AND & OR

USO DEL AND & OR

The most important among the coordinating conjunctions are and, but and or. Let’s explore the uses of these three little words.

And

The conjunction and is used to suggest:

a) That one action follows another in the chronological order.

• Jane sent in her applications and waited for a call from the HR office.

b) That one idea is the result of another

• Rain began to fall and the creek rose rapidly.

And can also be used to suggest a kind of comment on something mentioned in the first clause.

• James became addicted to drugs – and that was hardly surprising.

But

The conjunction but is used to suggest a contrast.

• It was a sunny day, but the wind was cold. (Here the second clause suggests a contrast that is unexpected in the light of the first clause.)
• The stick was thin but it was strong.
• He was ill but he went to work.
• She is poor but honest.

But can be used with the meaning of ‘with the exception of’.

• Everybody but James turned up.

Or

The conjunction or is used to suggest that only one possibility can be realized.

• You can have tea or coffee.
  You can work hard or you can fail.