Do you know what coordinating conjunctions are? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on coordinating conjunctions, including the definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
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According to Your Dictionary, coordinating conjunctions are the most popular category of conjunctions in English grammar and provide coordination of main clauses that have equal emphasis. They join words, phrases and clauses of equal importance, equal weight and grammatical rank such as an independent clause or dependent clause. While the three main coordinating conjunctions are and, but, and or, there are seven common coordinating conjunctions. These can be remembered with the acronyms FANBOYS, YAFNOBS or FONYBAS. The conjunction examples are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. These can complete transitional expressions and eliminate choppy sentences. Rather than having a first sentence and a second sentence, you can combine these kinds of sentences with a transition. You could also use a transition like a semicolon or another part of speech like a conjunctive adverb or adjective, or punctuation like a comma. Do not get these confused with a subordinating conjunction which connects a subordinate clause or correlative conjunctions. You can use a coordinating conjunction at the start of a sentence, but beware of sentence fragments and ensure you have the essence of a complete thought in your style writing.
What are examples of coordinating conjunctions?
A coordinating conjunction can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! The following sentences from Chomp Chomp, Ginger and Your Dictionary are examples of coordinating conjunctions that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use. Try to use the term coordinating conjunctions today or notice when someone else is using a coordinating conjunction.
Rocky, my orange tomcat, loves having his head scratched but hates getting his claws trimmed.
Most video games are fun, but Minecraft is the best one!
The grocery store was closed, so we went to the farmer’s market instead.
Bill refuses to eat peas, nor will he touch cheese or carrots.
The children hopped and skipped to the theater.
My sister doesn’t like to study, nor does she take notes in class.
My dog Floyd has too many fleas and too much hair.
The Americans and guests did not mind the delay, nor did they complain about getting a different room.
 Jackson wanted to eat another piece of cake, but he was on a diet.
Do you prefer to go to bed early or to stay up late?
The students like their teacher, yet they wish he graded more fairly.
I was going to earn an A in Math, but I failed the final test.
Making an A in Anatomy and Physiology has not helped Sima choose a career. She might decide to make her parents happy and go to medical school, or she might use her knowledge of the human body to become a sculptor.
I always take a book to the beach, yet I never seem to turn a single page.
I like to read, so I didn’t mind the long reading assignment.
You should invite Mario and Estefan to the party.
I studied hard for days to make sure I would do well on my first exam. But I forgot everything I had studied the moment I started the exam.
Braxton didn’t do his chores, nor did he finish his tennis homework.
King Henry was not the ruler of France, nor did he reign over Spain.
Juanita eats healthy, for she wants to stay in shape.
Our family hasn’t been to New York, nor have we been to Florida.
I hate to waste a drop of gas, for it is very expensive these days.
My dog enjoys being bathed but hates getting his nails trimmed.
The squid eyeball stew is so thick that you can eat it with a fork or a spoon.
The kids got bored, so they went to the park.
We can drive to the pool or walk to the park.
I wanted to bake a cake, so I went to the store and bought flour and sugar. I also bought chocolate frosting and fresh strawberries to go on top of the cake.
The weather is cool yet pleasant.
Swatting olives off the kitchen counter, dragging toilet paper streamers through the house, and terrorizing Jacques Cousteau, the parakeet, have consumed another of Buster’s days.
At a red light, Maria jumped out of Gino’s car and slammed the door, for she could not tolerate one more minute of the heavy metal music that Gino insisted on blasting from the stereo.
I really want a kitten, yet my mom says we have too many cats.
While I was answering the telephone, Buster, my cat, jumped onto the kitchen counter and swatted all of my jalapeño-stuffed olives onto the dirty kitchen floor. So I had to rinse off the cat hair and crumbs sticking to these delicacies before I could add them to the salad.
Television is a wonderful escape, but it interferes with my writing.
Our car won’t start, so we called a mechanic.
Even though I added cream to the squid eyeball stew, Rocky ignored his serving, so I got a spoon and ate it myself.
Because she gets seasick, Danielle is dreading the spring break cruise, yet she might enjoy herself once she realizes how many cute guys in skimpy bathing suits parade the decks.
Pearl would like to make pasta, yet she’s also in the mood for a sandwich.
You can eat your cake with a spoon or fork.
I wanted to bake a cake. I went to the store. I bought flour and sugar. I bought chocolate frosting to go on top. I also got fresh strawberries to put on the cake
Overall, coordinating conjunctions connect clauses of equal grammatical rank on a complex sentence. These equal rank clauses often come in a long sentence but can also be single words.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Kevin
December 14, 2021
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