51. This little word and in the sentence, Men and women struggle for their rights, is a connective word also, but it connects two words that are used in the same way, so it is a different sort of connective word from the preposition. Words used in this way are called conjunctions. Conjunction is a word which is taken from the Latin, being made up of the Latin word con, which means together, and the Latin verb juncto, which means to join. So conjunction means literally to join together.
52. A conjunction is a word that connects sentences or parts of sentences.
Notice the following sentence:
- The class struggle is waged on the political field and on the industrial field.
Here we have the conjunction and connecting the two phrases on the political field and on the industrial field. Without the use of this connective word, we would have to use two sentences to express these two thoughts:
- The class struggle is waged on the political field.
- The class struggle is waged on the industrial field.
53. So a conjunction may be used to connect phrases as well as words.
Now notice the following sentences:
- He will speak. I will listen.
- He will speak, and I will listen.
- He will speak, but I will listen.
- He will speak, if I will listen.
- He will speak, therefore I will listen.
- He will speak, because I will listen.
- He will speak, until I will listen.
54. These sentences are joined by different conjunctions, and the conjunction used alters the meaning of the sentence.