Congiunzioni in inglese: quando si usano?

Ah, le congiunzioni: non sono forse l’argomento grammaticale più indispensabile? Come saprai, si tratta di particelle invariabili con cui puoi collegare due o più parole di una frase, oppure due proposizioni tra loro: senza di esse, comunicare qualcosa di senso compiuto è piuttosto difficile! Chiarita la loro importanza, non rimane che approfondire – per bene – quali sono e quando si usano le congiunzioni in inglese: continua a leggere per saperne di più, soprattutto se ti stai preparando per la certificazione B1!

Congiunzioni in inglese: quando si usano?

Andiamo per ordine: proprio come in italiano, anche le congiunzioni in inglese si dividono tra

• Coordinative (uniscono due frasi principali)
• Subordinative (uniscono una principale e una o più subordinate)

Congiunzioni in inglese coordinative

• AND funziona come l’italiana “e”, e unisce due concetti simili fra loro

milk and coffee
I bought bread and you ate it all

• OR si traduce con “oppure” e indica un’alternativa

right or wrong
Do you want jam or ham in your sandwich?

• BUT non significa solo “ma”; esprime anche il concetto di “tranne/tranne che”

I bought a shirt, but I was looking for a skirt
You said “hi” to everyone but Matt

• SO nel suo uso come congiunzione, significa “perché/perciò/quindi”

She will never accept at these conditions, so why bother?
I made this gift for you, so please accept it

• YET come congiunzione, indica “eppure/nonostante/tuttavia”

She is small, yet very strong
Travelling is wonderful, yet expensive

• NOR (e NEITHER) significa “né”, e si usa per unire due frasi negative. La prima delle due si dovrebbe far precedere da neither, ma nel parlato spesso si usa semplicemente un altro nor. Attenzione! Se la frase principale è negativa, neither si può omettere

It is neither right nor wrong, it’s just the only thing to do
I am nor angry nor sad, I am just disappointed
I won’t buy you any candy bar, nor any chocolate

Congiunzioni in inglese subordinative

• AFTER (dopo/dopo che)

After we watched the movie, I went home
I phoned grandma after I finished work

• ALTHOUGH, THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH (anche se/nonostante/sebbene/benché) indicano una condizione che si verifica nonostante quella presentata nella frase principale. Attenzione a non usare queste congiunzioni come sinonimo di even if (ne parlo qui sotto), che si usa in contesti di ipoteticità più che di certezza!

(Al)though I love Rome, I would never live there
They have never been to Spain, (al)though they usually travel a lot

• EVEN IF (anche se/perfino se) introduce una condizione che si verificherebbe a prescindere da quella presentata nella frase principale

Even if she becomes a star, she will never change
I would not date Josh even if he was the last man on Earth!

• AS (come) – AS IF (come se)

You must do as the boss says
We are running as if the police were after us!

• AS LONG AS (purché/finché/fintantoché)

You can do whatever you want as long as you don’t disturb me
As long as you’ll stay here, you’ll be paying rent
We can still make it as long as we stay together!

• AS MUCH AS (per quanto/tanto… quanto)

As much as I wanted my daughter to be a doctor, she decided to study Art
I can eat as much as I want and I never get fat

• AS SOON AS (appena, non appena)

I’ll show you the laptop I want as soon as we get to the shop
As soon as I left, the radiators broke

• AS THOUGH (come se). Attenzione: il tempo verbale dopo questa congiunzione è sempre il past simple

As though he had any chance to win!
You’re asking for my help as though I had any power over your situation

• BECAUSE (perché)

I was late to work because I had missed the bus

• BEFORE (prima/prima che/prima di)

Turn off the light before you go out the room
I’ll talk to her before she does something stupid
Before we start, I’d like to thank you all

• IF (se) questa congiunzione introduce sempre i periodi ipotetici. Senza entrare nel dettaglio riguardo le loro differenze (ricordi quanti tipi di periodo ipotetico esistono?), ecco qualche esempio:

If you do it, I’ll never speak to you again
I would not take the bus if you gave me a lift
I wouldn’t have known if he didn’t post that picture on Instagram!

• PROVIDED, PROVIDED THAT (purché)

I can feed your cat provided that you tell me everything she can and can’t eat
Provided Sheila will not participate in the event, I will come

• SINCE (da quando, siccome, dato che, poiché, visto che)

Why don’t you two get married, since you are so in love?
Since he won’t talk to me, I don’t see why I shouldn’t do the same

• THAN (di, di quanto) si usa nelle comparazioni di maggioranza

Your friends are funnier than I thought
She is richer than you

• THAT (che)

I told him that we were busy and couldn’t go the concert
We think that he shouldn’t call her back

• TILL, UNTIL (finché/fino al momento in cui/fino a quando/fino a)

I’ll go to the gym until I’ll become muscular
You don’t appreciate what you have till you lose it

• UNLESS (a meno che non)

He wouldn’t know unless you told him
Unless you try it, you cannot say that you don’t like it

• WHEN (quando)
  

When I was a kid we lived in Egypt

• WHERE (dove)

Where is the Hard Rock Cafe?

• WHILE (mentre (anche figurato)/ma/però)

While I was sleeping, the thieves took all my jewels
She likes trekking, while I prefer staying home

Congiunzioni in inglese: tocca a te!

Adesso che hai un elenco esaustivo delle congiunzioni in inglese e quando si usano, non ti resta che mettere alla prova quello che hai imparato con un veloce esercizio. Riempi i puntini con le seguenti congiunzioni

even if – because – neither … nor – as long as – but – as – since – while – yet – so

1. Nadia would go to see a movie ____ she had to go alone
2. I love candy, ____ now I’ll go buy some
3. They want to visit Cuba, ____ the trip is very expensive
4. I told him I’m allergic to pollen, ____ he bought me flowers
5. ____ you think we’re in the wrong, I think we did the right thing
6. I took off my shirt ____ it was very hot
7. He can do whatever she wants ____ she’s happy
8. I don’t like pets, ____ dogs ____ cats
9. You’re acting ____ if you knew everything about computer, but you can barely switch one on!
10. ____ he’s still mad at you, I suggest you wait before calling him