Exercise 33: Because/Because Of
1. Because of
2. Because of
3. Because
4. Because
5. Because of
6. Because
7. Because of
8. Because
9. Because
10. Because of
Exercise 34: So/Such
1. So
2. Such
3. So
4. Such
5. So
6. So
7. Such
8. So
9. Such
10. Such
11. So
12. So
13. Such
14. So
15. So
Coordinating
conjunctions
(It may help you remember these conjunctions
by recalling that they all have fewer than four letters. Also, remember the
acronym FANBOYS: For-And-Nor-But-Or-Yet-So.
Be careful of the words then and now; neither is a coordinating
conjunction, so what we say about coordinating conjunctions' roles in a
sentence and punctuation does not apply to those two words.)
When a coordinating conjunction connects two independent
clauses, it is often (but not always) accompanied by a comma:- Ulysses wants to play for UConn, but he has had trouble meeting the academic requirements.
When the two independent clauses connected by a coordinating
conjunction are nicely balanced or brief, many writers will omit the comma:
- Ulysses has a great jump shot but he isn't quick on his feet.
The comma is always correct when used to separate two independent
clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction. See Punctuation Between Two
Independent Clauses for further help.
A comma is also correct when and is used to attach the
last item of a serial list, although many writers (especially in newspapers)
will omit that final comma:
- Ulysses spent his summer studying basic math, writing, and reading comprehension.
When a coordinating conjunction is used to connect all the
elements in a series, a comma is not used:
- Presbyterians and Methodists and Baptists are the prevalent Protestant congregations in Oklahoma.
A comma is also used with but when expressing a
contrast:
- This is a useful rule, but difficult to remember.
- Hemingway and Fitzgerald are among the American expatriates of the between-the-wars era.
- Hemingway was renowned for his clear style and his insights into American notions of male identity.
- It is hard to say whether Hemingway or Fitzgerald is the more interesting cultural icon of his day.
- Although Hemingway is sometimes disparaged for his unpleasant portrayal of women and for his glorification of machismo, we nonetheless find some sympathetic, even heroic, female figures in his novels and short stories.
Beginning a Sentence with And or But
Among the
coordinating conjunctions, the most common, of course, are and, but,
and or. It might be helpful to explore the uses of these three little
words. The examples below by no means exhaust the possible meanings of these
conjunctions.
- To suggest that one idea is chronologically sequential to another: "Tashonda sent in her applications and waited by the phone for a response."
- To suggest that one idea is the result of another: "Willie heard the weather report and promptly boarded up his house."
- To suggest that one idea is in contrast to another (frequently replaced by but in this usage): "Juanita is brilliant and Shalimar has a pleasant personality.
- To suggest an element of surprise (sometimes replaced by yet in this usage): "Hartford is a rich city and suffers from many symptoms of urban blight."
- To suggest a kind of "comment" on the first clause: "Charlie became addicted to gambling — and that surprised no one who knew him."
- To suggest that one clause is dependent upon another, conditionally (usually the first clause is an imperative): "Use your credit cards frequently and you'll soon find yourself deep in debt."
BUT
- To suggest a contrast that is unexpected in light of the first clause: "Joey lost a fortune in the stock market, but he still seems able to live quite comfortably."
- To suggest in an affirmative sense what the first part of the sentence implied in a negative way (sometimes replaced by on the contrary): "The club never invested foolishly, but used the services of a sage investment counselor."
- To connect two ideas with the meaning of "with the exception of" (and then the second word takes over as subject): "Everybody but Goldenbreath is trying out for the team."
- To suggest that only one possibility can be realized, excluding one or the other: "You can study hard for this exam or you can fail."
- To suggest the inclusive combination of alternatives: "We can broil chicken on the grill tonight, or we can just eat leftovers.
- To suggest a refinement of the first clause: "Smith College is the premier all-women's college in the country, or so it seems to most Smith College alumnae."
- To suggest a restatement or "correction" of the first part of the sentence: "There are no rattlesnakes in this canyon, or so our guide tells us."
- To suggest a negative condition: "The New Hampshire state motto is the rather grim "Live free or die."
- He is neither sane nor brilliant.
- That is neither what I said nor what I meant.
>It can be used with other negative expressions:
- That is not what I meant to say, nor should you interpret my statement as an admission of guilt.
It is possible to use nor without a preceding negative
element, but it is unusual and, to an extent, rather stuffy:
- George's handshake is as good as any written contract, nor has he ever proven untrustworthy.
- John plays basketball well, yet his favorite sport is badminton.
- The visitors complained loudly about the heat, yet they continued to play golf every day.
In sentences such as the second one, above, the pronoun
subject of the second clause ("they," in this case) is often left
out. When that happens, the comma preceding the conjunction might also
disappear: "The visitors complained loudly yet continued to play golf
every day."
Yet is sometimes combined with other conjunctions, but
or and. It would not be unusual to see and yet in sentences like
the ones above. This usage is acceptable.
The word FOR is most often used as a preposition, of course, but it
does serve, on rare occasions, as a coordinating conjunction. Some people
regard the conjunction for as rather highfalutin and literary, and it
does tend to add a bit of weightiness to the text. Beginning a sentence with
the conjunction "for" is probably not a good idea, except when you're
singing "For he's a jolly good fellow. "For" has serious
sequential implications and in its use the order of thoughts is more important
than it is, say, with because or since. Its function is to
introduce the reason for the preceding clause: - John thought he had a good chance to get the job, for his father was on the company's board of trustees.
- Most of the visitors were happy just sitting around in the shade, for it had been a long, dusty journey on the train.
- Soto is not the only Olympic athlete in his family, so are his brother, sister, and his Uncle Chet.
where the word so means "as well" or
"in addition," most careful writers would use a semicolon between the
two independent clauses. In the following sentence, where so is acting
like a minor-league "therefore," the conjunction and the comma are
adequate to the task:
- Soto has always been nervous in large gatherings, so it is no surprise that he avoids crowds of his adoring fans.
Sometimes, at the beginning of a sentence, so will act
as a kind of summing up device or transition, and when it does, it is often set
off from the rest of the sentence with a comma:
- So, the sheriff peremptorily removed the child from the custody of his parents.
Subordinating Conjunctions
A Subordinating Conjunction (sometimes called a dependent word or subordinator) comes at the beginning of a Subordinate (or Dependent) Clause and establishes the relationship between the dependent clause and the rest of the sentence. It also turns the clause into something that depends on the rest of the sentence for its meaning.- He took to the stage as though he had been preparing for this moment all his life.
- Because he loved acting, he refused to give up his dream of being in the movies.
- Unless we act now, all is lost.
Common Subordinating Conjunctions |
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after
although as as if as long as as though because before even if even though |
if
if only in order that now that once rather than since so that than that |
though
till unless until when whenever where whereas wherever while |