From Simple Sentences to Complex Thought
The Three Types of Conjunctions
Coordinating: FANBOYS
For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. Join equal clauses: 'I was tired, BUT I kept working.' Equal weight on both sides. Comma before the conjunction when joining full sentences: 'I like tea, AND she likes coffee.'
Subordinating: Because, Although, When, If...
Because, although, when, while, if, since, unless, until, after, before, as soon as. Create dependent clauses: 'BECAUSE it rained, we stayed home.' The subordinate clause can't stand alone: 'Because it rained' isn't a complete thought.
Correlative: Both...And, Neither...Nor
Both...and, neither...nor, either...or, not only...but also. Work in pairs: 'BOTH the teacher AND the students were tired.' 'She is NOT ONLY smart BUT ALSO funny.' Parallel structure is essential: both sides must match grammatically.
Teacher Tip
“COMMA: 'Because it was raining, we stayed home.' NO COMMA: 'We stayed home because it was raining.' This rule applies to all subordinating conjunctions: 'Although she was tired, she kept working' (comma) vs 'She kept working although she was tired' (no comma). Teaching this single punctuation rule dramatically improves student writing. It also helps students understand that subordinate clauses can move — giving them sentence variety: 'When I arrived, the meeting had started' for emphasis, or 'The meeting had started when I arrived' for neutral tone.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the FANBOYS conjunctions?
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FANBOYS is a mnemonic for the seven coordinating conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. They join grammatically equal elements: two nouns ('tea and coffee'), two adjectives ('big but slow'), or two full sentences ('I called, but nobody answered'). Use a comma before FANBOYS when joining complete sentences.
What is the difference between coordinating and subordinating conjunctions?
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Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) join equal partners: both sides can stand alone as complete sentences. Subordinating conjunctions (because, although, when, if) create a dependent clause that can't stand alone: 'Because it rained' needs a main clause to complete the thought.
When should I teach conjunctions in ESL?
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And, but, or, because at A1-A2 (the basics). So, when, if, before, after at A2-B1. Although, however, while, unless at B1-B2. Correlatives (both...and, neither...nor) at B2. Each level adds complexity: from simple joining to expressing contrast, condition, and concession.