Study Resource: List of English coordinating conjunctions
FANBOYS coordinating conjunctions
Conjunction | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
for | Used to link a situation with its cause. | I eat an apple a day, for it is good for my health. She must travel to Brighton, for the sea air will do her good. |
and | Used to link two ideas that are equally true. | I like to dance, and I like to sing. She eats a banana, an orange and a pear. |
nor | Used to link two ideas that are untrue or did not happen. (This is fairly uncommon.) | My little brother doesn’t like spinach, nor does he like broccoli. She never calls, nor writes. |
but | Used to link two ideas that are equally true, but the second one is surprising or unexpected. | We would love to go to Disney World, but we do not have the money. I was going to go to the party, but I lost my shoes. |
or | Provides a choice between two ideas or options. | Do you prefer roses or lilies? We could go to the beach or the mountains. |
yet | Used to link two ideas that are equally true, but the second one is surprising. (This is uncommon in modern English.) | I would like to go to the cinema, yet I still have so much homework to do. I love him, yet he ignores me. |
so | Used to link a situation with its result. | School was closed, so we all had a lovely day off. It was a really hot day, so we all had ice-cream. |
Compound and correlative coordinating conjunctions
Category | Conjunction | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Correlative | both…and… | Both Sally and Megan came to my party. | Cannot be used to link clauses. |
either…or… | Either you’re with me or against me. | ||
neither…nor… | She likes neither cheddar nor stilton. | ||
not only…but also… | Not only do I have to get up early tomorrow but also I have to walk the dog. | When it links clauses, the subject and auxiliary verb in the first clause are reversed (e.g. not only do I have to, notnot only I have to...). | |
not just…but… | Not just her sister but her brother too? | Cannot be used between clauses. | |
Compound | as well as | She likes chocolate as well as ice cream. | Not usually used between clauses. |
in addition to | Sarah made dessert in addition to dinner. | Not usually used between clauses. |
