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:

1. Coordinating conjunctions join independent clauses. Each clause must be a “complete thought” which could be a sentence on its own.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Basic Coordinating Conjunctions

Complete the sentences by choosing the best coordinating conjunction for each space.

Type in all of your answers using the word list below and then click on "Check answers". If you need help, click "Show a letter".

   and      but      or      so   

1. Jaewon was cold, he put on a coat.
2. Maria tried to read a novel in French, it was too difficult.
3. To get from Vancouver to Victoria, you can fly, you can ride the ferry.
4. I bought a bottle of wine, we drank it together.
5. The waiter was not very nice, the food was delicious.
6. I went to buy a Rolling Stones CD, the shop didn't have it.
7. Anna needed some money, she took a part-time job.
8. There's so much rain lately! Maybe it's because of El Nino, maybe it's just coincidence.
9. Julie has a guitar, she plays it really well.
10. The concert was cancelled, we went to a nightclub instead.