What Do Conjunctive Adverbs Conjoin?

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Conjunctive adverbs and conjunctions must share a similar function since they share the root word conjoin.

• But how are they different?

Conjunctions join clauses together to make compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. Notice the italicized conjunctions in these examples:

Compound: I like tacos, and my sister likes burritos.

Complex: Although I ate seven tacos, I was still hungry.

Compound-complex: My sister doesn't like tacos because they are too messy, so she gave me hers.

Conjunctive adverbs can be used to join independent clauses (only); however, the link is not as strong and requires different punctuation.

Using Conjunctive Adverbs

Conjunctive adverbs are used to bring together two independent clauses -- or complete thoughts -- while also highlighting that the thoughts are separate with a semicolon or a period.

Here are two examples:

I wanted to go; however, I was feeling sick.

Joe ran all afternoon. Consequently, he ate a huge dinner.

Adding the semicolon and the period between the complete thoughts stresses that they are separate; however, the conjunctive adverb also joins them together.

Conjunctive adverbs can also appear embedded within a sentence.

Usually, commas are used to set off the conjunctive adverb. If the interruption in the sentence is weak, no commas are needed.

Here are two examples:

I worked on the essay all night long. Finally, I got it done.

Sally is an artist. She is thus inclined to shopping the sales at Michael's.

In the first example, the interruption in the sentence is more significant, so a comma is used. You can say the two sentences out loud to hear the difference.

There are no hard and fast rules about the strength of the interruption in a sentence, so you have to use your own discretion.

Conjunctive adverbs are not a necessary part of a sentence. If they are removed, nothing about the meaning of the sentence(s) is changed.

Because of this, they can move around in the sentence:

Lachlan completely reorganized his room. Incidentally, he found the sneaker for which he'd been searching.

Lachlan completely reorganized him room. He found the sneaker for which he'd been searching, incidentally.

Lachlan completely reorganized his room. He found the sneaker, incidentally, for which he'd been searching.

These examples also show why these are conjunctive adverbs.

You know that an adverb modifies a verb. Conjunctive adverbs connect two ideas through a verb. In each example above, incidentally describes how Lachlan found his sneaker.

Here is a list of common conjunctive adverbs:

Review

• How did you do?
• Do you feel good about the rules of conjunctive adverbs?

If you do, click through to the Got It? section.