Conjunctions ESL Games, Worksheets & Activities
And, But and So Race
ESL And, But and So Activity - Reading, Writing, and Grammar: Running Dictation, Rewriting Sentences - Pair Work
Here is a useful conjunctions running dictation activity to help students practice connecting simple sentences using and, but, and so. In pairs, one student runs to a text placed outside the classroom, reads...
And, But, Or and So
ESL Conjunctions Worksheet - Grammar and Vocabulary Exercises: Identifying, Gap-fill, Binary Choice, Error Correction, Matching
This informative conjunctions worksheet helps students learn and practice the conjunctions: and, but, or, and so. First, students identify and underline conjunctions in sentences. Students then complete...
Connections
ESL Coordinating Conjunctions Game - Vocabulary and Grammar: Forming Sentences - Group Work
In this enjoyable conjunctions game, students join clauses together with the coordinating conjunctions and, but, so and or. The first player looks at the cards in their hand and chooses one to give to...
Conjunction Chronicles
ESL Coordinating Conjunctions Game - Grammar and Speaking: Sentence Completion, Freer Practice - Group Work
In this imaginative conjunctions story-building game, students create collaborative stories with the conjunctions: and, but, or, and so. In groups. students take turns picking up a card and completing...
Conjunctions Quest
ESL Coordinating Conjunctions Board Game - Grammar: Forming Sentences, Freer Practice - Group Work
This engaging conjunctions board game helps students practice forming basic compound sentences with the conjunctions: and, but, so and or. Students take turns moving their counter one square and...
Conjunctions Gamble
ESL Coordinating Conjunctions Game - Vocabulary: Matching, Sentence Completion, Betting
In this insightful conjunctions game, students complete sentences with a conjunction and suitable ending and then place bets on their answers. To begin, students complete 20 sentences with a conjunction...
Conjunctions Race
ESL Conjunctions Game - Grammar and Vocabulary: Matching, Sentence Completion - Group Work
In this free conjunctions game, students race to complete sentences with the conjunctions: and, but, so, because. In groups of three, students take it in turns to pick up a sentence card and read it to the other...
FANBOYS Match Up
ESL Coordinating Conjunctions Game - Grammar and Vocabulary: Matching - Pair Work
In this fun conjunctions game, students match sentence halves together that contain coordinating conjunctions. First, in pairs, students match sentence halves together and then check their answers...
Because
ESL Because Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Ordering, Matching, Error Correction, Completing and Forming Sentences
This because worksheet helps students to learn and practice how to use 'because' to join independent clauses. Students begin by putting sentences in the...
Complete the Sentence
ESL Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions Activity - Grammar: Sentence Completion - Pair Work
In this engaging conjunctions activity, students race to complete sentences that use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. One student from each pair comes to your desk and picks up sentence...
Conjunctions and Sentence Connectors
ESL Conjunctions Worksheet - Vocabulary, Grammar and Reading Exercises: Identifying, Categorising, Gap-fill, Rewriting Sentences
This comprehensive conjunctions and sentence connectors worksheet familiarises students with and provides practice for some common types of conjunctions and sentence connectors. Students start by...
Coordinating Conjunctions Board Game
ESL Conjunctions Board Game - Grammar, Vocabulary and Speaking: Sentence Completion - Group Work
In this free conjunctions board game, students complete sentences that use the coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet. Players take it in turns to roll the dice and move their counter along...
Subordinating Conjunctions Bingo
ESL Subordinating Conjunctions Game - Grammar and Vocabulary: Matching, Gap-fill
In this handy subordinating conjunctions game, students play bingo by completing sentences on a bingo card with subordinating conjunctions. Each bingo card consists of five sentences with each sentence missing a different subordinating...
Adverbial Conjunctions
ESL Adverbial Conjunctions Worksheet - Grammar and Vocabulary Exercises: Identifying, Binary Choice, Error Correction, Gap-fill, Unscrambling, Matching
Here is a useful adverbial conjunctions worksheet to help students practice adverbial conjunctions of concession. First, students underline adverbial...
Contrasting Dominoes
ESL Conjunctions Game - Vocabulary and Reading: Matching - Group Work
Here is a rewarding whereas and while game to help students practice contrasting actions and situations with 'whereas' and 'while'. The first player puts down one of their dominoes on either side of the domino on the table, making sure that the...
Give Me a Reason
ESL Subordinate Conjunctions Game - Grammar and Speaking: Sentence Completion, Freer Practice - Group Work
In this creative subordinate conjunctions game, students race to complete sentences with a suitable subordinate conjunction and a reason. In groups, students take it in turns to turn over a sentence card...
Short Stories
ESL Conjunctions Activity - Vocabulary, Speaking and Writing: Forming and Writing Sentences, Story Writing - Group Work
In this imaginative conjunctions activity, students invent and tell a story using coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. First, groups make three story titles using words on cards, e.g. 'The...
Subordinating Conjunctions Practice
ESL Conjunctions Worksheet - Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises: Categorising, Binary Choice, Writing Sentences, Gap-fill
Here is a productive subordinating conjunctions worksheet for upper-intermediate students. Students begin by categorising subordinating conjunctions according to their function...
