Grammar in focus
Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS)
They join two equal parts (words, phrases or clauses): For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| and | addition | I like tea and coffee. |
| but / yet | contrast | I was tired, but I went out. He is poor, yet he is happy. |
| or | choice / alternative | Do you want tea or coffee? Hurry up, or you'll miss the bus. |
| so | result | It was raining, so we stayed home. |
| nor | and not (negative) | He doesn't smoke, nor does he drink. |
| for | because (formal) | I stayed home, for I was sick. |
Pairs
both … and · either … or · neither … nor · not only … but also
Punctuation
Put a comma before but / so / yet / nor / or when they join two clauses: I was tired, so I went to bed. No comma for short items: tea and coffee.
Watch out
- Nor is followed by inversion: nor can I, nor did she.
- So do I = me too (positive). Neither do I = me neither (negative).
- Don't use so for contrast or but for result.
En español
And = y, but / yet = pero, or = o, so = así que, nor = ni. Unen dos partes del mismo nivel.
US vs UK
This book teaches American English. These are the differences you will notice with British English on this topic.
Too at the end is more frequent in American speech.
Too al final es más frecuente en el habla americana.
Nor alone is more formal; Americans usually say and neither / and... either.
Nor solo es más formal; en EE. UU. se dice and neither / either.
Americans normally use the serial (Oxford) comma before and; British style often omits it.
En EE. UU. se usa la coma serial antes de and; el británico suele omitirla.
Exam practice
- Five parts, like a certification exam: multiple choice, open cloze, error identification, sentence transformation and US vs UK.
- Typed answers accept American spelling and contractions (don't = do not).
- Every item has feedback in English and Spanish. Items and options change order on every attempt.
- Only Exam mode saves your score to your progress. You pass with 70%.
Practice mode
No timer. Check each part as you go and read the feedback.
Exam mode
25 minutes. Feedback at the end. Your best score is saved.