Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
copulative conjunction

copulative conjunction

7.5
A word that joins parts of a sentence, like 'and', to show addition
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒpjʊlətɪv kənˈdʒʌŋkʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : conjunción copulativa
  • In the sentence 'She bought apples and oranges,' 'and' acts as a copulative conjunction.

Examples

  • In the sentence 'He likes coffee and tea,' the word 'and' is a copulative conjunction that connects similar items.

  • When combining two independent clauses, a copulative conjunction such as 'and' can be used.

  • The word copulative conjunction refers to words like 'and' that join similar sentence elements together.

  • A copulative conjunction connects words or phrases.

  • The term copulative conjunctions refers to words like 'and'.

  • The copulative conjunction 'and' is essential for adding ideas together in sentences.

  • An example of a copulative conjunction is 'and', which links clauses in the phrase 'She studies math and science.'

Surface Forms

copulative conjunction singular
copulative conjunctions plural

Morphology

copulative + conjunction

The compound is transparently compositional: 'copulative' denotes joining/adding and 'conjunction' denotes a connector, so together they straightforwardly mean a connector that joins items (e.g. 'and'). Although the term is technical, its meaning follows normal adjective + noun composition and has clear equivalents in other languages, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE.

Etymology

Copulative conjunction is a formal name that comes from a word meaning 'to join'. It names words like and that link two things together, so the name explains why it means 'to add' or 'to connect'.