Understanding Conjunctions
Conjunctions are words that link clauses, phrases, or ideas within a sentence. Choosing the wrong conjunction changes the logical relationship between ideas entirely: writing 'I studied hard, so I failed' instead of 'I studied hard, but I failed' tells the opposite story.
This page covers conjunctions from Elementary through Upper-intermediate levels (A1-A2 to B2), with 18 resources across activity types including running dictations, card games, board games, bingo, worksheets, and a story-writing activity, including two free downloads.
The table below maps the main types of conjunctions by their function, with common examples and a sample sentence for each.
| Type | Function | Common Examples | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordinating conjunctions | Join two independent clauses of equal weight | and, but, or, so, nor, for, yet | 'She was tired, but she kept working.' |
| Subordinating conjunctions (time) | Introduce a dependent clause showing when something happens | when, while, before, after, until, as soon as | 'Call me when you arrive.' |
| Subordinating conjunctions (reason) | Introduce a dependent clause giving a reason | because, since, as | 'I stayed home because I was sick.' |
| Subordinating conjunctions (contrast) | Introduce a dependent clause that pushes against the main clause | although, even though, whereas, while | 'Although it was cold, they went outside.' |
| Subordinating conjunctions (condition) | Introduce a dependent clause showing a condition | if, unless, provided that | 'I will help you if you ask.' |
| Subordinating conjunctions (purpose) | Introduce a dependent clause showing why an action was taken | so that, in order that | 'She studied hard so that she could pass.' |
| Adverbial conjunctions | Link two sentences or independent clauses to show a logical relationship | however, therefore, moreover, nevertheless | 'It was raining. However, we went for a walk.' |
When to Use Conjunctions
Sequencing events in narrative: When a speaker or writer wants to show the order or timing of events, subordinating conjunctions like 'before', 'after', and 'as soon as' anchor each event in relation to the one before it, as in 'She texted me as soon as she landed.'
Adding a contrasting qualification: Writers use 'although' or 'even though' to acknowledge one fact while immediately pushing against it, which creates a more balanced and honest tone than simply ignoring the counterpoint, as in 'Although the proposal was expensive, the board approved it.'
Expressing purpose or intention: In formal writing, conjunctions like 'so that' or 'in order that' tell the reader why an action was taken, making the reasoning behind a decision transparent, as in 'A company might update its leave policy so that all employees could request flexible hours.'
3-Step Framework for Teaching Conjunctions
1. Build the Habit with Physical Practice: Start students moving before they pick up a pen. In a running dictation, one partner races to a text placed outside the classroom, memorises a sentence pair, runs back, and dictates it to their partner. Once all ten pairs are written down, both partners race to combine each pair into a single sentence using and, but, or so, adding a comma where needed. The physical element keeps energy high while the rewriting task locks in the logical difference between each conjunction.
2. Show Why Connectors Matter in Real Text: Give students two paragraphs about learning English and ask them to decide which one is easier to read before they do anything else. Once they identify the easier paragraph, students underline the words and phrases that help make it flow better, then sort those into two groups: ones that link ideas within a sentence and ones that link ideas between sentences. This comparison makes the communicative value of conjunctions visible in a way that a gap-fill alone never does.
3. Push for Spontaneous Production: At the upper-intermediate level, students need to go beyond choosing the right word and start generating whole ideas under pressure. In a speaking race, students complete sentences with a suitable subordinate conjunction and a reason, and because the conjunction can sit at the beginning or in the middle of the sentence, students have to think about structure as well as meaning at the same time.
Common Mistakes with Conjunctions
'Because' as a standalone sentence: Students often write a 'because' clause as a separate sentence after the main clause, treating it as a complete thought rather than a connector that must attach to another clause. Wrong: 'I was late. Because the bus was delayed.' Correct: 'I was late because the bus was delayed.'
Double conjunction: Students often combine two conjunctions that perform the same logical function in a single sentence, most commonly pairing 'although' with 'but' or 'because' with 'so', which creates a grammatical clash. Wrong: 'Although she studied hard, but she failed the test.' Correct: 'Although she studied hard, she failed the test.'
Common Questions About Teaching Conjunctions
What is a free conjunctions board game?
The free board game Coordinating Conjunctions Board Game has students complete sentences using and, but, for, nor, or, so, and yet. Players roll a dice, land on a square, and complete the sentence on that square in a way that shows the correct meaning of the conjunction. The group confirms each answer before the player stays on the square.
What is a good activity for practicing conjunctions in class?
The activity Complete the Sentence is a race where students complete sentence cards that each feature a coordinating or subordinating conjunction, adding any punctuation needed to make it work. When a pair finishes a card correctly, they collect the next one. The first pair to complete all 20 sentences correctly wins.
What is an engaging worksheet for teaching subordinating conjunctions?
The worksheet Subordinating Conjunctions Practice takes students from recognition to production in four steps: categorising conjunctions by function, identifying the correct conjunction in context, writing sentences by joining two clauses, and completing sentences with a suitable beginning or ending. Each stage builds directly on the one before it.
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