What is a conjunction?
A conjunction is a joining word. It connects words, phrases or whole ideas so that writing flows instead of sounding choppy.
Choppy: I was hungry. I made a sandwich. It was delicious.
Smooth: I was hungry, so I made a sandwich, and it was delicious.
Conjunctions also show how ideas are related: adding, contrasting, choosing, explaining a cause or showing time.
Coordinating conjunctions: FANBOYS
There are seven coordinating conjunctions. Remember them with the word FANBOYS:
| Letter | Conjunction | Job | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | for | gives a reason | I left, for it was late. |
| A | and | adds | cats and dogs |
| N | nor | adds a negative | He didn’t call, nor did he text. |
| B | but | contrasts | small but strong |
| O | or | gives a choice | juice or milk |
| Y | yet | contrasts (surprise) | tired, yet happy |
| S | so | shows a result | It rained, so we stayed in. |
Coordinating conjunctions join equal parts: two nouns, two verbs, two adjectives or two complete sentences.
Making compound sentences
When a coordinating conjunction joins two complete sentences, you get a compound sentence. Put a comma before the conjunction.
The bell rang, and everyone ran outside.
I studied hard, but the test was tricky.
If the conjunction joins just two words or a short phrase, no comma is needed: bread and butter.
Subordinating conjunctions
A subordinating conjunction begins a dependent clause, a part of a sentence that cannot stand on its own. It shows how that clause connects to the main idea.
| Relationship | Subordinating conjunctions |
|---|---|
| Cause | because, since, as |
| Time | when, while, before, after, until, as soon as |
| Contrast | although, though, even though, whereas |
| Condition | if, unless, as long as |
| Place | where, wherever |
We stayed inside because it was raining.
Although I was tired, I finished my homework.
Sentences built this way are called complex sentences.
Comma rule
If the dependent clause comes first, put a comma after it. If it comes second, you usually do not need one.
- When the movie ended, we cheered.
- We cheered when the movie ended.
Correlative conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions come in pairs:
- both … and: Both Ana and Luis came.
- either … or: You can have either soup or salad.
- neither … nor: Neither the TV nor the radio works.
- not only … but also: She is not only kind but also funny.
- whether … or: I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Keep both halves balanced: either to swim or to bike, not either to swim or biking.
Starting a sentence with a conjunction
You may have heard "Never start a sentence with and or but." In fact, good writers do it sometimes for effect. I thought I had lost. But then I saw my name at the top of the list. Use it occasionally, not in every sentence.
Worked examples
Example 1: Join with a FANBOYS conjunction. I wanted to swim. The pool was closed.
→ I wanted to swim, but the pool was closed.
Example 2: Find the subordinating conjunction. Unless you hurry, you will miss the bus.
→ Unless.
Example 3: Add the missing comma. If you finish early you may read.
→ If you finish early, you may read.
Common mistakes
- Comma splice: I was cold, I put on a sweater. ✗ → I was cold, so I put on a sweater. ✓
- Fragment: Because I was late. ✗ → I ran because I was late. ✓
- Using and for everything: vary with but, so, because, although.
Try it yourself
- Write the seven FANBOYS.
- Join: The dog barked. The baby woke up. (use so)
- Join: It was sunny. We wore jackets. (use although)
- Complete: Neither my brother ___ my sister likes broccoli.
Answers: 1. for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. 2. The dog barked, so the baby woke up. 3. Although it was sunny, we wore jackets. 4. nor.
Tip for families
Play "Story chain." One person says a short sentence, and the next person must continue it with a conjunction: "…but then…", "…because…", "…so…". It builds silly stories and strong sentence skills.
Quick recap
- Conjunctions join words, phrases and ideas.
- FANBOYS conjunctions join equal parts; use a comma before them when joining two sentences.
- Subordinating conjunctions start dependent clauses and show cause, time, contrast or condition.
- Correlative conjunctions work in pairs.