Collins Cobuild English Grammar (158 page)

8.147
    In writing, you can add a phrase containing one or more adjectives to a sentence. This is another way of making two statements in one sentence.

For example, instead of writing
We were tired and hungry
.
We reached the farm
, you could write
Tired and hungry, we reached the farm
.

Surprised at my reaction
, she tried to console me.
Much discouraged
, I moved on to Philadelphia.
The boy nodded,
pale and scared
.
He knocked at the door,
sick with fear
.
Of course, said Alison,
astonished
.

8.148
    In a similar way, you can use a phrase to describe something that is connected with the subject of a sentence. The phrase consists of a noun, followed by an adjective, an adverbial, or another noun.

For example, instead of writing
He came into the room
.
His hat was in his hand
, you could write
He came into the room, his hat in his hand
.

What do you mean by that? said Hugh,
his face pale
.
She stood very straight,
her body absolutely stiff with fury
.
He was waiting, drumming with his fingers,
his eyes on his napkin
.

With
is sometimes added at the beginning of a phrase.

She walked on,
with her eyes straight ahead
.
It was a hot, calm day,
with every object visible for miles
.

Linking words, phrases, and clauses together

8.149
    When you say or write something, you often want to put together two or more clauses of equal importance. You do this by using a
coordinating conjunction
.

Anna had to go into town
and
she wanted to go to Bride Street.
I asked if I could borrow her bicycle
but
she refused.
He was a great player,
yet
he never played for Ireland.

Here is a list of the most common coordinating conjunctions:

and

but

nor

or

then

yet

Coordinating conjunctions are also used to link words and phrases.

The boys shouted
and
rushed forward.
…domestic animals such as dogs
and
cats.
Her manner was hurried
yet
polite.
She spoke slowly
but
firmly.

Sometimes coordinating conjunctions are used together.

The software is quite sophisticated
and yet
easy to use.
Eric moaned something
and then
lay still.

The linking of clauses, words, or phrases using coordinating conjunctions is called
coordination
. Coordinating conjunctions are sometimes called
coordinators
.

8.150
    The different uses of coordinating conjunctions are explained in the following paragraphs:

Ways of emphasizing coordinating conjunctions are described in paragraphs
8.194
to
8.199
.

The linking of more than two clauses, words, or phrases is explained in paragraphs
8.200
and
8.201
.

Linking clauses

8.151
    You can use a coordinating conjunction to link clauses that have the same subject, or clauses that have different subjects.

omitting words in the second clause

8.152
    When you link clauses that have the same subject, you do not always need to repeat the subject in the second clause.

If the conjunction is
and
,
or
, or
then
, you do not usually repeat the subject.

I picked up the glass
and
raised it to my lips.
It’s a long time since you’ve bought them a drink
or talked to them
.
When she recognized Morris she went pale,
then blushed
.

If the conjunction is
but
,
so
, or
yet
, it is usual to repeat the subject.

I try and see it their way,
but I can’t
.
I had no car,
so I hired one for the journey
.
He lost the fight,
yet somehow he emerged with his dignity
.

When you link clauses that have different subjects but that have some common elements, you do not need to repeat all the elements in the second clause.

For example, instead of saying
Some of them went to one restaurant and some of them went to the other restaurant
, you can say
Some of them went to one restaurant and some to the other
.

One soldier was killed
and another wounded
.
One side was painted black
and the other white
.

functions of coordinating conjunctions

8.153
    A coordinating conjunction can be used simply to link clauses, or it can be used in addition to indicate a relationship between them. These uses are explained in the following paragraphs.

related facts

8.154
    If you simply want to mention two related facts, you use
and
.

He has been successful in Hollywood
and
has worked with such directors as Mike Leigh and Richard Attenborough.
The company will not close
and
will continue to operate from Belfast.
He gained a B in English
and
now plans to study languages.

You also use
and
to show that two things happened or are happening at the same time.

I sat
and
watched him.

Other uses of
and
are explained in the following paragraphs.

sequence

8.155
    If you use
and
between two clauses that describe events, you are saying that the event described in the first clause happens or happened before the event described in the second one.

She was born in Budapest
and
raised in Manhattan.
He opened the car door
and
got out.

Then
can be used in the same way, but it is less common.

We finished our drinks
then
left.

two negative facts

8.156
    When you want to link two negative clauses, you usually use
and
.

When his contract ended he did not return home
and
he has not been there since 1979.

However, you can use
or
when the clauses have the same subject and the same auxiliaries. In the second clause, you omit the subject, the auxiliaries, and
not
.

For example, instead of saying
She doesn’t eat meat and she doesn’t eat fish
, you can say
She doesn’t eat meat or fish
.

We will not damage
or
destroy the samples.
He didn’t yell
or
scream.

You can also link negative clauses by using
and neither
,
and nor
, or
nor
. You put
be
or the auxiliary at the beginning of the second clause, in front of the subject.

For example, instead of saying
My sister doesn’t like him, and I don’t like him
, you can say
My sister doesn’t like him, and neither do I
.

I was not happy
and neither were they
.
I could not afford to eat in restaurants
and nor could anyone else I knew
.
These people are not crazy,
nor are they fools
.

But neither
and
but nor
can also be used.

This isn’t a great movie,
but neither is it rubbish
.
I don’t want to marry him
but nor do I want anyone else to
.

When you use
and
to link two negative statements, you can put
either
after the second statement.

I hadn’t been to a rock festival before
and
Mike hadn’t
either
.
Electricity didn’t come into Blackball Farm until recently
and
they hadn’t any hot water
either
.

For emphasis, you can join two negative clauses by using
neither
and
nor
. This use is explained in paragraph
8.198
.

contrast

8.157
    When you are adding a contrasting fact, you usually use
but
.

I’m only 63,
but
I feel a hundred.
It costs quite a lot
but
it’s worth it.
I’ve had a very pleasant two years,
but
I can’t wait to get back to the city.

If you want to add a fact that contrasts strongly with what you have just said, you use
yet
or
and yet
.

Everything around him was destroyed,
yet
the minister escaped without a scratch.
I want to leave,
and yet
I feel I should to stay.

You usually put a comma in front of
but
,
yet
, or
and yet
.

alternatives

8.158
    When you want to mention two alternatives, you use
or
.

We could take a picnic
or
we could find a restaurant when we’re out.
Did he jump,
or
was he pushed?

USAGE NOTE