Coordinating Conjunction Rules

As there are only seven of these words, there are just a few rules for using coordinating conjunctions
correctly:

1. It’s a good idea to use the mnemonic “FANBOYS” to memorize coordinating conjunctions so
you’ll never forget them. They are:
 F = for
 A = and
 N = nor
 B = but
 O = or
 Y = yet
 S = so
2. Coordinating conjunctions always connect phrases, words, and clauses. For example: This
batch of mushroom stew is savory anddelicious.
3. Some instructors warn that starting a sentence with a coordinating conjunction is incorrect.
Mostly, this is because they are attempting to help prevent you from writing fragments rather
than complete sentences; sometimes though, it’s just a personal preference. The fact is, you can
begin sentences with coordinating conjunctions as long as you follow these three rules for doing
so:
 Ensure that the coordinating conjunction is immediately followed by a main clause
 Don’t use coordinating conjunctions to begin all of your sentences. Do so only when it makes
your writing more effective.
 Although commas typically follow coordinating conjunctions used in areas other than the
beginning of a sentence, they should not be used after coordinating conjunctions used to open
sentences unless an interrupter immediately follows.

Examples of Coordinating Conjunctions

In the following examples, the coordinating conjunctions have been italicized for easy identification.

1. You can eat your cake with a spoon or fork.

2. My dog enjoys being bathed but hates getting his nails trimmed.
3. Bill refuses to eat peas, nor will he touch carrots.
4. I hate to waste a drop of gas, for it is very expensive these days.
Coordinating Conjunctions Exercises
The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how coordinating
conjunctions work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.

1. Would you rather have cheese _____ bologna on your sandwich?

1. For
2. Nor
3. Or
4. So
Answer: 3. Would you rather have cheese or bologna on your sandwich?

2. His two favorite sports are football ______ tennis.

1. Or
2. And
3. Nor
4. For
Answer: 2. His two favorite sports are football and tennis.

3. I wanted to go to the beach, _______ Mary refused.

1. But
2. Or
3. So
4. For
Answer: 1. I wanted to go to the beach, but Mary refused.

4. I am allergic to cats, ______ I have three of them.

1. Or
2. For
3. Yet
4. So
Answer: 3. I am allergic to cats, yet I have three of them.

5. I am a vegetarian, _______ I don’t eat any meat.

1. So
 2. Yet
3. Nor
4. But
Answer: 1. I am a vegetarian, so I don’t eat any meat.

Coordinating Conjunctions List

Remember, there are only seven coordinating conjunctions. This list contains all of them.

 For
 And
 Nor
 But
 Or
 Yet
 So

Coordinating Conjunctions Exercises

1. Thomas will be late to work, _____ he has a dental appointment.
A. but
B. or
C. for
D. nor

2. Jennifer does not like to swim, ____ does she enjoy cycling.
A. and
B. or
C. but
D. nor

3. Jackson wanted to eat another piece of cake, ____ he was on a diet.

A. for
B. but
C. yet
D. so

Answer Key:
1 – C. Thomas will be late to work, for he has a dental appointment
2 – D. Jennifer does not like to swim, nor does she enjoy cycling.
3 – B. Jackson wanted to eat another piece of cake, but he was on a diet.

T HE
C OORDINATING
C ONJUNCTION
Recognize a coordinating
conjunction when you see
one.
And, but, for, nor, or, so, and yet—these are the seven
coordinating conjunctions. To remember all seven, you might
want to learn one of these acronyms: FANBOYS, YAFNOBS,
or FONYBAS.

F = for Y = yet F = for

A = and A = and O = or
N = nor F = for N = nor
B = but N = nor Y = yet
O = or O = or B = but
Y = yet B = but A = and
S = so S = so S = so

Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases,

and clauses. Look at the examples that follow:

The bowl of squi d eyeball stew is hot and delici ous.

The s qui d eyebal l s tew is s o thick that you can eat i t

wi th a fork or s poon.

Rock y, my orange tomc at, l ov es havi ng his head

sc ratched but hates getting his claws trimmed.

Rock y terrorizes the poodles next door yet adores the

German s hepherd ac ross the s treet.
Roc k y refus es to eat dry c at food, nor wi l l he touc h a
s aucer of squid eyeball s tew.

I hate to waste a singl e drop of s quid eyebal l

s tew, for i t i s expensiv e and ti me -cons uming to mak e.

Even though I added cream to the s quid eyeball s tew,

Rock y ignored hi s s ervi ng, so I got a s poon and ate i t
mys elf.

Understand the difference

between coordination and
subordination.
Use a coordinating conjunction when you want to give equal
emphasis to two main clauses. The pattern for coordination
looks like this:

M A I N C L A U S E + , + Coordinating Conjunction + M A I N

CLAUSE .

