What are “conjunctive adverbs”?

The purpose of conjunctive adverbs is to join clauses, phrases, or ideas. When joining two independent clauses, conjunctive adverbs are performing the same function as coordinating conjunctions; however, the rules of punctuation are different (Simmons 2013).

Here is a list of common conjunctive adverbs:

The Rules

The rules of punctuation when using conjunctive adverbs vary depending on the placement and use of the adverb.

There are three main variations:

• If the adverb separates two independent clauses, the structure is as follows:
  Clause1; adverb, clause2.
• If the adverb falls anywhere within a single independent clause, the structure is as follows:
  Adverb, clause. or Beginning of clause, adverb, end of clause. or Clause, adverb ("Using Conjunctive Adverbs" 2012).
• If the adverb creates a weak interruption within a sentence, no commas are necessary (Simmons 2013).

Links

1. K12Reader
2. TalkEnglish

References

1. Simmons, Robin L. "The Conjunctive Adverb." The Conjunctive Adverb. N.p., 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. <http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/conjunctiveadverb.htm>.
2. "Using Conjunctive Adverbs." Grammar and Punctuation:. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2 July 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. <http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/ConjAdv.html>.

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