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Conjunctive adverbs
join sentences, not parts of
sentences.
In choosing a
conjunctive adverb, the
relationship between
the sentences to be connected is
very important.
The conjunctive adverb
unless
essentially means "if not";
it's used when the second
sentence shows the result if the
first sentence
doesn't happen:
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1. |
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You need to hurry.
Otherwise
we'll be late
for work.
You need to hurry;
otherwise
we'll be late
for work. |
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2. |
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Be ready in five
minutes.
Otherwise
I'll
leave
without you.
Be ready in five
minutes;
otherwise
I'll
leave
without you. |
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3. |
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I have a lot of work to
do.
Otherwise
I'd go
to the movies with you.
I have a lot of work to
do;
otherwise
I'd go
to the movies with you.
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4. |
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You have to have a
Bachelor's degree and
two
years' work experience.
Otherwise
you can't
be admitted to the MBA
program.
You have to have a
Bachelor's degree and
two
years' work experience;
otherwise
you can't
be admitted to the MBA
program. |
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5. |
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Bob isn't having
problems.
Otherwise
he would've called us.
Bob isn't having
problems;
otherwise
he would've called us.
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Notice that there is no comma
after
otherwise.
Special Note:
Sentences such as those above
may also be joined with
if not
and
unless,
but the punctuation is
different:
|
1. |
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If you
don't
hurry, we'll be late for
work.
We'll be late for work
if you
don't
hurry.
Unless
you hurry, we'll be late
for work.
We'll be late for work
unless
you hurry. |
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2. |
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If you
aren't
ready in five minutes,
I'll leave
without you.
I'll leave without you
if you
aren't
ready
in five minutes,
Unless
you're ready in five
minutes, I'll leave
without you.
I'll leave without you
unless
you're ready
in five minutes.
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3. |
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If I
don't
have a lot of work to
do,
I'll go
to the movies with you.
I'll go to the movies
with you if I
don't
have
a lot of work to do,
Unless
I have a lot of work to
do; I'll go
to the movies with you.
I'll go to the movies
with you
unless
I have
a lot of work to do.
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4. |
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If you
don't
have a Bachelor's degree
and two
years' work experience,
you can't be admitted
to the MBA program.
You can't be admitted to
the MBA program
if you
don't
have a Bachelor's degree
and two
years' work experience,
Unless
you have a Bachelor's
degree and two
years' work experience,
you can't be admitted
to the MBA program.
You can't be admitted
to the MBA program
unless
you have a Bachelor's
degree and
two years' work
experience. |
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5. |
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If Bob
isn't
having problems, he
won't call us.
Bob won't call us if he
isn't
having problems.
Unless
Bob is having problems,
he won't call us.
Bob won't call us
unless
he's having problems.
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Notice that
unless
and
if not
use commas, not semicolons
or periods (full stops). Notice
also that there is no comma
when
unless
and
if not
are in the middle of a sentence |