Chapter 1: The Conjunction (Exercise 9)
Complete Grammar Explanation & Interactive Answer Key
Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS), Correlative Conjunctions & Subordinating Conjunctions
What Is a Conjunction and What Are the 3 Types of Conjunctions?
A conjunction is a word or word pair that joins words or word groups. In Chapter 1 (Rule 1g) of Holt Traditions: Warriner's Handbook, Sixth Course (and Elements of Language), conjunctions are classified into three main types based on how they connect sentence parts:
| Conjunction Type | Grammatical Function | Complete List / Key Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Coordinating Conjunction | Single words that join words or word groups used in the same grammatical way. | FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so |
| 2. Correlative Conjunction | Paired conjunctions that work together to join parallel words or word groups. | both . . . and, either . . . or, neither . . . nor, not only . . . but also, whether . . . or |
| 3. Subordinating Conjunction | Begins a subordinate (dependent) clause and connects it to an independent clause. | after, although, as, as if, as much as, because, before, if, since, so that, than, until, when, while |
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Important Notice for Students, Parents, and Educators: This comprehensive grammar guide and interactive answer key is published strictly for educational help, academic support, self-checking, and concept mastery—NOT for cheating or copying homework. Study the complete conjunction rules below, identify and classify the conjunctions in Exercise 9 (Items 1–20) independently first, and then click Click to Show Answer below each item to verify your work.
Complete Lesson Explanation: The Conjunction (Rule 1g)
Rule 1g: A conjunction joins words or word groups.
1. Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
A coordinating conjunction joins words or word groups that are used in the same way (such as two nouns, two verbs, two prepositional phrases, or two independent clauses).
- Joining Two Verbs: In A.D. 711, the Berbers invaded and conquered Spain. (And joins the two verbs invaded and conquered.)
- Joining Two Clauses: We missed the opening scene, but we enjoyed the rest of the play. (But joins two independent clauses.)
For • And • Nor • But • Or • Yet • So
• Punctuating Compound Sentences: When a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet) joins two independent clauses to form a compound sentence, it is preceded by a comma (
, and / , but / , for / , yet).• Boolean Search Operators: In online computer searches, the words and, or, and not are used as Boolean operators. In English grammar, however, only and and or function as conjunctions, whereas not functions as an adverb!
2. Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions are pairs of conjunctions that join words or word groups that are used in the same way. Always identify both parts of the pair when classifying a correlative conjunction:
| Correlative Conjunction Pair | Textbook Example & Grammatical Analysis |
|---|---|
| both . . . and | José Martí was both a revolutionary leader and a great poet. (Joins two predicate nominatives.) |
| either . . . or | Either Fred or Manuela will bring music for the party. (Joins two proper nouns.) |
| neither . . . nor | We can neither relax at home nor go outside during the storm. (Joins two verb phrases.) |
| not only . . . but also | Not only did Garrett Morgan patent the first gas mask, but he also invented the automatic traffic signal. (Joins two clauses.) |
| whether . . . or | Have you decided whether you will take physics or economics? (Joins two choices inside a clause.) |
3. Subordinating Conjunctions
A subordinating conjunction begins a subordinate (dependent) clause and connects it to an independent clause. Below is the textbook reference chart of commonly used subordinating conjunctions:
- after
- although
- as
- as if
- as much as
- as though
- because
- before
- how
- if
- in order that
- provided
- since
- so that
- than
- that
- though
- unless
- until
- when
- whenever
- where
- wherever
- while
- Between the Clauses It Joins: Many American Indians are reluctant to reveal their traditional names for some places because the names have spiritual meanings. / I gasped when I saw the headline.
- At the Beginning of a Sentence: A subordinating conjunction may come at the beginning of a sentence instead of between the clauses it joins:
Example: When I saw the headline, I gasped.
• PREPOSITION: After the election, we celebrated. (Followed only by the noun object election.)
• SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTION: After we won the election, we celebrated. (Followed by a complete subordinate clause with the subject we and verb won.)
Exercise 9: Identifying and Classifying Conjunctions (Items 1–20)
Directions: Identify the conjunctions in the following sentences, and tell whether each is a coordinating conjunction, a correlative conjunction, or a subordinating conjunction.
Answer: and—coordinating conjunction; before—subordinating conjunction
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- either . . . or — correlative conjunction (paired conjunctions joining the two noun phrases a valve job and a new engine)
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- whether . . . or — correlative conjunction (paired conjunctions connecting the two location options)
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- Before — subordinating conjunction (introduces the subordinate adverb clause Before you write your paper)
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- or — coordinating conjunction (joins the two proper nouns Greece and Machu Picchu)
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- and — coordinating conjunction (joins the series of modifiers city, state, and federal)
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- either . . . or — correlative conjunction (joins the two objects of the preposition in: the main gallery and the museum's annex)
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- not only . . . but also — correlative conjunction (joins the two direct object noun phrases a revival of Confucianism and the development of Chinese schools of Buddhism)
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- as much as — subordinating conjunction (multi-word subordinating conjunction introducing the subordinate clause as much as Sarah did)
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- whether . . . or — correlative conjunction (paired conjunctions connecting the two course options)
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- While — subordinating conjunction (begins the introductory subordinate clause While we are in Kwangju, Korea)
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- after — subordinating conjunction (introduces the subordinate clause after he had published more than a dozen novels; note that more than here modifies a dozen)
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- if — subordinating conjunction (introduces the conditional subordinate clause if we promise to be careful)
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- Not only . . . but also — correlative conjunction (paired conjunctions joining two independent clauses)
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- for — coordinating conjunction (joins two independent clauses and means "because"; preceded by a comma)
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- both . . . and — correlative conjunction (joins the two subject complements a revolutionary leader and a great poet)
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- so that — subordinating conjunction (introduces the subordinate clause of purpose so that he can process your passport application)
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- yet — coordinating conjunction (joins two contrasting independent clauses)
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- neither . . . nor — correlative conjunction (joins the two verb phrases relax at home and go outside)
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- When — subordinating conjunction (introduces the subordinate time clause When Liberia was founded in 1821)
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- so that — subordinating conjunction (introduces the subordinate clause so that I can concentrate on my homework)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
In Item 14 ("I would like to be able to travel in time, for I want to see live dinosaurs"), for connects two complete independent clauses and means "because." When for joins two clauses and is preceded by a comma, it is one of the seven FANBOYS coordinating conjunctions. By contrast, in Item 4 ("for the senior trip") and Item 11 ("for his poetry"), for is followed only by a noun object, making it a preposition.
Whenever or is paired with either or whether (either...or, whether...or), or and is paired with both (both...and), or but is paired with not only...also, the two parts work together as a single correlative conjunction pair.
Yes. As shown in the Commonly Used Subordinating Conjunctions chart and tested in Exercise 9 (Items 8, 16, and 20), several subordinating conjunctions are multi-word phrases, including as if, as much as, as though, in order that, and so that.