Connecting ideas with "and" and "but"

Fluent English uses simple tools to sound natural. Learn how to join ideas with and and but to make speech and writing smoother, clearer, and more engaging. See how commas work, how to build a sentence, and how to list items with confidence—all with real examples you can copy.

Why use and and but to connect ideas?

Connecting ideas avoids short, choppy lines. In English, we don’t only say sentence after sentence; we link thoughts for flow and clarity.

• Use and to add another idea or join ideas.
• Use but to show contrast between two ideas.
• Add a comma before the connector when you join two full sentences.

How to use and correctly?

A sentence has a subject (he, she, you, they, a person or a thing that performs an action), the verb (the action), and the complement. With and, you can connect sentences, phrases, or words, and you can make lists.

How do we connect sentences with and?

• “I work from home, and I have meetings every day.”
• “Steve comes up with ideas, and Jen brings them to life.”
• “She finishes projects on time, and she receives positive feedback.”
• Remember the comma before and when joining two sentences.

How do we connect words or phrases with and?

• Connect two verb phrases: “Julia creates dashboards and shares insights.”
• Connect two nouns: “AI creates amazing images and videos.”
• This keeps the idea compact and clear.

How do we make lists with and?

• “Please send me the report, the audio, and the presentation.”
• “For these events, we give attendees a notebook, a pen, a water bottle, and a snack.”
• In these examples, there is a comma before and.

When do we use but to contrast ideas?

Use but to show a difference between ideas. When connecting two full sentences, add a comma before but.

• “I love working from home, but I miss spending time with my coworkers.”
• “I like speaking French, but I feel nervous sometimes.”
• “Bogota is cold, but beautiful.”

Practice time: write two sentences with and and two with but about your studies, work, or personal life. Share them in the comments and check others’ answers too.