Conjunctions

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Coordinating Conjunctions
Think **ABONFY **! Why isn't this acronym in the dictionary? What could we do to get it there?

The word //**so**// can also be a coordinating conjunction, but be careful not to overuse it. My recommendation is to use it sparingly, only when no other word will do! It is often used as an adverb too. For example, you might say, "That test was so hard." The word **//so//** answers the adverb question, "To what extent?"
 * **A **nd
 * **B **ut
 * **O **r
 * **N **or
 * **F **or
 * **Y **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 180%;">et

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Some people use //**FANBOYS**// as an acronym to help them remember the coordinating conjunctions. I prefer //**ABONFY**// because it sounds more euphonious, don't you think?

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<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Coordinating conjunctions join **//words//** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">, <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">**//phrases//** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">, and <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">**//clauses//** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">They're coordinating conjunctions. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">They're coordinating conjunctions. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">From the //and//, to the //but//, to the //or//, to the //no//r, to the //for//, to the //yet//-- <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">They're coordinating conjunctions. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">They join **words**, **phrases**, **clauses**. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">They're words!
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">The Coordinating Conjunction Rap **


 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: left;">Examples of coordinating conjunctions joining <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%;">**//words//** : <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; text-align: left;"> (Notice that the same parts of speech must be joined together by the conjunction with the exception of nouns and pronouns, which can be mixed.)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">The salt //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">and **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> pepper are on the table.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">The Georgia Bulldogs wear red //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">and **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> black.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">He **<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">//and// **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> Coach Brown have known each other for a long time.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">We have been working //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">or **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> playing in the yard all day.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">The dancers danced slowly //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">but **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> gracefully.


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Examples of coordinating conjunctions joining // **prepositional phrases:** //
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: left;">We went over the river **<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">//and// ** through the woods to Grandmother's house.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: left;">You may play on the lower field **//<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 90%;">or //** in the Arts Center.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Examples of coordinating conjunctions joining //<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">**independent clauses** //:
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, **//<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">and //** it orbits the sun every 88 days.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">In Greek mythology, Orion was the son of the sea god Poseidon, **//<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">but //** he was not not immortal like his father.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Was Orion killed by a scorpion's sting, **//<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">or //** was he killed some other way?
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Betelgeuse is not the largest star in our galaxy, **//<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">nor //** is it the brightest.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">We don't have to worry about the sun's burning up in our lifetime, **//<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">for //** it will live about 10 billion years.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Scientists have been studying the universe for centuries, **//<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">yet //** they have understand only a small part of it.

**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Correlative Conjunctions **
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">Correlative conjunctions are used in **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">pairs **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> Examples of correlative conjunctions joining <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">**nouns** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> Examples of correlative conjunctions joining <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">**sentences** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">:
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">not only. . . but also
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">both. . . and
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">either. . . or
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">neither. . . nor
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">whether. . . or
 * //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Not only **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> the boys //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">but also **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> the girls will miss P E today.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">I am allergic to //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">both **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> trees //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">and **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> grasses.
 * //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Either **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> Sam //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">or **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> Vamsi will be able to help you.
 * //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Neither **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> Caroline //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">nor **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> Sathvik wore a jacket on the field trip.
 * //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Not only **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> will we be late for dinner, //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">but **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> we will //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">also **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> be late for the movie.
 * //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Either **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> we leave now, //**<span style="color: #1ba11d; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">or **//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> we will miss the plane.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Subordinating Conjunctions
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Subordinating conjunctions introduce **adverb clauses**. Here are the most often used subordinating conjunctions in alphabetical order. Can you say them from memory in 10 seconds? How about 8 seconds? Oh, come on now! How fast can you say them really? Five seconds? I don't believe it! **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">after ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;"> although ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">as ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;"> as if ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">as long as ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;"> as soon as ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;"> as though ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">because ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">before ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">if ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">in order that ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">since ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">so that ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">than ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">though ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">unless ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">until ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">when ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">whenever ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">where ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">wherever ** **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">while **

**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">Here are some sentences using subordinating conjunctions to introduce adverb clauses: ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">//<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">After // he comes home from soccer practice, Oscar usually has dinner with his family. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">//<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Whenever // I feel nervous, my hands sweat. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">//<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Since // she didn't have much homework, Alisha watched a movie. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">//<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">When // Samantha leaves home, her puppy wants to go with her.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 140%;">Can you make an amazing sentence using a subordinating conjunction about something you've learned in science or social studies? I'd love to hear it, or you could write it down and give it to me!