What is a conjunction?

• A. A noun that expresses emotion.
• B. A verb form that shows action.
• C. A part of speech used to connect words, phrases, and sentences.
• D. A punctuation mark that separates clauses.

Answer: (C)

Conjunctions are words used to connect words, phrases, and sentences, showing how those parts relate to each other. They come in two main kinds: coordinating ones like and, but, or link equal parts; and subordinating ones like because, although, since introduce dependent ideas. This connecting role is why this description fits best: a conjunction is not a word that names action (a verb form), nor a noun expressing emotion, nor a punctuation mark—those describe other parts of grammar. The key idea is that a conjunction’s job is to join elements and show their relationship within the sentence.