English Grammar: Conjunctions & Sentence Structure

Learning Objectives and Introduction

Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, or clauses. They help us show how ideas relate—for example, whether one idea adds information, contrasts with another, gives a reason, or describes a condition. Understanding conjunctions and sentence structures makes communication clearer in everyday life and at work.

For Indonesian migrant workers, these skills are especially useful when following instructions, explaining a problem, reporting work, or speaking with employers and colleagues. In this chapter, learners explore three types of conjunctions and practise building simple, compound, and complex sentences.

Konjungsi adalah kata yang menghubungkan kata, frasa, atau klausa. Konjungsi menunjukkan hubungan antaride, seperti penambahan, pertentangan, alasan, pilihan, waktu, atau kondisi. Pemahaman tentang konjungsi dan struktur kalimat membantu kita berkomunikasi dengan lebih jelas dalam kehidupan sehari-hari maupun di tempat kerja.

Bagi pekerja migran Indonesia, keterampilan ini berguna untuk memahami instruksi, menjelaskan masalah, melaporkan pekerjaan, dan berbicara dengan majikan serta rekan kerja. Dalam bab ini, peserta didik mempelajari tiga jenis konjungsi dan berlatih menyusun kalimat sederhana, majemuk setara, dan majemuk bertingkat.

Three Types of Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions connect items of equal importance, such as two words or two independent clauses. Common examples include and (dan), but (tetapi), or (atau), and so (jadi/sehingga). For example: “I work hard, and I arrive on time.” The two ideas can each stand as a complete sentence.

Subordinating conjunctions introduce a dependent clause, which does not express a complete idea on its own. Examples include because (karena), when (ketika), if (jika), and although (meskipun). For example: “I wear gloves because the cleaning products are strong.” The word because explains the reason.

Correlative conjunctions work in pairs. Examples include both … and (baik … maupun), either … or (entah … atau), and neither … nor (baik … maupun tidak). For example: “Both the supervisor and the worker checked the schedule.” The paired words give equal emphasis to two parts of the sentence.

Konjungsi koordinatif menghubungkan unsur yang setara, misalnya dua kata atau dua klausa mandiri. Konjungsi subordinatif mengawali klausa yang bergantung pada bagian lain dalam kalimat. Konjungsi korelatif digunakan berpasangan. Memilih jenis yang tepat membantu pembaca memahami hubungan antarbagian kalimat.

Building Clear English Sentences

A basic English sentence usually includes a subject and a verb: “The caregiver listens.” The subject tells us who or what the sentence is about, while the verb expresses an action or state. An object or other information may follow: “The caregiver listens carefully to the client.”

A simple sentence contains one independent clause: “She prepares breakfast.” A compound sentence joins two independent clauses, often with a coordinating conjunction: “She prepares breakfast, and her colleague sets the table.” A complex sentence combines an independent clause with a dependent clause: “She prepares breakfast before the children wake up.”

Kalimat dasar bahasa Inggris biasanya memiliki subjek dan kata kerja. Kalimat sederhana terdiri atas satu klausa mandiri. Kalimat majemuk setara menggabungkan dua klausa mandiri, sedangkan kalimat majemuk bertingkat menggabungkan klausa mandiri dan klausa bergantung.

Practice for Daily and Workplace Communication

Use conjunctions to make short messages more informative. Instead of saying, “The machine stopped,” you can explain, “The machine stopped, so I informed the supervisor.” To describe a condition, say, “If the supply is low, please tell me.” To report timing, say, “I will clean the room after the guest leaves.”

Latihlah membuat kalimat tentang rutinitas dan pekerjaan. Coba gabungkan dua gagasan dengan and, jelaskan alasan dengan because, atau sampaikan kondisi dengan if. Periksa apakah setiap kalimat memiliki subjek dan kata kerja yang jelas. Dengan latihan teratur, konjungsi dan struktur kalimat membantu kita menyampaikan pesan secara runtut, sopan, dan mudah dipahami.

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