Improve your writing score with flexible use of sentence patterns: (2) coordinating conjunctions
This is the second in a series of posts aimed at helping you increase the range of sentence structures that you use in the two writing tasks.
Simple sentences can easily be joined to form longer sentences using coordinating conjunctions. There are seven coordinating conjunctions in English:
for
and
nor
but
or
yet
so
They can easily be remembered using the acronym FANBOYS.
These seven conjunctions show various relationships between the clauses that they connect. In this post I’ll briefly explain those relationships with some examples. Then I’ll point out a few common mistakes to avoid.
for
This conjunction connects a clause that states a fact with another clause that states the reason for that fact. For example:
Nowadays, many young people are seeking work in foreign countries, for there a few employment opportunities in their home country.
The first clause states the fact, and the second states the reason.
Apart from a difference in punctuation (a comma must come before a coordinating conjunction but not before a subordinating conjunction), for functions similarly to because. However, it is more formal. That’s OK. IELTS academic module writing tasks generally require you to write in a somewhat formal style.
and
I think everybody knows how to use this one. It simply joins two clauses that express facts that are similar in some way. For example:
The sales of laptop computers increased at the beginning of the decade, and this trend continued with minor fluctuations for the remainder of the period under consideration.
The potential danger with this conjunction is overuse or inappropriate use; i.e., adding information that contrasts with the information in the first sentence. For example,
Westerners tend to see objects in space as isolated and independent of each other, and East Asians tend to see those objects as exerting an influence on one another.
In this case, it would be better to use a conjunction that expresses contrast, e.g., whereas or but.
nor
Nor is similar to and in the sense that it joins two similar statements. However, there are two important differences:
(1) the each clause express a negative idea;
(2) in the second clause, the finite element must come before the subject.
Consider these two sentences.
Group brainstorming sessions do not produce more ideas.
They do not necessarily promote collaboration among team members either.
When we join these two sentences with nor, we get:
Group brainstorming sessions do not produce more ideas, nor do they necessarily promote collaboration among team members.
In this case, the finite element that precedes the subject in the second clause is do. Finite elements can be identified in the unjoined sentences as the model or auxiliary verb that comes before not, e.g., do not, did not, might not, will not, etc.
Here is nother example:
Increasing financial rewards will not lead to more job satisfaction.
Increasing financial rewards will not lead to more creative output either.
Increasing financial rewards will not lead to more job satisfaction, nor will they lead to more creative output.
but
This conjunction shows contrast between two ideas. For example,
Running is a good exercise for burning calories, but too much running can lead to various injuries to the shins, knees, and feet.
Although and other contrastive subordinating conjunctions can also be used to join these two clauses without any difference in meaning.
or
This conjunction shows alternative. For example:
It is possible to reduce fuel costs by buying a smaller car, or you can buy a large electric car powered by a battery.
yet
Yet can often be used to show contrast in exactly the same way as but. However, when you want to highlight that a contrast that is unexpected, you should use yet. For example:
Sales increased steadily for four quarters, yet it was not enough for the company to make a profit.
so
This conjunction connects a sentence expressing a fact with another expressing a consequence of that fact. For example:
Air travel has become increasingly affordable in recent years, so many middle-class people now choose to travel abroad for their holidays.
This is the correct way to join to a cause with its consequence. Do not use therefore or thus. They are transition words that should be used at the beginning of a sentence.
Common mistakes
(1) I often encounter students who think that two clauses can be combined into a single sentence using just a comma. For example:
Increased car ownership has caused more traffic congestion in cities, it has resulted in unhealthy levels of air pollution too.
This is never correct. Either the two clauses should be written as two separate sentences, or they they should be joined using a conjunction such as and.
Increased car ownership has caused more traffic congestion in cities, and it has also resulted in unhealthy levels of air pollution.
(2) Strictly speaking, you should always use a comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins two clauses. Some coordinating conjunctions can be used to join two nouns, verbs, or adverbs. In those cases, you should not write a comma. Thus,
Everybody worked hard, but the project was a ultimately a failure.
She works slowly but effectively.
(3) This third point is not really a mistake; rather, it is a common misconception. some people think you should never begin a sentence with a coordinating conjunction. This is incorrect. Sometimes beginning a sentence with a conjunction is the right thing to do because it can add extra emphasis to a sentence. For example:
Everybody worked hard. But the project was a ultimately a failure.
However, don’t do this more than once or twice in an IELTS test. And only do it when extra emphasis is required.
