Conjunctions

Children's Literature

Children may no longer diagram sentences, but it is still useful to understand the tools needed to create a sentence. This series features a separate title on each of the key parts of a sentence—nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, interjections, prepositions and pronouns. While they are not likely to be read cover to cover by individual children, they are perfect for group reading as a class embarks on a writing assignment. The layout is colorful and simple, with the appropriate words highlighted. Once the essential definition of a conjunction as a connecting word is explained, however, the book becomes more advanced than its style and layout would suggest. There are chapters about coordinating conjunctions, independent clauses, subordinating conjunctions, and conjunctive adverbs. There are more easily understood sections on the difference between "because" and "since" and the "tricky conjunction, as if." Overall, this particular volume is likely to be of interest to serious young writers who want to know how sentences are constructed. The series is thorough, easy to understand, and often fun in its effort to "untangle the complicated rules" of the English language. Part of the "The Magic of Language" series. 2004, The Child's World, Ages 5 to 7.
—Karen Leggett