Conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, or clauses together.

-I like cooking and eating, but I don’t like washing dishes afterward.

-Sophie is clearly exhausted, yet she insists on dancing till dawn.

Conjunctions allow you to form complex, elegant sentences and avoid the choppiness of multiple short
sentences. Make sure that the phrases joined by conjunctions are parallel (share the same structure)

A coordinating conjunction is a word that connects two or more elements of the same grammatical type.
The word coordinating refers specifically to bringing things together on the same level; this is what sets
coordinating conjunctions apart from subordinating conjunctions, which join elements of unequal
grammatical standing.

The elements joined by coordinating conjunctions can be individual words, phrases, or clauses. The
seven most common coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so—the first letters of
which spell out the memorable acronym FANBOYS.

For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So

Here are some examples of FANBOYS in sentences:

Plenty of vegetables were ready to be picked in her garden, so Maria didn’t go to the farmers’ market
this week.

Do you like the taste of peaches or mangoes better?

Samir bikes to the park and plays soccer there almost every weekend.

Coordinating conjunctions to join single words

When a coordinating conjunction joins two or more individual words, those words should be the same
part of speech: a noun with a noun, a verb with a verb, an adjective with an adjective, and so on. Here
are some examples, with the coordinating conjunctions in bold and the words being connected
underlined:

Did you remember to bring pen and paper?

Sometimes I shower or bathe at night instead of in the morning.

Xan found her classmates’ comments on her writing challenging yet helpful.

Coordinating conjunctions to join phrases

Coordinating conjunctions can also link phrases of the same grammatical type.

In the following sentence, the coordinating conjunction and connects two noun phrases:

The antique desk and the modern lamp look surprisingly natural together.

Here’s a sentence in which the coordinating conjunction but connects two prepositional phrases:

I got to the movie before Edam but after Vera.

And in this next example, nor joins two adjective phrases. (Note that in the example, nor is both a
coordinating conjunction and a correlative conjunction with its partner, neither.)

The snack we ate was neither very tasty nor filling enough to tide us over till dinner.

Coordinating conjunctions to join independent clauses

An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a simple sentence. When two independent
clauses are logically closely related, it often makes sense to combine them into a compound sentence
with the help of a coordinating conjunction and a comma.

I wanted something to eat, so I looked in the fridge.

Reading fiction is beneficial, for it can make us more empathetic.

The host borrowed dozens of folding chairs, yet there were not enough for the guests.

We liked the play’s story, but we didn’t care for its staging.

Commas and coordinating conjunctions

Commas appear before coordinating conjunctions in two different circumstances: when the coordinating
conjunction joins two independent clauses to form a compound sentence and when it joins more than
two elements in a series.

In compound sentences

Most of the time, when a coordinating conjunction connects two independent clauses to create a
compound sentence, a comma appears before the conjunction.

I haven’t been to the supermarket yet this week, but I plan to go today.

However, it’s generally considered OK to omit the comma when the two independent clauses are short
and the coordinating conjunction is and.

I was hot and I was thirsty.

In lists

When and is used between the last two elements in a series of three or more things, the question of
whether to use a comma before it is a matter of publishing style or individual preference. This comma is
called the Oxford or serial comma. Both example sentences below are grammatically correct, but the
first uses the Oxford comma and the second does not.

Let’s get ready for school, eat some breakfast, and watch television.

Let’s get ready for school, eat some breakfast and watch television.

Coordinating conjunctions vs. conjunctive adverbs

Like coordinating conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs are transition words used to connect two logically
related independent clauses. Unlike coordinating conjunctions, they aren’t strong enough to do that job
with just a comma between them and the first independent clause; they must be used between a
semicolon and a comma.

There are many ways to compost at home; however, some are more time-consuming than others.

Coordinating conjunctions to begin sentences

There’s a common belief that it’s grammatically incorrect to use a coordinating conjunction at the start
of a sentence. But that has never been a rule. In fact, starting some of your sentences with coordinating
conjunctions can make for polished transitions and give your writing a better sense of flow. The following
examples express the same idea, first with a coordinating conjunction starting a sentence and then
without.

The town always held a bell-ringing ceremony to kick off the new school year. But this year, the school
district had something extra special planned.

The town always held a bell-ringing ceremony to kick off the new school year. This year, however, the
school district had something extra special planned.

What is a coordinating conjunction?

A coordinating conjunction is a word that connects two or more elements of the same grammatical type.
Those elements can be individual words, phrases, or clauses.

What does FANBOYS stand for?

FANBOYS is an acronym for the seven most common coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet,
and so.

When do you use a comma before a coordinating conjunction?

When a coordinating conjunction connects two independent clauses to form a compound sentence, a
comma almost always appears before the coordinating conjunction. It’s acceptable to omit the comma if
the two independent clauses are short and the coordinating conjunction is and.

When the coordinating conjunction and is used between the last two elements in a series of three or
more, whether to use a comma before it (called the Oxford or serial comma) is a matter of personal
choice or publishing style.

