Grade 7 English HEROES AND HEROINE – GRAMMAR IN USE:CONJUCTION AND , BUT,OR Notes
English Grammar: Conjunctions — and, but, or
Topic: Heroes and Heroines • For age: 12 • Kenya 🇰🇪
What is a conjunction?
A conjunction is a connecting word. It joins words, phrases, or sentences. Today we focus on three common conjunctions: and, but, and or.
1. AND — adds information
Use and to join two similar ideas.
Examples with heroes:
- The heroine planted trees and taught others about the environment. 🦸♀️🌳
- Dedan Kimathi fought for freedom and inspired young people. 🇰🇪
Note: Do NOT use a comma when and joins two verbs with the same subject: "She trained and helped the team."
2. BUT — shows contrast
Use but to show an opposite or different idea.
Examples:
- He is brave but he sometimes feels scared inside. 🦸♂️
- She wanted to act in the play, but she also had exams the next day.
Tip: If each part before and after but is a full sentence (has its own subject and verb), you can put a comma before but:
"He trained hard, but he lost the race."
3. OR — shows a choice
Use or when you give choices or alternatives.
Examples:
- Will you study the life of Wangari Maathai or read about a different Kenyan heroine? 📚
- We can celebrate the heroes now or later at school assembly.
If both choices are full sentences, use a comma before or:
"You can join the team, or you can help with the play."
Comma rule — short and simple
- Use a comma before and/but/or when they join two full sentences (each has subject + verb): "She trained, and she played well."
- Do NOT use a comma when joining words, phrases, or verbs that share the same subject: "The hero ran and jumped."
- Use commas to separate items in a list: "Our heroes are Dedan, Wangari, and others." (The comma before the last "and" is optional.)
Practice — choose the right conjunction and add commas if needed
- Mary saved the child ______ she was scared.
- We can read about Wangari Maathai ______ watch a film about her life.
- The heroine trained hard ______ she did not give up.
- He helped the village, ______ he wanted no reward.
- The team sang ______ danced at the celebration.
Try to write the full sentence with commas if needed.
Answers (click to reveal)
- Mary saved the child, but she was scared. (Use but and a comma because two full clauses.)
- We can read about Wangari Maathai or watch a film about her life. (Use or; no comma needed because same subject "we".)
- The heroine trained hard and she did not give up. — or — The heroine trained hard, and she did not give up. (Both are possible; when both parts are full sentences, adding a comma before and is correct.)
- He helped the village, but he wanted no reward. (Use but with a comma.)
- The team sang and danced at the celebration. (Use and; no comma because verbs share the subject "the team".)
Final tips
- Ask: Do both parts have their own subject and verb? If yes, consider using a comma before the conjunction.
- Use simple hero examples when practising: they help you remember meaning and use.
- Read your sentence aloud — a small pause often shows where a comma is needed.
Happy learning! Try writing three sentences about a Kenyan hero or heroine using and, but, and or.