Conjunctions: Coordinating, Subordinating and Correlative

By Eduminate October 20, 2026

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Conjunctions are the small words that join words, phrases and whole clauses, such as and, but, because and either/or. This guide covers the three main types, a list for each, the comma rules that go with them, example sentences and an anchor chart you can build with your class.

Conjunctions

A sentence made only of short, separate ideas can sound choppy. Compare these two versions:

I wanted to play outside. It was raining. I stayed in. I read a book.
I wanted to play outside, but it was raining, so I stayed in and read a book.

The second version links the ideas and shows how they relate. The word but shows a contrast, the word so shows a result, and the word and adds one more action. Those linking words are conjunctions.

The word comes from Latin parts that mean “join together.” That meaning is a handy hook for younger students. A conjunction is a joining word.

What are conjunctions

If a student asks what are conjunctions, here is a definition of conjunctions in plain words: a conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases or clauses and shows how they are related. The relationship might be addition, choice, contrast, cause, result or time.

A conjunction can join:

Words: We bought apples and pears.
Phrases: You can look under the bed or behind the door.
Clauses: The room was quiet because everyone was reading.

A clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause cannot. This difference decides which kind of conjunction you need and how you punctuate it. The post on complex sentence examples goes deeper on that, and the post on types of sentences shows how conjunctions help build each kind.

Types of conjunctions

There are three main types of conjunctions:

Coordinating conjunctions join parts that are equal in weight, such as two words or two independent clauses.
Subordinating conjunctions join a dependent clause to an independent clause.
Correlative conjunctions work in pairs, such as both/and.

A fourth group, often taught alongside them, is made up of words like however and therefore. They are covered below under adverbial conjunctions. Each group has its own job and its own punctuation habits, so it helps to teach them one at a time.

Coordinating conjunctions

There are seven coordinating conjunctions, and a memory trick makes them easy to recall. Take the first letter of each one and you get FANBOYS. Write the letters down the side of the board and fill in the words together.

Coordinating conjunctions examples

Each of the FANBOYS conjunctions does a different job. Here is one example sentence for each:

For gives a reason: She wore a coat, for the wind was cold. (This use is formal, and because is more common in everyday speech.)
And adds: We packed sandwiches and apples.
Nor adds a second negative: He did not call, nor did he send a message.
But shows contrast: The pool was open, but the water was cold.
Or gives a choice: Would you like to read or draw?
Yet shows a surprising contrast: The puzzle looked simple, yet it took us all afternoon.
So shows a result: It was raining, so we stayed inside.

Notice the word order after nor. When nor joins two clauses, the helping verb comes before the subject: did he send, not he did send.

The comma rule

When a coordinating conjunction joins two independent clauses, put a comma before it. In the sentence The pool was open, but the water was cold, both halves could be sentences on their own, so the comma goes before but.

When the conjunction joins only two words or two phrases, or when the second part has no subject of its own, you do not need a comma. We packed sandwiches and apples needs no comma. Neither does She opened the book and began to read, because the second part shares its subject with the first. The comma rules post has the full set of rules.

Subordinating conjunctions

A subordinating conjunction starts a dependent clause. The clause has a subject and a verb, but the conjunction makes it incomplete, so it cannot stand alone. It needs an independent clause to finish the thought.

Because it was raining (incomplete)
We stayed inside because it was raining (complete)

List of subordinating conjunctions

There are many more subordinating conjunctions than coordinating ones. Here is a list of subordinating conjunctions, grouped by what they show:

Time: after, before, until, when, whenever, while, once, as soon as
Reason: because, since, as
Condition: if, unless, even if
Contrast: although, though, even though, whereas
Place: where, wherever
Purpose: so that

A few of these words belong in more than one group. Since can show time (We have lived here since 2019) or reason (Since you are ready, let us begin). While can show time (While Dad cooked, I set the table) or contrast (Maya likes soccer, while her sister likes tennis). The meaning in the sentence tells you which one you have.

Examples and the comma rule

After we moved the plant near the window, it grew taller.
Call me when you get home.
Unless it rains, we will have the picnic outside.
Although she was tired, Mia finished her homework.
The class lines up whenever the bell rings.
We left early so that we could find a good seat.

The comma rule is easy to see in these pairs. When the dependent clause comes first, a comma follows it: Although she was tired, Mia finished her homework. When the dependent clause comes second, you usually do not need a comma: Mia finished her homework although she was tired.

Correlative conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions come in pairs. The two parts sit in different places in the sentence, and together they join two matching parts. The common pairs are:

both … and
either … or
neither … nor
not only … but also
whether … or

Here are correlative conjunctions in sentences:

Both the library and the gym are open.
You can either walk or ride the bus.
Neither the pen nor the pencil was in the bag.
She is not only a fast runner but also a good swimmer.
I cannot decide whether to paint or to read.

The key rule is parallel structure. The words after each half of the pair should have the same form. In the swimmer sentence, a fast runner and a good swimmer are both noun phrases, so the sentence is balanced. A sentence like She likes swimming and to hike is not balanced. It works better as She likes swimming and hiking.

