A Mild Case of Conjunctivitis

Hello, dearies! You’ll forgive my slovenly attire today, won’t you? Donna Reed might have pulled off the pearls-and-heels look whilst cleaning house, but your Style Maven has better luck with jeans and T-shirts.

Especially considering what was under the fridge; egad.

It was at some point during my third cappuccino break that my mind started wandering down the to-do list. “Laundry, dishes, lunch, aaaand …” And I gave up right there, I must confess, thanks to the sidetracking effects of conjunctivitis.

Not pinkeye; it’s not my shade at all. I mean I was captivated by those lovely little words that connect clauses and sentences. They’re more important than you might think. In fact, the Chicago Manual of Style devotes quite a bit of space to the subject. For the sake of a fresh espresso and some dust-free clothes, we’ll pare it down to a few paragraphs today.

Conjunctions can range from simple, one-word examples such as if, and, or but to elaborate phrases like as though and provided that. Most conjunctions fall into one of two classes: coordinating and subordinating. According to the CMOS, coordinating conjunctions “join words or groups of words of equal grammatical rank, such as two nouns, two verbs, two phrases, or two clauses.”

An example of the use of a coordinating conjunction would be Do you plan to loan this dress to her or to me? Subordinating conjunctions introduce clauses that are dependent on the independent clause, as in My tailor promised that he could mend that sleeve.

Hm. Methinks I need a mocha after that little bit of insight.

There are adversative conjunctions, which denote contrasts, such as Her jewelry is cheap but effective. You’ll also find distinctive conjunctions, which provide contrasts. I can’t decide between the heels or the flats. There are also copulative conjunctions, which don’t mean anything like what you’re thinking. They’re used to denote additional facts. Shopping for a cocktail dress was no less stultifying than the party itself.

Dear me, I’m in need of a long soak and a nap. Oo, I think I've just found a new kind of conjunction: restorative! Enjoy the rest of your day, and remember, a well-turned phrase is always in style!

After the Great Dust Bunny Eviction, the Style Maven was rewarded for her efforts with a heretofore undiscovered cache of yarn. When not dreaming of the perfect Fair Isle, she can be found thumbing through garden catalogs, circling typos and pondering the merits of French Breakfast radishes.