Introduction
Conjunctions join words, phrases, or clauses. There are three main types: coordinating, subordinating, and correlative.
| Type | Function | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinating | Join equal elements (words, phrases, clauses) | for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS) |
| Subordinating | Join a main clause to a dependent clause | because, although, while, if, when, since, unless |
| Correlative | Work in pairs to join balanced elements | either...or, neither...nor, both...and, not only...but also |
- I like tea and coffee.
- She stayed home because she was tired.
- Both he and his sister came.
Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
The seven coordinating conjunctions can be remembered with the acronym FANBOYS. They join two grammatically equal elements.
| Letter | Conjunction | Use / Example |
|---|---|---|
| F | for | I brought an umbrella, for it looked like rain. (reason - formal and rare in everyday speech; because is far more common) |
| A | and | She sings and dances. |
| N | nor | He doesn't smoke, nor does he drink. |
| B | but | I wanted to come, but I was busy. |
| O | or | Would you like tea or coffee? |
| Y | yet | She was tired, yet she kept working. |
| S | so | It was raining, so we stayed inside. |
When a coordinating conjunction joins two independent clauses (both have a subject and verb), put a comma before it: I was hungry, so I ate. No comma is needed when joining two words or phrases: tea and coffee.
Subordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions introduce a dependent clause, which cannot stand alone as a sentence. They show the relationship between the dependent clause and the main clause.
| Meaning | Conjunctions |
|---|---|
| Reason/cause | because, since, as |
| Contrast/concession | although, even though, while, whereas, despite the fact that |
| Condition | if, unless, provided that, as long as |
| Time | when, while, as, before, after, until, once, as soon as |
| Purpose | so that, in order that |
| Result | so...that, such...that |
When the subordinate clause comes first, use a comma: Although I was tired, I finished. When it comes second, no comma is needed: I finished although I was tired.
Practice
Which acronym helps you remember the coordinating conjunctions?
'Although', 'because', and 'while' are ___ conjunctions.
'Either... or' is an example of a ___ conjunction.
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