✨ Lesson 2: Commas with Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
In English, we often join two complete sentences (independent clauses1) to create one longer, more interesting sentence. To do this correctly, we need two things: a comma ( , ) and a special joining word.
These joining words are called coordinating conjunctions2. An easy way to remember the seven of them is with the acronym FANBOYS3.
What are the FANBOYS?
| For | (shows a reason) |
| And | (adds a similar idea) |
| Nor | (adds a negative alternative) |
| But | (shows a contrast) |
| Or | (shows a choice) |
| Yet | (shows a contrast, like 'but') |
| So | (shows a result) |
The Golden Rule of Punctuation
This rule is one of the most important in English writing. When you join two independent clauses using a FANBOYS conjunction, you must use a comma before the conjunction.
[Complete Sentence] , + [FANBOYS] + [Complete Sentence].
Examples:
- I visited the temples in the morning, and I relaxed in the afternoon.
- The tour was fascinating, but it was also very tiring.
- We can hire a tuk-tuk for the day, or we can rent bicycles.
- It started to rain heavily, so we went back to the hotel.
Be Careful! Do not use a comma if you are not connecting two full sentences.
Correct: He visited the temple and took many photos.
(Here, "took many photos" is not a complete sentence, so no comma is needed.)
🧠 Practice Quiz: Add the Punctuation
Add a comma to these sentences where it is needed.
- She wanted to see the sunrise but she woke up too late.
→ She wanted to see the sunrise, but she woke up too late. - I am very hungry so I am going to find a restaurant.
→ I am very hungry, so I am going to find a restaurant. - He speaks Khmer and English fluently.
→ Correct as is. (Not two complete sentences) - Should we visit the museum or should we go shopping?
→ Should we visit the museum, or should we go shopping?
📝 Homework: Join the Sentences
Join the two simple sentences to make one compound sentence. Use the most logical FANBOYS conjunction and the correct punctuation.
Example: It was hot. We went swimming. → It was hot, so we went swimming.
1. He likes Cambodian food. He doesn't like spicy food.
→ ________________________________________________.
2. We can hire a tour guide. We can explore the temples by ourselves.
→ ________________________________________________.
(Example Answers: 1. He likes Cambodian food, but he doesn't like spicy food. 2. We can hire a tour guide, or we can explore the temples by ourselves.)
Vocabulary Glossary
- Independent Clause: (Noun) - ឃ្លាឯករាជ្យ (khlēa aek'kâ'rĭəch) - A group of words that can be a complete sentence by itself. ↩
- Coordinating Conjunction: (Noun) - ឈ្នាប់សម្របសម្រួល (chhnŏăp sâmrôp'sâmruŏl) - A word that joins two elements of equal grammatical rank, like two independent clauses. ↩
- FANBOYS: (Acronym) - FANBOYS - An easy way to remember the seven coordinating conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. ↩