Basic Coordinating Conjunctions
Introduction
A coordinating conjunction is a word which joins together two clauses which are both equally important. This page will explain the most common coordinating conjunctions and how to use them.
1. What is a clause?
A clause is a unit which contains a subject and a verb. For example, “It was raining” is a clause; the subject is “it”, and the verb is “was raining”. Every sentence MUST contain at least one clause, but it may contain more than one. For example:
It was raining, so I took my umbrella.
This sentence contains two clauses, “It was raining” and “I took my umbrella”. They are independent clauses because each one would be a good sentence on its own — each one is a “complete thought”.
2. Joining clauses together with coordinating conjunctions
Examine the example sentence one more time:
It was raining, so I took my umbrella.
The two clauses in the sentence are joined together with the word “so”. This is a coordinating conjunction. It is used to join two independent clauses which are equally important. A coordinating conjunction usually comes in the middle of a sentence, and it usually follows a comma (unless both clauses are very short). These are the most important coordinating conjunctions:
| Conjunction | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
and |
joins two similar ideas together | He lives in Victoria, and he studies at UVic. |
but |
joins two contrasting ideas | John is Canadian, but Sally is English. |
or |
joins two alternative ideas | I could cook some supper, or we could order a pizza. |
so |
shows that the second idea is the result of the first | She was sick, so she went to the doctor. |
These conjunctions are also used:
nor (joining two negative alternatives)
for (meaning “because”)
yet (meaning “but”)
3. Using coordinating conjunctions
There are three things to remember when using coordinating conjunctions:
- Coordinating conjunctions join independent clauses. Each clause must be a “complete thought” which could be a sentence on its own.
- With coordinating conjunctions, put the conjunction in the middle. You may see some sentences starting with “but” or “and”, but this is usually wrong, so it's best to avoid it.
- With coordinating conjunctions, use a comma unless both clauses are very short.
When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the exercises.