LEARN · PART 6

Conjunctions and Conjunctive Adverbs on TOEIC

TOEIC Part 6 tests the distinction between conjunctions (which join clauses) and conjunctive adverbs (which connect ideas across sentences with different punctuation). Knowing the distinction is essential because both are offered as plausible-looking distractors in the same item.

Rules

Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so, yet) join clauses with a comma: 'The report is ready, but Mr. Tanaka has not approved it.'
Subordinating conjunctions (because, although, while, since, if, when, after, before) attach a dependent clause to an independent one with no comma when the dependent clause is second: 'We postponed the meeting because the client was unavailable.'
Conjunctive adverbs (however, therefore, moreover, consequently, nonetheless, otherwise) connect two independent sentences and are typically preceded by a semicolon or period, followed by a comma.
Common TOEIC subordinators that pair with specific tense rules: 'as soon as' and 'by the time' take simple past in the main clause when the dependent clause is past; 'unless' is always followed by present, not past.

Examples

"The shipment arrived on time; however, two boxes were damaged."

'However' is a conjunctive adverb, joining two complete sentences with a semicolon. Replacing it with 'but' would require a comma instead of a semicolon.

"Although the proposal was incomplete, the committee accepted it."

'Although' is a subordinating conjunction. The dependent clause comes first, separated by a comma. Some test takers reflexively add 'but' after the comma — that creates a double-conjunction error.

"We will reschedule the meeting unless the client confirms by 3 PM."

'Unless' takes present tense in the dependent clause even when the main clause is future. 'Unless the client will confirm' is wrong on TOEIC.

What TOEIC specifically tests

Mixing 'however' (conjunctive adverb) with 'but' (coordinating conjunction). TOEIC Part 6 sentence-insertion items frequently offer both — the punctuation in the surrounding text tells you which is correct.
Using 'because' and 'so' as if interchangeable. 'Because' introduces the cause, 'so' introduces the effect. They are not symmetric.
Confusing 'while' (during the time that) with 'whereas' (in contrast to). Both can introduce a dependent clause, but 'whereas' specifically signals contrast.

Common questions

What's the difference between 'but' and 'however' on TOEIC?

'But' is a coordinating conjunction that joins two clauses with a comma. 'However' is a conjunctive adverb that connects two complete sentences with a semicolon or a period. TOEIC Part 6 tests this distinction by varying the surrounding punctuation in the passage.

When does TOEIC test conjunctions vs conjunctive adverbs?

Conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs are tested most often in TOEIC Part 6 sentence-completion items, where four choices appear identical in meaning but require different punctuation in the passage. They also appear in Part 5 when a single sentence requires choosing the correct logical connector.

Is 'unless' followed by present or future?

'Unless' is always followed by present tense on TOEIC, even when the main clause refers to the future. 'Unless the client confirms by 3 PM' is correct; 'unless the client will confirm' is a typical TOEIC distractor that test takers at the 600 band frequently pick.

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