Using conjunctions to join ideas

What are conjunctions?

Conjunctions join together two different, but related, parts of a sentence.

They can be words like 'and', 'but', 'if', 'when', and 'because'. For example:

I like swimming and she likes dancing.

'Because' is a really useful conjunction. We can use it to explain how or why something is the case. For example:

I felt sick because I went on the roller coaster twice!

Watch: Conjunctions

Watch the short video below to see some more examples of conjunctions in action!

Watch: Using 'because'

Top tip!

You can use 'because', 'if' and 'when' at the beginning or the middle of a sentence. For example:

I was late because I missed the bus.

Or you could write:

Because I missed the bus, I was late.

Activity 1

See if you can identify all the conjunctions (joining words) in this short activity.

Activity 2

There are lots of different things you can see in the ocean.

Watch this short video then complete the activity below.

Complete the sentences using the list of conjunctions.
You should use each conjunction once.

You can say your answers out loud or write them down.
The first one has been done for you.

Conjunction

• and
• because
• and
• but
• and
• when

Sentences

1. Some fish are big and some fish are small.

2. Seaweed looks like a plant … it's an algae.

3. Seaweed grows close to the surface … it uses the sun to make food.

4. Plankton is made up of tiny plants … animals.

5. Ocean habitats are large … wet.

6. … whales need to breathe, they swim to the surface.

You can check your answers using this answer sheet.

Activity 3

Write six sentences about the ocean using 'because', 'if' or 'when'.

You might want to watch the video again to get some ideas.

Try and write two sentences for each conjunction. For example:

Whales swim to the surface because they need to breathe.

Remember to use 'capital letters' at the start of your sentences and 'punctuation' at the end.