Language Arts Grade Five

Unit Seventeen, Lesson Two: Conjunctions and Prepositions

  1. credit
  2. canyon
  3. crack
  4. creek
  5. critters
  6. formation
  7. identity
  8. metamorphic
  9. sediment
  10. igneous
  1. quartz
  2. granite
  3. pumice
  4. calcite
  5. mica
  6. codes
  7. regulations
  8. government
  9. tribal
  10. reservation
Conjunctions and Prepositions

Some words can be used as prepositions or conjunctions depending on their context: 


	before			since			after

	during			until
Here's one of these words used as both a preposition and a conjunction: 

  BEFORE:

    Conjunction:
      Before you go, let me know when you will be home.

    Preposition:
      Make sure you take a shower before the party.
Prepositional Phrases

In the second example, the phrase "before the party" is a prepositional phrase and the noun party is the object of the preposition. An object of a preposition must be a noun. The phrase "before you go" is not a prepositional phrase since there is no noun in that phrase to function as the object of the preposition. So, "before" in "before you go" functions as a conjunction.

Here are two more examples: 


  AFTER:

    Conjunction:
      After you empty the trash, please clean the toilet.

    Preposition:
      Please give me a call after the game.

  SINCE:

    Conjunction:
      You should take a map since you are driving.

    Preposition:
      I haven't seen any people since sunset.
Sometimes it is a little difficult to decide if a word is used as a preposition or as a conjunction. The good thing about this, is that it really isn't all that important when it comes to writing, but you could get tested on it at some time and so you should try to understand the difference.

Click here to go to next page