Adverbial conjunctions

Words like however, therefore, meanwhile and otherwise link ideas between clauses, and many students meet them as adverbial conjunctions. Grammar books often call them conjunctive adverbs. They show relationships such as contrast (however), result (therefore, consequently), time (meanwhile, finally) and alternative (otherwise, instead).

These words behave differently from the three main types. A comma alone is not enough to join two independent clauses with them. Use a semicolon before the word and a comma after it, or start a new sentence:

The forecast said sunny; however, clouds rolled in by noon.
We ran out of paint; therefore, we mixed what was left.
Finish your work now; otherwise, you will have it for homework.
The team practiced all week. However, they lost the game.

Students often write a comma where the semicolon belongs, which creates a run-on sentence. If that happens in your room, the run-on sentence examples post shows how to spot and fix it.

Conjunctions in a sentence

Mixed practice is useful once students know all the types. Here are ten conjunctions in a sentence, with the type named after each one:

The bakery sells bread and muffins. (coordinating)
I wanted to go, but I had a cold. (coordinating)
Because the road was icy, the bus ran late. (subordinating)
We will start when everyone is ready. (subordinating)
You may have either soup or salad. (correlative)
Both my brother and my cousin play soccer. (correlative)
The movie was long; however, we enjoyed it. (adverbial)
She studied hard, so she felt ready for the quiz. (coordinating)
Although the soup was hot, he ate it quickly. (subordinating)
It was neither cold nor windy that morning. (correlative)

Ask students to cover the conjunction with a finger and read the sentence again. The sentence usually falls apart, which proves how much work the small word was doing.

Conjunctions anchor chart

A conjunctions anchor chart works best when the class builds it. Draw four columns on chart paper and fill them in over a few lessons:

Type: coordinating, subordinating, correlative, adverbial.
Job: joins equal parts; starts a dependent clause; works in pairs; links clauses with a semicolon.
Words: FANBOYS; the grouped subordinating list; the five pairs; however, therefore, meanwhile, otherwise.
Example: one sentence per type, written by students.

Add one line at the bottom for punctuation: comma before a FANBOYS conjunction between two clauses, comma after an opening dependent clause, semicolon before an adverbial conjunction. Leave space to add new words as they turn up in reading.

Common mistakes with conjunctions

Comma splice: I like pasta, I like rice. Fix it with a conjunction: I like pasta, and I like rice.
Fragment: Because I was late. Add an independent clause: I missed the start because I was late.
Too many ands: We went to the park and we played and we ate and we went home. Try a different conjunction or split the idea into two sentences.

Can a sentence start with and or but? Yes, as long as what follows is a complete sentence. With younger students, you may want to hold off on this until they are secure with the basics.

Ways to practice

Sentence combining

Give students two short sentences, such as The dog was tired and It kept walking, and ask them to join the pair with a conjunction. Compare the results. Different conjunctions give different meanings, and that is a good discussion point.

Choose the conjunction

Write sentences with a blank where the conjunction goes and offer two choices. For example, I wanted a snack, ___ the fridge was empty (but, because). Students read both and decide which fits the meaning.

Conjunction sort

Put single conjunctions on cards. Students sort them into coordinating, subordinating and adverbial piles, and then add sentences of their own.

Finish the sentence

Give a sentence starter and a conjunction, and let students complete it: The class was quiet because … or The class was quiet, but … Two endings for the same start show how the conjunction steers the meaning.

Practice material

For practice that sits close to this topic, the punctuation and sentence structure bundle has six grammar packets that cover how a sentence is built and how it is punctuated, from subjects and predicates to commas, quotation marks and run-ons. It is 254 pages, at 20% off the separate prices. Single packets are available too. The comma usage packet is 29 pages for grades 3 to 6, with 40 comma questions across 4 sections, a lesson plan and an answer key. The run-on sentences packet covers comma splices and fused sentences in 46 pages for grades 5 to 7, with 70 questions across 6 sections, a lesson plan and an answer key.

For semicolons and other marks, the punctuation rules packet is 44 pages for grades 4 to 6 and covers end marks, commas, colons and semicolons, with 70 questions across 6 sections. The four types of sentences packet for grades 3 to 5 has worksheets, an answer key, an answer sheet and a lesson plan for declarative, interrogative, imperative and exclamatory sentences. If you would rather have everything in one download, the complete grammar bundle holds all 32 grammar and ELA packets in the shop, 1527 pages at 35% off the separate prices.

Frequently asked questions

What are the seven coordinating conjunctions?

They are for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so. The memory trick FANBOYS uses the first letter of each one.

Is because a conjunction?

Yes. Because is a subordinating conjunction. It starts a dependent clause that gives a reason, as in We stayed inside because it was raining.

Do I always need a comma before a conjunction?

No. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction when it joins two independent clauses. Skip the comma when it joins just two words or phrases. For a subordinating conjunction, use a comma after the dependent clause when it comes first in the sentence.

What grade learns conjunctions?

The related packs here cover grades 3 to 7: the comma usage packet is for grades 3 to 6, the run-on sentences packet for grades 5 to 7, and the bundle for grades 3 to 7. Younger students can begin with and, but, or and so before moving to longer lists.