A Home School Lesson for Using Conjunctions

 

• Coordinating conjunctions are words that join two or more words, phrases, or independent clauses.
• The seven most common coordinating conjunctions are: and, but, for, nor, or, so, and yet.
• The acronym FANBOYS is a helpful memory aid for remembering these conjunctions.
• The seven coordinating conjunctions are known as the FANBOYS acronym:

  F - For A - And N - Nor B - But O - Or Y - Yet S - So

  These conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are equal in grammatical rank. They can be used to add information, contrast ideas, or show cause and effect relationships.

  Here are some examples of how to use coordinating conjunctions:

• For: I went to the store, for I needed some milk.
• And: I ate a sandwich and drank a glass of milk.
• Nor: I didn't have any cereal, nor did I have any bread.
• But: I did have some eggs, so I made an omelet.
• Or: I could have made pancakes, but I didn't have any syrup.
• Yet: I was still hungry, yet I didn't want to eat any more.
• So: I decided to go for a walk.
• Each coordinating conjunction has a specific function in connecting words, phrases, or clauses.
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  The coordinating conjunction "so" is used to connect two independent clauses, showing a cause-and-effect relationship between them. It indicates that the second clause is a result or consequence of the first clause.

  Here are some examples of how to use "so" correctly:

• It was raining heavily, so we canceled our picnic plans. (The rain caused the cancellation of the picnic plans.)

• I studied hard for the exam, so I'm confident that I'll do well. (Studying hard led to confidence in the exam performance.)

• The traffic was congested, so we arrived at the party late. (The traffic congestion caused the late arrival at the party.)

• I'm feeling tired, so I think I'll go to bed early tonight. (Feeling tired prompted the decision to go to bed early.)

• The company's profits have increased, so they're planning to hire more employees. (Increased profits led to the expansion of the workforce.)

When using "so" to connect independent clauses, a comma is placed before the conjunction. This helps to indicate the separation of the two clauses and clarifies the cause-and-effect relationship.

Here are some additional tips for using "so" correctly:

• Make sure that the two clauses are grammatically parallel in structure. This means that they should be of the same type (both declarative, interrogative, etc.) and have similar grammatical elements.

• Avoid using "so" excessively. Overusing "so" can make your writing sound repetitive and informal.

• Consider using other coordinating conjunctions, such as "because" or "therefore," to convey the cause-and-effect relationship more effectively.