What role do conjunctions serve in a sentence?

Conjunctions play a crucial role in a sentence by connecting words, phrases, or clauses, which helps to create more complex and meaningful sentences. For instance, they can link similar ideas (e.g., "and"), show contrast (e.g., "but"), or present alternatives (e.g., "or"). This connective function enhances the flow of sentences and clarifies relationships between different parts of a sentence, making it easier for readers to understand the connections between ideas.

In contrast, the other options inaccurately describe the roles of conjunctions. While clarification of meaning is important in language, that task is more aptly served by other parts of speech, such as adjectives or adverbs. Expressing actions is the primary function of verbs, which are responsible for indicating what the subject is doing. Lastly, introducing questions is typically a function of interrogative words or auxiliary verbs, rather than conjunctions, which are not used for this purpose. Thus, the defining function of conjunctions is to link components within sentences, which is accurately reflected by the correct answer.