CHAPTER GOALS

• Understand how to use coordinating &

subordinating conjunctions
• Use punctuation correctly with conjunctions:
listing items, compound sentences, complex
sentences
• Use correct parallel structure
• Understand how to use paired conjunctions
CONJUNCTION
A conjunction joins words, phrases, and clauses.

Juan speaks Spanish and English.

Margarita speaks English at home and at

work.
Their children speak Spanish at home,
but they speak English at school and at

work.
 Types of Conjunctions
A coordinating conjunction joins equal elements

Word + Word = cat and dog

Phrase + Phrase = (at home) and (at work)

Clause + Clause =
She works and she studies
The Coordinating Conjunctions
A great way to remember the coordinating
conjunctions is with FANBOYS
For
And
Nor
But
Or
Yet
So
The Coordinating Conjunctions
I looked for my glasses, for I needed them.

I looked high and low for them.

Neither my wife nor my daughter had seen

my glasses.

I looked for them, but I couldn’t find them.

They were not in the kitchen or the office.

I looked for them, yet I couldn’t find them.

I didn’t find them, so I left for class without them.

 Parallel Structure
When “and,” “but,” “or,” “nor” join word, the
words need to have the same grammatical
structure.
Organization and cleanliness are necessary.
(noun) (noun)
Working and studying take a lot of time.
(gerund) (gerund)
Jack wants to become an engineer or (to)
write a novel.
Parallel Structure
Verb Tenses generally are the same.
Jack is waving and (is) shouting at us.
Susan raised her hand and snapped her
fingers.

Jack has gone to work already but didn’t

leave you a note.
 Using Commas: Rule #1
Lists of words or phrases

2 items = no commas
Steve and Joe are in class.

3+ = commas
Steve, Joe, and Kim are in class.
Steve, Joe and Kim are in class.

Note: the comma before the “and” in a list is optional .

 Using Commas: Rule #2
Joining clauses to make compound
sentences.

Steve is in class, but Joe is at work.

Steve is in class, so he is learning what

he needs to know.
Mistakes Using Commas: Rule #2
Run-on Sentence (fused sentence):
Joe came to class then he took a quiz.

Correct:
Joe came to class. Then he took a quiz.

Joe came to class, and then he took a quiz.

Mistakes Using Commas: Rule #2
Comma Splice:
Joe came to class, then he took a quiz.

Correct:
Joe came to class. Then he took a quiz.

Joe came to class, and then he took a quiz.

 Types of Conjunctions
A subordinating conjunction joins
clauses* that are not equal.

She studies because she wants to learn.

Subject + Verb + Sub. Conjunction + Subject + Verb

*A clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb.

 Subordinating Conjunctions
He is in this class. He wants to learn English.
These are sentences because each has a subject, a verb,
and a complete idea.

These two sentences can be joined by a subordinating

conjunction to form one complex sentence.
He is in this class because he wants to
learn English.
Because he wants to learn English, he is in
this class.
Using Commas: Rule #3
Clauses with subordinating conjunctions
only need commas if the conjunction starts
the sentence.

He is in this class [because he wants

to learn English].

[Because he wants to learn English],

he is in this class.
Mistakes Using Commas-Rule #3
Fragment Sentences:
Because Joe came to class late when his
car wouldn’t start the other day.
Correct:
Joe came to class late because his car
wouldn’t start the other day.
Conjunctions
Directions: Underline all of the subjects & verbs. Circle
the conjunctions. Add punctuation as needed. (4
sentences)
Takafumi arrived in the U.S. three weeks ago
and he was a little confused about the American
school system at first he wanted to take a regular
English class but the class was too difficult for
him so he decided to take an ESL course because
he didn’t know which level to take he had to take
a placement test when he was paced in level 53 he
was surprised for he had studied English in Japan
for eight years but the class was still difficult for
him