Subordination, however, emphasizes the idea in the main clause

more than the one in the subordinate clause. Generally, the
patterns look like these:
MAIN CLAUSE + Ø + SUBORDINATE CLAUSE .

SUBORDINATE CLAUSE + , + MAIN CLAUSE .

Read the pairs of sentences that follow. The first version

coordinates the two ideas. The second version subordinates one
idea to emphasize the other.

To s urviv e the fetal pi g di ssection, Ri nal da agreed t o

mak e al l of the i ncis ions , and Frances promi sed to
remov e and l abel the organs.

To s urviv e the fetal pi g di ssection, Ri nal da agreed to

mak e al l of the i ncis ions if Franc es would promis e to
remov e and l abel the organs.

Di ana stared dreamil y at the hands om e Mr.

McKenzie, butOli via, who hated ec onomics , furiousl y
ji ggled her foot, i mpati ent to esc ape the bori ng c las s.

W hile Diana was s taring dreamil y at the handsome

Mr. Mc Kenzi e, Olivi a furiousl y ji ggled her foot,
i mpatient to esc ape the boring economi cs cl a ss that
s he hated.

At a red light, Mari a jumped out of Gino's c ar and

sl ammed the door, for s he c ould not tolerate one more
minute of the heav y metal mus ic that Gino i nsis ted on
blasti ng from the stereo.
At a red l i ght, Mari a j umped out of Gi no's c ar and
sl ammed the door because she coul d not tol erate one
more mi nute of the heav y metal music that Gi no
i nsis ted on blasting from the s tereo.

Mak ing an A in Anatomy and Phys iology has not

hel ped Sima choos e a career. She mi ght deci de to
mak e her parents happy a nd go to medic al
sc hool , or she mi ght use her knowl edge of the human
body to bec ome a sc ul ptor.

Mak ing an A in Anatomy and Phys iology has not

hel ped Sima choos e a career. Although she might
dec ide to make her parents happy and go to medic al
sc hool , she mi g ht al so use her k nowl edge of the
human body to become a sc ul ptor.

Kyl e refus ed to eat the s al ad s erv ed with the

meal , nor would he touc h any green v egetabl e put on
his pl ate.

After Kyl e refused the s al ad s erv ed with the meal , he

then woul d not touc h the gre en vegetables put on his
plate.

J oe s pent s even hours studyi ng c alc ul us at the

Mexican di ner, so now he can s et his math book on
fi re with his sals a breath.
Since J oe s pent s ev en hours s tudyi ng c al c ul us at the
Mexican di ner, he c an now s et his math book on fire
wi th hi s s als a breath.

Bec ause s he gets seasi ck, Dani ell e i s dreadi ng the

s pri ng break cruis e, yet she mi ght enj oy herself onc e
s he real izes how many cute guys i n ski mpy bathi ng
s ui ts parade the dec ks.

Even though Dani ell e i s dreadi ng getting seasi ck on

the spri ng break cruis e, s he wi ll probabl y enj oy
hers el f once she realizes how many c ute guys in
ski mpy bathi ng s ui ts parade the dec ks.

Punctuate coordinating
conjunctions correctly.
Three patterns in writing use coordinating conjunctions. Add
commas when required.

Pattern 1 — Connecting two main clauses

When you connect two main clauses with a coordinating
conjunction, use a comma. The pattern looks like this:
M A I N C L A U S E + , + Coordinating Conjunction + M A I N

CLAUSE .

Here is an example:

W hil e I am at work , my dog Fl oyd sl eeps on the bed ,

and my cat Buster naps i n the bathtub.

Pattern 2 — Connecting two items

You can also use a coordinating conjunction to connect any two
items. These items can be any grammatical unit except main
clauses. The pattern looks like this:

I T E M + Ø + Coordinating Conjunction + I T E M

Here are some examples:

My dog Fl oyd has too many fleas and too muc h hai r.

My c at Buster has beautiful blue eyes but a

des tructi ve pers onali ty.

Pattern 3 — Connecting three or more

items in a series
When you have three or more items in a series, you generally
use a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Some
handbooks and style guides will tell you that this comma is
optional, but my advice is to put it in. The pattern looks like this:

I T E M + , + I T E M + , + Coordinating Conjunction + I T E M

Here is an example:

Swatti ng oliv es off the kitc hen c ounter , draggi ng toil et

paper s treamers through the house , and terrorizi ng
J ac ques Cousteau, the parak eet, have c onsumed
another of Bus ter's days .

Yes, you can begin a

sentence with a
coordinating conjunction!
Some teachers warn that beginning a sentence with a coordinating
conjunction is wrong. Teachers will typically tell you this because
they are trying to help you avoid writing fragments. Other times
teachers give this advice because their preference is that a
sentence not begin with a coordinating conjunction.
What you should remember is that you break no grammar rule if
you begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. Because
you might be breaking your instructors' rules, however, you
should ask what their preferences are.