Correlative conjunctions are conjunctions used to illustrate how two words or phrases within a sentence
relate to each other. Correlative conjunctions always come in pairs.

Though they can illustrate a correlation between the two words or phrases, they don’t necessarily have
to. In many cases, the words or phrases linked by a correlative conjunction can be discussed
independently of one another. In these cases, joining them with a correlative conjunction makes your
writing more concise and emphasizes that the two things being discussed happen in close succession, at
the same time, or as a result of the same cause, or that they’re both distinct possibilities or outcomes of
a shared cause or starting point.

Take a look at these sentences that use correlative conjunctions:

We could either hike up the mountain or swim in the lake this afternoon.

Whether you bike or drive to work, you’ll need to show your parking pass.

Not only did my boyfriend buy me a Nintendo Switch, but he also bought me a bunch of games!

Before we go deeper into correlative conjunctions, let’s do a quick refresher on conjunctions as a part of
speech. Conjunctions are words that link phrases, clauses, and words together in sentences. Words like
and and but are conjunctions. When you use a conjunction in a sentence, the words or phrases it links
need to have parallel structures. Here’s an example of a conjunction at work:

She drives slowly and cautiously.

“She drives slow and cautiously” is incorrect, as are “She drives slowly and cautious” and “She drives
slow and cautious.” In this example, the adverbs “slowly” and “cautiously” both describe the verb
“drives,” and the conjunction and links them together to give the reader the full picture: The subject
(“she”) doesn’t just drive, but drives at a low speed and in a cautious manner.

And can be a correlative conjunction when it’s paired with another conjunction like both. Take a look at
this example:

Both my cat and my dog like bacon-flavored treats.

Like socks, correlative conjunctions always come in pairs. That’s their defining characteristic; if a
conjunction doesn’t need a partner for its sentence to make sense, it’s not a correlative conjunction. The
most common correlative conjunction pairs include:

either/or, neither/nor, such/that, whether/or, not only/but also, both/and, as many/as, no sooner/than

rather/than
Let’s take a look at a few example sentences:

Either you’re with me or you’re against me.

Such is the intensity of the pollen outside that I can’t leave the house.

My parents went to both Hawaii and Bali last year.

She would no sooner cheat on an exam than falsify her credentials.

They would rather go to the movies than the mall.

What does a correlative conjunction do?

Correlative conjunctions create pairs of equal elements. By elements, we mean words and phrases
within a sentence that are the same part of speech or serve the same function. This could mean two
nouns, two adjectives, two verbs, or two of the same kind of phrase.

Here are a few examples of correlative conjunctions in sentences:

Because of the bad weather, the class missed both their history and English exams.

They not only ate all the donuts but also drank all the coffee.

I wasn’t sure whether the play was disjointed or avant-garde.

When you’re using correlative conjunctions, subject-verb agreement is a must. All this means is that the
verb in the sentence is conjugated to match the noun or pronoun that is its subject.

Take a look at this example:

Either Reyna push the button or Abed pushed it.

Take a look at more example sentences that contain correlative conjunctions:

My brother is either playing video games or writing music on his PC.

We received neither the package nor the invoice.

Jena not only plays the violin, but also sings professionally.

We invited both the Rodriguezes and the Losapios to dinner.

There were as many applicants as there were seats in the program.

I could no sooner answer him than he called me back.

The kids would rather eat ramen than scrambled eggs.

What is a correlative conjunction?

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that connect words or phrases that are the same part
of speech or serve the same function within a sentence.

How are correlative conjunctions used?

Correlative conjunctions are used to make writing flow more easily, reduce redundancy, and make the
relationship between equal words or phrases within a sentence clear. Although they can be used to
allude to cause-and-effect relationships, they don’t have to be. Compare these two sentences:

A subordinating conjunction is a word or phrase that links a dependent clause to an independent clause.
This word or phrase indicates that a clause has informative value to add to the sentence’s main idea,
signaling a cause-and-effect relationship or a shift in time and place between the two clauses.

Another function of subordinating conjunctions is to show a relationship between two clauses involving
a transition of time or place. Some examples of such subordinating conjunctions are once, while, when,
whenever, where, wherever, before, and after.
Once Batman learned that Robin had not been wearing his seat belt, he took away his keys to the
Batmobile.

Robin looked regretfully at the Batmobile whenever he passed it in the Batcave.

After Batman was done working for the night, Robin took a secret ride in the Batmobile.

Before Robin gets his job in the Batcave back, he must promise to stop playing with the Batmobile.

Comma placement and subordinating conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions that fall in the middle of a sentence are generally not preceded by a comma.
This is the opposite of what is done with coordinating conjunctions, or words that join two independent
clauses (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and sometimes so).

When a subordinate clause begins a sentence, however, the whole clause (but not the subordinating
conjunction itself) is followed by a comma.

Whenever Batman was away, Robin drove the Batmobile.

A handy list of subordinating conjunctions

After, although, as, as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as, as though, because, before by the time, even
if, even though, if, in case, in order that, in the event that, lest, now that, once, only, only if, provided
that, since, so, supposing, then, that, though, till, unless, until, when, whenever, where, whereas,
wherever, whether or not, while
Subordinating conjunction FAQs

What are subordinating conjunctions?

