Plain English. Marian Wharton

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СКАЧАТЬ we say, Get the book on the table, the phrase on the table designates the book just as much as if we had said, Get the green book. So the use of the preposition enables us to show the relation between two words and to make one word describe or modify the other.

      51. This little word and in the sentence, Men and women struggle for their rights, is a connective word also, but it connects two words that are used in the same way, so it is a different sort of connective word from the preposition. Words used in this way are called conjunctions. Conjunction is a word which is taken from the Latin, being made up of the Latin word con, which means together, and the Latin verb juncto, which means to join. So conjunction means literally to join together.

       52. A conjunction is a word that connects sentences or parts of sentences.

      Notice the following sentence:

      The class struggle is waged on the political field and on the industrial field.

      Here we have the conjunction and connecting the two phrases on the political field and on the industrial field. Without the use of this connective word, we would have to use two sentences to express these two thoughts:

      The class struggle is waged on the political field.

      The class struggle is waged on the industrial field.

      53. So a conjunction may be used to connect phrases as well as words.

      Now notice the following sentences:

      He will speak. I will listen.

      He will speak, and I will listen.

      He will speak, but I will listen.

      He will speak, if I will listen.

      He will speak, therefore I will listen.

      He will speak, because I will listen.

      He will speak, until I will listen.

      54. These sentences are joined by different conjunctions, and the conjunction used alters the meaning of the sentence.

      The conjunction is a very useful part of speech. Without it we would have many disconnected sentences requiring tiresome repetition of the same words. Like prepositions, there are not many conjunctions in English and they are readily recognized.

      55. We will study about these conjunctions at length in later lessons. If you consult the following list of those most commonly used, you can easily pick out the conjunctions in your reading:

      and

      as

      as if

      after

      although

      as soon as

      because

      besides

      before

      but

      either

      for

      hence

      in order that

      lest

      neither

      nor

      or

      since

      still

      so

      then

      though

      that

      than

      therefore

      till

      until

      unless

      while

      whether

      yet

      The seven classes of words which we have studied make up all of our sentences. The hundreds of words which we use in forming our sentences and expressing our thoughts belong to these seven classes. They are either nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions or conjunctions.

      Exercise 5

      Underscore the conjunctions in the following sentences. Notice whether they connect words or phrases or sentences.

      1. We cannot win unless we are organized.

      2. Books and music are true friends.

      3. Men, women and children work under conditions neither proper nor just.

      4. We must educate and organize.

      5. The workers on the farms and in the factories must be united.

      6. Winter has come and the birds are going South.

      7. We have been ignorant, therefore we have been exploited.

      8. We must learn before we can teach.

      9. We do not understand the situation, because we do not know the facts.

      10. Do you know whether these statements are true or false?

IT CAN BE DONE

      Somebody said that it couldn't be done,

      But he, with a chuckle, replied

      That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one

      Who wouldn't say so till he tried.

      So he buckled right in, with a trace of a grin

      On his face. If he worried he hid it.

      He started to sing as he tackled the thing

      That couldn't be done—and he did it.

      Somebody scoffed, "Oh, you'll never do that;

      At least no one ever has done it."

      But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,

      And the first thing we knew he'd begun it;

      With the lift of his chin, and a bit of a grin,

      Without any doubting or quiddit,

      He started to sing as he tackled the thing

      That couldn't be done—and he did it.

      There are thousands to tell you it can not be done;

      There are thousands to prophesy failure;

      There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,

      The dangers that wait to assail you.

      But buckle right in, with a lift of your chin,

      Then take off your coat and go to it;

      Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing

      That СКАЧАТЬ