Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
Coordinating conjunctions are the glue that binds together the pieces of a sentence. As their name implies, they conjoin 别濒别尘别苍迟蝉鈥攚辞谤诲蝉, phrases, or clauses鈥攖hat share a syntactic function.
English has seven coordinating conjunctions鈥攆or, and, nor, but, or, yet, so鈥攚hich you can remember using the mnemonic FANBOYS:
- For indicates causation: 鈥淲e left a day early, for the weather was not as clement as we had anticipated.鈥�
- And juxtaposes two or more items without specifying a relationship between them: 鈥渘eorealism, neoclassical realism, and realist constructivism鈥�; 鈥淢earsheimer subscribes to one approach, and Waltz argues for another.鈥�
- Nor supplements a previously stated negation: 鈥渘either fish nor fowl鈥�; 鈥淭he results did not confirm the hypothesis, nor did they suggest any particular alternative explanation.鈥�
- But signals a contradiction, caveat, or other tension: 鈥渢his oft-cited but inaccurate account鈥�; 鈥淭here was no precedent for such an approach, but the team forged ahead.鈥�
- Or indicates alternatives: 鈥淕ive me liberty or give me death.鈥�
- Yet, like "but," means 鈥渘evertheless鈥� or 鈥渋n spite of鈥� something: 鈥淭here was no precedent for such an approach, yet the team forged ahead.鈥�
- So, like "for," indicates reasoning or causation; while "for" indicates the cause, "so" introduces the effect: 鈥淭he weather was not as clement as we had anticipated, so we left a day early.鈥�
Not sure which one to choose? Use the FANBOYS infographic for a quick reference!
Coordinating Conjunctions at the Clausal Level
Coordinating conjunctions link independent clauses. Which conjunction you use can significantly alter the meaning of the sentence. Take this example:
The workers had a few more weeks of renovations to complete, _____ the landlord said we could move in now.
Which conjunction would you choose?
- Depending on the context, 鈥渂ut鈥� or 鈥測et鈥� could suggest that you think the landlord is doing you a favor: you get to move in despite the construction. Alternatively, 鈥渂ut鈥� or 鈥測et鈥� could suggest that you disagree with the soundness of this idea.
- Choosing 鈥渟o鈥� will suggest that the landlord thinks a few weeks of living with construction is reasonable鈥攖hat the work is far enough along to invite you to move in.
- 鈥淔or鈥� would make sense if the invitation to move in somehow caused an additional few weeks of renovations.
- 鈥淎nd鈥� doesn't give us much information beyond the fact that these two events happened鈥攖he renovation and the invitation.
- The first clause isn鈥檛 a negative form, so 鈥渘or鈥� would not apply here.
- Likewise, these two statements are not alternatives鈥攂oth are happening鈥攕o 鈥渙r鈥� would also be unsuitable.
When writing a sentence that uses coordinating conjunctions, think carefully about the order of the clauses. Try plugging conjunctions into this version of the sentence and observe the different meanings and effects the new order creates:
The landlord said we could move in now, _____ the workers had a few more weeks of renovations to complete.
Finally, note that, whichever word best fits your meaning, joining independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction calls for a comma; see the FANBOYS commas page for more details.
More Information on Coordinating Conjunctions
- Video (4:33): "," Khan Academy
- Exercises: "," Khan Academy
- Handout (printable): "," Grammar Bytes!
