Using Conjunctions in Sentences

1. Coordinating Conjunctions and Compound Sentences

Often, you’ll see a dependent clause using something called a subordinating conjunction, such as “while,” “after,” “where,” and “until,” among others. These kinds of words make a clause dependent. We’ll discuss subordinating conjunctions in more detail later.

There are two ways to turn a dependent clause, such as “while he was tired,” into a complete sentence.

You could turn this into an independent clause and full sentence by completing the thought, like this:

The dog was tired.

Or you could use a coordinating conjunction to combine it with an independent clause, like this:

The dog sat in the doghouse, for he was tired.

See how you have a full thought being expressed now? A coordinating conjunction connects two independent clauses into a compound sentence.

As mentioned earlier, a compound sentence is a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses. Most of the time, a compound sentence will take two clauses that are somehow connected in their content and that are just about equally important to understanding the full thought.

Take a look at the following two separate but related sentences:

I want to pet that dog. That dog has fleas.

These are two good pieces of information; each tells the reader something important about the situation.

The clauses can be separate, but if joined together, they provide a better understanding of what’s going on.

I want to pet that dog, but he has fleas.

Notice that these two clauses are now connected with a comma and then the word “but,” which is a coordinating conjunction.

Using the acronym FANBOYS (“For,” “And,” “Nor,” “But,” “Or,” “Yet,” and “So”) is a good way to remember all of these coordinating conjunctions.

All of these words are common in English, even for connecting other words and phrases that aren’t clauses, and each means something really different, changing the implication of a sentence. When you’re using a coordinating conjunction to make a compound sentence, you’ll need to select the correct one.

Take a closer look at each:

• “For” essentially means “because,” which points to a cause–effect relationship between the two clauses that it connects.
• “And” tells us that whatever comes after it is going to add more information that’s relevant to the first clause.
• “Nor” is a negating word; it explains that the two clauses are both not true or introduces a clause that will be in the negative.
• “But” connects two clauses by pointing out that the second clause contradicts the first one in some way.
• “Or” offers options; it indicates that the reader can choose between the two ideas that the two clauses present.
• “Yet” works much like “but,” but note that it means something very different when you see it outside of a compound sentence.
• “So” also describes cause and effect but specifically indicates that the second clause will describe something that is the result of whatever the first clause says.

I like to pet dogs, and I also like to pet cats.

I like to pet dogs, but I do not like to pet cats.

I don't like to pet dogs, nor do I like to pet cats.

I don't like to pet dogs, yet I like to pet cats.

In a compound sentence, the comma always comes before the coordinating conjunction. This doesn’t mean that a coordinating conjunction should always be preceded by a comma, though.

Sometimes, a coordinating conjunction might be used to connect two words rather than two independent clauses; therefore, this would not create a compound sentence.

EXAMPLE

“I could pet a dog or cat” is an example of a coordinating conjunction connecting two words.

try it

Consider the following two groups of sentences, and decide if they make sense.

Group A
All of the students wanted to pet the dog, yet the dog was happy to oblige.
All of the students wanted to pet the dog, and the dog was happy to oblige.

In the first sentence, the first clause indicates that everyone wanted to pet the dog, and the second clause indicates that the dog is happy about that situation. But when the two clauses are connected, the coordinating conjunction “yet” implies that the second clause negates, complicates, or even contradicts the first, which would mean that the students are not going to be able to pet the dog. The second sentence clears this up.

Group B
The students gathered around, and they could pet the dog.
The students gathered around, so they could pet the dog.

In the first sentence, the first clause has the students gathering together, and the second clause has them able to pet the dog. The coordinating conjunction “and” makes sense, but does it make a lot of sense? Is the relationship between the first and the second clause really clear? The second sentence clarifies that gathering around facilitates petting, and these two clauses are more effectively connected; the whole idea is much clearer.

terms to know

Conjunction

A word or phrase that connects parts of a sentence.

Coordinating Conjunction

A conjunction that connects two independent clauses in a compound sentence.

Compound Sentence

A sentence that contains two or more independent clauses.

2. Subordinating Conjunctions and Complex Sentences

A sentence that is composed of independent and dependent clauses is going to work a little differently than this. These kinds of sentences are called complex sentences, which is where one of the clauses is more important than the other.

Take a look at the sentence below.

I will buy presents for my friends because the holidays are soon.

This sentence starts with an independent clause with “I” as the subject and “will buy” as the verb. Then, there is a dependent clause with its own subject and its own verb. The two clauses are connected with the subordinating conjunction “because.”

A subordinating conjunction is a word or phrase that connects an independent and dependent clause. Remember, conjunctions are words or phrases that connect parts of a sentence. You’ve seen coordinating conjunctions, and now you have subordinating conjunctions.

Subordinating conjunctions are used in complex sentences. They indicate that the clause they precede is going to add the necessary information to complete whatever thought the other clause has started. Some common subordinating conjunctions are “after,” “although,” “when,” “while,” and “until.”

Now consider the following sentence:

Since I brought my presents, I am ready for the holidays.

In this sentence, the subordinating conjunction is the first word; thus, the dependent clause comes first. That’s something you’ll see a lot.

Also note that when the dependent clause is first, it’s always followed by a comma before the independent clause. When the independent clause is first, there will not be a comma between clauses.

term to know

Subordinating Conjunction

A word or phrase that connects an independent clause to a dependent clause.