If you decide to begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction,

keep these three things in mind:

 Be sure that a main clause follows the coordinating

conjunction.
 Do not use a coordinating conjunction to
begin every sentence. Use this option only when it
makes the flow of your ideas more effective.
 Do not use a comma after the coordinating conjunction.
Coordinating conjunctions are not transitional
expressions like for example or first of all. You will
rarely use punctuation after them.

Here are some examples:

W hil e I was ans weri ng the telephone, Buster, my cat,

j umped onto the ki tc hen count er and s watted all of my
j al apeño -s tuffed oliv es onto the di rty ki tc hen
floor. So I had to ri nse off the c at hai r and c rumbs
s ticki ng to thes e delic aci es before I c oul d add them to
the sal ad.

Fl yi ng down the bumpy path, Genette hi t a roc k wi th

the front wh eel of her mountain bik e, fl ew over the
handl ebars , and c ras hed i nto a c l ump of pri c k l y
pal metto bus hes. Yet ev en this ac cident woul d not
deter her from completi ng the rac e.

Only when an interrupter immediately follows the coordinating

conjunction do you need to use commas. Read this example:

W e hoped that decorati ng the top of Chris ti ne's

c upcak e with a dead grass hopper woul d freak her out.
But, to our amaz ement, s he j us t popped the whole
thi ng i n her mouth, chewed, and s wall owed.

Coordinating conjunctions are the most popular category of conjunctions. Simply put, they bring
ideas together. They can join words, phrases, and clauses.
These words tend to be small, including words like "and," "so," "for," and "but." However, they serve
a very large function. They connect sweeping ideas together, forming cohesive, comprehensive ideas.
No longer is there a need to write in short, choppy sentences. Coordinating conjunctions are here to
save the day.

The Coordinating Conjunctions

The English language has seven coordinating conjunctions, and they're easy to remember if you can
just remember the acronym FANBOYS:
 For - Explains reason or purpose (just like "because")
I go to the park every Sunday, for I long to see his face.
 And - Adds one thing to another
I like to read, and I write faithfully in my journal every night.
 Nor - Used to present an alternative negative idea to an already stated negative idea
I neither love nor hate to watch TV.
 But - Shows contrast
Television is a wonderful escape, but it interferes with my writing.
 Or - Presents an alternative or a choice
Would you rather read a book or watch a good TV show?
 Yet - Introduces a contrasting idea that follows the preceding idea logically (similar to "but")
I always take a book to the beach, yet I never seem to turn a single page.
 So - Indicates effect, result or consequence
I like to read, so my grammar is always on-point.

Using Commas with Coordinating Conjunctions

You'll notice that, in the example sentences, some of the coordinating conjunctions are preceded by a
comma while others are not. There is a very simple reason for this.
If a coordinating conjunction is joining together two independent clauses, it needs to have a comma
with it. Independent clauses have the ability to stand alone as complete sentences.
Let's review the example for "but." Television is a wonderful escape, but it interferes with my
writing. Because these are two independent clauses, they must be joined together by a comma and a
coordinating conjunction. If you're really looking to get fancy, here are 8 times commas were
important.

Can You Begin a Sentence with a Coordinating

Conjunction?
Another misconception is that it's incorrect to begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction.
While this is a good rule of thumb, it's not a hard and fast rule of grammar.
You might want to limit how often you begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction, but it's not
incorrect to do so, especially if it'll break up a particularly long sentence into more understandable
chunks.

Quality and Complexity

Coordinating conjunctions are the simplest of all the conjunctions to recognize and master. Knowing
how they work will improve the quality and complexity of your writing. So, if that's what you're
after, consider yourself fully equipped! And, while you're on such a winning streak, feel free to
explore the two other types of conjunctions:

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions always come between two clauses in order to connect

them. These are two ideas that are related and can therefore be placed into one
longer sentence.
A coordinating conjunction is a conjunction like “and” and “but.” It joins
together words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. The seven
coordinating conjunctions are:

 For
 And
 Nor
 But
 Or
 Yet
 So

You can remember these conjunctions using the acronym FANBOYS. These are
all very useful constructions to improve the flow and fluency of language.

The seven coordinating conjunctions can be remembered using the

acronym: FANBOYS
source

For

shows reason or purpose (sometimes because can be used instead)

 I go to the library, for I love to read.

While the word “so” introduces the “effect” part of a cause-and-effect

relationship, the word “for” introduces the cause.

 My husband and I went to Costa Rica, for it was our five-year

anniversary.
 The neighborhood had a memorial last weekend, for a family’s son had
passed away.