Subordinating conjunctions are words and phrases that connect dependent clauses to independent
clauses. They usually show a cause-and-effect relationship or a shift in time or place.

What are examples of subordinating conjunctions?

We can’t go to the mall because our car broke down.

Whenever I’m in Philadelphia, I always get a cheesesteak.

How do you use subordinating conjunctions in a sentence?

Place subordinating conjunctions at the beginning of the dependent clause. If the dependent clause
comes before the independent clause, put a comma at the end of the dependent clause.

Can subordinating conjunctions start a sentence?

Subordinating conjunctions often start a sentence whenever the dependent clause comes first.
the FANBOYS conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so):

I wanted to go to the party, but I had to finish my homework.

She loves to read books, and she enjoys writing stories.

He doesn't like ice cream, nor does he enjoy cake.

You can have pizza for dinner, or you can have pasta

I studied hard, so I aced the exam.

She wanted to go to the beach, for the weather was sunny.

She likes to hike, but she's afraid of heights.

You can either join us for dinner, or you can stay home.

here are sentences using correlative conjunction pairs:

either/or: You can either choose to go to the movies or stay home and watch TV.

neither/nor: Neither the cat nor the dog wanted to go outside in the rain.

whether/or: We can go for a walk tomorrow, whether it rains or shines.

not only/but also: She is not only intelligent but also very hardworking.

both/and: We both like to read and write in our free time.

Here are sentences using each of the listed subordinating conjunctions:

After: After I finish work, I'll go to the gym.

Although: Although it was raining, they decided to go for a hike.

As: She smiled as she remembered the good times they had together.

As if: He acted as if he didn't care about the outcome.

As long as: You can stay up late as long as you finish your homework.

As much as: As much as I love chocolate, I need to cut back on eating it.

As soon as: As soon as the bell rang, the students rushed out of the classroom.

As though: She looked as though she hadn't slept in days.

Because: I went to bed early because I had an early morning appointment.

Before: Please finish your homework before you go out to play.

By the time: By the time she arrived, the party was already over.

Even if: Even if it rains, we'll still have fun at the picnic.

Even though: Even though it was late, he continued working on his project.

If: If you need help, just let me know.

In case: Take an umbrella in case it rains.

In order that: She studied hard in order that she could pass the exam.

In the event that: In the event that I can't make it, please go without me.

Lest: He saved his work regularly lest he lose it all in a power outage.

Now that: Now that she's graduated, she's looking for a job.

Once: Once you finish your chores, you can go out and play.

Only: Only if you promise to be careful can you borrow my bike.

Only if: You can come to the party, but only if you behave yourself.

Provided that: You can go to the party, provided that you finish your homework first.

Since: Since it's raining, we'll have to cancel the picnic.

So: She worked hard, so she was promoted.

Supposing: Supposing you win the lottery, what would you do with the money?

Then: She'll go to bed early, then she'll be well-rested for her exam tomorrow.
That: He whispered so quietly that I could barely hear him.

Though: Though it was cold, they went for a swim.

Till: I'll wait till you finish your dinner before I start eating mine.

Unless: Unless you study harder, you won't pass the exam.

Until: We'll wait here until the rain stops.

When: When I was younger, I used to dream of becoming an astronaut.

Whenever: Whenever she visits, she always brings gifts.

Where: I'll meet you where we first met.

Whereas: She likes tea, whereas I prefer coffee.

Wherever: Take your umbrella wherever you go.

Whether or not: I'll go for a run whether or not it's sunny outside.

While: She read a book while waiting for the bus.

Conjuctive adverbs

However: He studied hard; however, he still failed the exam.

Therefore: She worked overtime; therefore, she earned a bonus.

Meanwhile: He went to the store; meanwhile, she stayed home and cleaned.

Moreover: The food was delicious; moreover, the service was excellent.

Nevertheless: The weather was bad; nevertheless, they decided to go for a hike.

Furthermore: She finished her project on time; furthermore, she exceeded expectations.

Consequently: He missed the train; consequently, he was late for work.

Nonetheless: The movie was long and boring; nonetheless, they stayed until the end.

Similarly: He enjoys hiking; similarly, she loves outdoor activities.

Otherwise: Finish your homework; otherwise, you won't be able to play video games.

Indeed: He is a talented musician; indeed, he plays multiple instruments.

Subsequently: She won the competition; subsequently, she received a scholarship.

In addition: He bought groceries; in addition, he picked up some flowers for his wife.

Likewise: He enjoys reading; likewise, she is an avid reader.

However: He promised to help; however, he didn't show up.

As a result: She forgot her umbrella; as a result, she got soaked in the rain.

On the other hand: He loves action movies; on the other hand, she prefers comedies.

In contrast: She prefers tea; in contrast, he prefers coffee.

Then again: He said he would quit smoking; then again, he's said that before.

Hence: He forgot his passport; hence, he couldn't travel abroad.