Conjunctions are connectors and used to link words, phrases, or clauses within sentences and, in so doing, provide cohesion between a writer’s ideas, or a speaker’s ideas, as the case may be. Moreover, there are several different types of conjunctions in the English language including subordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and coordinating conjunctions.
When to Use a Coordinating Conjunction
Coordinating conjunctions are parts of speech that are used to connect or relate grammatically equal elements within sentences (these can be either words, clauses, or phrases); and there are seven in the English language: for, and, but, nor, or, yet, so.
Here are some examples of coordinating conjunctions linking elements:
- Linking two nouns: Tom and Sue are married.
- Linking two verbs: Sue works fulltime and does all the chores around the house.
- Linking two prepositional phrases: Tom threw the football across the yard and into his neighbor’s window.
- Linking two clauses: Tom stays at home, and Sue goes to work.
Of course, it’s important to note that many words in the English language can act as more than one part of speech; for instance, the word “for” can be either a conjunction or a preposition, depending upon its usage, and “nor” can either be used alone as a coordinating conjunction or linked with “neither” to form the correlative conjunction “neither/nor.”
As an interesting side note, in elementary school, students are quite often taught to remember the seven coordinating conjunctions by learning the acronym “FANBOYS, “ with each letter of the acronym representing the first letter of a different conjunction.
Relationships Established by Coordinating Conjunctions
When it comes to choosing the correct conjunction, it is important for writers to be aware that although some coordinating conjunctions can be used interchangeably, this is not always the case since different conjunctions usually establish different relationships between words, phrases, and clauses within sentence, for example:
- To establish contrast: but, yet, or:
- To establish cause or result: for, so
- To establish alternative or addition: or, nor, and
Note that “or” can be used either to establish contrast between elements or to establish alternative or addition.
Sample Sentences Using the Seven Coordinating Conjunctions
When writers wish to establish specific relationships between sentence elements, they need to choose an appropriate conjunction and not simply toss one into the mix, so to speak.
Below are four sentences that demonstrate contrast between elements:
- Tom enjoys watching soap operas but prefers game shows.
- He tells everyone that he’s a fulltime writer, yet Tom rarely ever writes.
- Sue thinks Tom should write everyday, or else he should get a real job.
- Last night, Sue told Tom, “Get a fulltime job or else.”
The following three sentences establish the relationship of “cause” or “result”:
- Sue wants Tom to get a fulltime job so she can quit worrying about paying the bills.
- Tom told Sue that she was being unreasonable, for she didn’t understand how hard it was to think up a good plotline.
- Sue said, “Well, stop thinking and start writing, for I’m sick of supporting you.”
These next four sentences establish the relationship of “alternative” or “addition”:
- Tom wants to be a best-selling author or a professional football player.
- Sue said, “I do not intend to be your enabler or support your lifestyle.”
- Sue doesn’t want to shatter Tom’s dreams of being a writer, nor does she want to support him for the rest of her life.
- Winning an honorable mention for his story “The Football Player” was Tom’s proudest moment and the height of his writing career.
In summary, writers and speakers should learn how to use coordinating conjunctions correctly, for possessing this knowledge will help them communicate their ideas more clearly and concisely and, consequently, lessen their chances of being misunderstood.
Carol Rzadkiewicz - Carol Rzadkiewicz has taught college English for over 14 years and is the author of three published novels and numerous short stories.