Using the word “for” like this, however, can sound a bit formal and unnatural in
spoken English. Instead, it’s better to use subordinating conjunctions like
“because” or “since,” which we’ll discuss later. Meanwhile, the word “for” can
take different usages as a preposition, not a conjunction. For example:

 What are you doing for New Year’s?

 Is this gift for me or someone else?
 I’ve been living in Los Angeles for about six months.

Although you may have been taught otherwise, it’s often acceptable for a
sentence to begin with a coordinating conjunction, as long as it forms a
continuity with the sentences preceding it.

When used in writing, in fact, it can often feel more natural to begin a sentence
with “and” or “but” instead of forcing separate sentences together with a
comma. For example:
  Sometimes, Jack can come off as a bit insensitive, but I know he
means well.
 Sometimes, Jack can come off as a bit insensitive. But I know he
means well. (Also a valid use of the word “but”)
 The sushi restaurant down the street is the best I’ve ever been
to. And it was a good deal.

And

connects two or more ideas

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 I like to eat cookies, and I like to drink milk.

The conjunction “and” is used to join two or more items that make sense with
each other.

 I put mayonnaise and mustard in this sandwich.

 My friend likes to go mountain-climbing and swim in the ocean.
  My mom was born in the U.S., and my dad was born in Switzerland.

It can also be used to connect a series of events.

 Everyday after school, I go to the library and study.

 The president arrived and gave an hour-long speech.

If you want to list several items, use commas and the word “and” at the very
end (the Oxford comma is optional).

 I wasted so much time, energy, and money on that trip.

 The dog barked, growled and scratched until his owner let him back in
the house.

Nor

shows a non-contrasting, negative idea. Adds more negativity.

 I refuse to hug to people I don’t know, nor will I kiss them.

While “and” is used to join two positive items together, the conjunction “nor” is
used to pair two negative items. It’s found either with the word “not” or with
the word “neither.”

 He didn’t return my calls, nor did he respond to any of my texts.

 Neither the yoga nor the running made my back feel any better.
 I didn’t think that it would snow so early in the year, nor did the
weather forecast.

Note the word inversion that often accompanies this conjunction.

But

shows contrast or exception.

  Sheila likes soup, but sometimes she orders something different.

The conjunction “but” is used to join two items that contradict each other or
create a certain tension with each other.

 The dress was beautiful but slightly expensive.

 I put a lot of effort into the assignment, but I couldn’t even get an A.
 My mom doesn’t like to cook, but she does it anyway.

A common usage of the word “but” is in the construction “not…but.” You can
also use the word “rather” to emphasize the contrast in the statement.

 It wasn’t a bird but a squirrel that’s been ravaging the garden.

 Strawberries aren’t actually berries but rather an “accessory fruit.”

Or

shows choice or option.

 He could go to the bar, or he could go to work.

The conjunction “or” can be used to present two or more options. It’s often
paired with the word “either.”

 Do you like chocolate or vanilla better?

 He’s either flirting with me or just acts unusually nice to me.
 You can come buy groceries with me, or you can stay home until I get
back.

Yet

also shows contrast or exception.

 He had been crying all day, yet the man made him laugh.
The conjunction “yet” is very similar to “but.” It means something like
“nevertheless” or “but at the same time.”

 He can be strict yet understanding at the same time.

 The sauce was sweet yet had a spicy flavor to it.
 I got a new prescription for my glasses, yet my vision is still a bit
blurry.

Don’t get this conjunction mixed up with the other usage of the word “yet.” For
example:

 Did she call you back yet?

 Is your roommate awake yet?

So

shows consequence.

 The lady was feeling ill, so she went home to bed.

If you want to express a cause-and-effect relationship, you can use the

conjunction “so.” It introduces a clause that is the effect of a previous clause.

 It was the week before Christmas, so the mall was unusually hectic.
 The traffic is a bit heavy on the main road, so try taking a residential
detour instead.
 The mistake was already made, so there’s not much you can do about
it now.

Notice that the word “so” can be used to justify a suggestion or command. It
can also be used to explain the basis of a question. For example:

 My dog gets a bit rowdy sometimes, so put him in his cage when you
need to.
  All the bars are closed by now, so what do you want to do instead?

Another usage of the conjunction “so” is to introduce a new idea or change the
subject, whether this has a cause-and-effect relationship or not. For example:

 So, what do you want to talk about now?

 So, how has your day been?

Be careful not to mix up the coordinating conjunction “so” with other usages of
the word “so.” For example:

 The line was so long we bailed within the first five minutes.
 “Is it going to be warmer tomorrow?” “I think so.”
 I hid the presents so that the rest of my family wouldn’t find them.