and B" and "the larger of A or B".
I use the former, but I saw in IRS instruction for Form 1040:
In most cases, your federal ...
0
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1answer
581 views
Better use of “that that” — or not [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How do you handle “that that”? The double “that” problem
I sometimes seem to write myself into using 2 thats in succession, as in:
"Now that ...
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4answers
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Is using “and/or” recommended for formal writing, or is it frowned upon?
Is using "and/or" allowed in formal writing? If not, is there general way to represent the OR binary operator with as little space as possible in written English?
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4answers
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When should you use a semicolon *with* a conjunction?
I know the basics of a semicolon—at least I think I do. Aside from delimiting verbose lists, it separates independent clauses of a sentence. So, if you have two independent clauses in a sentence, ...
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3answers
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Are “should” and “if” interchangeable at the beginning of a sentence? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
A special use of “should”?
If "should" comes at the beginning of a sentence, and the sentence is not a question, then can it be replaced with "if?" Is there any ...
2
votes
2answers
297 views
Can “;” be used to replace the word “but”?
Are these two sentences both correct and equivalent?
People say stuff like "all lawyers are
liars", but it's not true.
People say stuff like "all lawyers are
liars"; it's not true.
Is ...
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3answers
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Use “or” or “nor”?
I've always wondered this but never asked. Given this statement:
Energy can be neither created nor destroyed.
Should it be or or nor? This is on Wikipedia so they are probably correct in saying ...
12
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7answers
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Can “hence” be used at the beginning of a sentence?
Can the word ‘hence’ be used at the beginning of a sentence? For example:
Hence, I am not feeling well, I am unable to work.
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3answers
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Does one differentiate A “from” B, or differentiate A “and” B?
A fecal test cannot differentiate intestinal blood from blood from red meat.
-or-
A fecal test cannot differentiate intestinal blood and blood from red meat.
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5answers
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Can “as” ever properly mean “because”?
We often encounter as used to mean because. As we know, as is not merely ambiguous: it’s hexiguous or octiguous.
I’m especially uncomfortable when I find the usage in a technical paper1, where ...
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4answers
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Usage of “And” in the beginning of a sentence
Since I first learned English, I have been holding this understanding that "and", as a conj. but unlike "but", can only connect two clauses, not two sentences ended with periods.
But recently, I ...
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3answers
863 views
Is it: My apples and orange are/is wrong?
Simple question:
My apples and orange are wrong
or
My apples and orange is wrong
I am not a native English speaker, and I am having some trouble choosing between plural are or singular is ...
2
votes
3answers
3k views
Alternative structures for “not only … but also …”?
I'm trying to write this essay and I find myself writing too many "not only ... but also ..." structures. Can you guys help me come up with some alternatives?
Basically, I want this kind of ...
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2answers
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Omission of “and” in headlines
What is this phenomenon called?
Is it common in all English-speaking countries?
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1answer
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Interpreting the meaning of 'but' as an implication for exclusion/inclusion
I often find it difficult to interpret the meaning of but in some of the sentences where it is used to imply exclusion/inclusion. For example: Drink everything you want but alcohol.
Also, sometimes ...
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5answers
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Does “either A or B ” preclude “both A and B”?
In mathematics, "A or B" includes "A and B".
Does "either" mean "A or B but not (A and B)" or does it include the possibility of "A and B"?
The context might be mathematics, formal logic or ordinary ...
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5answers
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Is it appropriate to use “and/or” in a sentence, and how else might I achieve this? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Alternatives to “and/or”?
Is it okay to say "and/or"? How else might I phrase a sentence like the following?
The amount of happiness displayed by
the ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Singular or plural noun in a sentence after using both in a related conjunction?
Occasionally when I am writing a sentence, I end up in a situation where I do not know whether to use the singular or plural form of a noun because I used both just prior to it in a conjunction.
For ...
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votes
4answers
616 views
Where to insert comma(s)?
Compare these:
She tried, and, as expected, failed.
She tried, and as expected, failed.
She tried and, as expected, failed.
She tried and as expected, failed.
She tried and (as ...
4
votes
0answers
364 views
Why do we use a comma before “and”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Comma before last item in a list
Often times, I find myself writing sentences like the following:
"... to integrate four granularities
of features: first, second, ...
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2answers
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“All but” idiom has two meanings?
Here's two ways I've seen the "all, but" idiom used:
"Close all tabs but this one" (Any modern application with a number of tabs might have this as an option.) It means "close all the tabs, but not ...
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3answers
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“to be all but X”
What does "all but" mean in this expression?
Today, under pressure from P2P distribution, optical disc piracy in wealthy countries is "all but eliminated" and profit margins elsewhere are slim.
...
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2answers
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Is it mandatory to use a comma before a coordinating conjunction uniting the two independent clauses in a compound sentence?
My friend and I had an argument about whether this sentence required a comma:
I understand where you're coming from but I disagree.
My friend insisted that there should be a comma before "but":
...
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1answer
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The construction of “Known but to God”
The Tomb of the Unknown Solider has the engraving "KNOWN BUT TO GOD", as presumably no man knows his name, but shouldn't it read "unknown, but to God", as the default for everyone is "unknown", with ...
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Specific usage of the word 'but'
The Aesop's Fables translated by George Fyler Townsend book has a line which reads as follows:
... If you had but touched me, my friend, you ...
I've seen the word 'but' used this way a couple ...
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1answer
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What part of speech is “unless” in the following sentence?
Unless disciplined, a dog becomes a household pest.
Is the use of unless in this sentence correct? It sounds to my naive ear to be fine, but I always think of unless as a conjunction, which does ...
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3answers
315 views
How commonly is “but” used in sentences?
Usually, whenever I post a question on Stack Overflow, I have a habit of using the word but excessively. Is there an alternative word can I use?
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3answers
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Can ‘although’ be used in this way?
We still haven't got a sponsor although the fact that we've written to dozens of companies.
What's wrong with ‘although’ in the sentence above?
