Unit Three Joining Sentences with Coordinators

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When your sentences are clearly focused, you'll find it much easier to join sentences that are logically related. In this unit, you will practice using the seven coordinators. The easiest way to remember them is to remember the word FANBOYS, which is an acronym, a word made up of the first letters of the names of the seven coordinators. In the example sentences below, notice the logical relationships that the coordinators express:

 

 

Coordinators                                                                                Logical Relationships

 

FOR:  Mary enjoys math, for it is challenging.                               result/cause

 

AND: Judy has won several trophies, and she is an honor             addition

           student.

 

NOR: Judy doesn't work, nor does she want a job.                        addition of negatives

 

BUT:  Nabil is pretty good at gymnastics, but he prefers                contrast

           swimming.

 

OR:    Jaime needs a vacation, or he'll go crazy.                              alternative

 

YET:   Irma doesn't earn much, yet she spends money like a          contrast

           millionaire.

 

SO:    The coach praised the team excessively, so the players        cause/result

           stopped believing him.

 

 

 

PUNCTUATION: When coordinators join sentences, commas come before the coordinators, following this pattern: clause + comma + coordinator + clause. (C, + COORD + C)

 

The coordinators are important because:

 

1.   We can use them to join sentences, which helps eliminate choppiness in our writing.

 

2.   Unlike other joining words, they can also show logical relationships between two separate sentences; we can begin sentences with coordinators.

 

Siu Fong practiced gymnastics every day. So she eventually excelled at it.

 

3.   Most importantly, the coordinators help to express logical relationships between sentences.

 

 

Exercise One Old House

 

Join the following sets of sentences, using coordinators. The logical relationships are given in

brackets.

 

      EXAMPLE    Most people want to own their own home.

                      They can't afford one.                                                  [contrast]

 

SOLUTION: Most people want to own their own home, but they can't afford one.

 

 

1.   Sid and Sal found an old inexpensive house they could afford.

      They bought it.                                                                                                  [cause/result]

 

 

 

 

 

2.   They wanted a newer house.

      New houses were too costly.                                                                                    [contrast]

 

 

 

 

 

3.   Sid and Sal applied for a loan to fix up the dilapidated building.

      The lender approved it.                                                                                             [addition]

 

 

 

 

 

4.   They replaced the old toilet in the upstairs bathroom.

      The bathtub fell through the rotted floor into the kitchen below.                              [contrast]

 

 

 

 

 

5.   They were not pleased to find a hornet's nest in the attic.

      They were not happy to find termites in the foundation.                      [addition of negatives]

 

 

 

 

  6.   The house was in danger of collapsing any day.

        The termites had devoured most of the foundation.                                           [result/cause]

 

 

 

 

 

  7.   Sid and Sal decided they should jack up the house to replace the foundation.

        Their house would be a "goner."                                                                          [alternative]

 

 

 

 

 

  8.   The construction workers had to work on the foundation.

        They lifted the house gently with hydraulic jacks.                                             [cause/result]

 

 

 

 

 

  9.   The crew completed the foundation.

        The roof caved in.                                                                                                    [contrast]

 

 

 

 

 

10.   Sid and Sal now live in the backyard.

        It's a lot safer than living in their house.                                                            [result/cause]

 

 

 

 


Exercise Two  Car Shopping

 

Join the following sentences, again using the coordinators; this time you will choose the coordinators that best show the logical relationships.

 

EXAMPLE:      Maria decided to buy a new car.

She didn't know much about cars.

 

SOLUTION:     Maria decided to buy a new car, but (or yet) she didn't know much about cars.

 

1.         She wanted to be a well-informed shopper.

She began to do research.

 

 

 

 

 

2.         She bought a stack of popular auto magazines.

She even found government statistics on car crash tests.

 

 

 

 

 

3.         She didn't consider cars with powerful V-8 engines.

She needed to save on gas.

 

 

 

 

 

4.         She was attracted to sport cars.

The insurance rates on such beauties were outrageous.

 

 

 

 

 

5.         The most affordable car for Maria was the Zippy Company's compact sedan.

The car's crash test performance was rated "Extremely Poor."

 

 

 

 

6.     An expensive, imported station wagon was rated favorably on the crash tests.

        It provided anti-lock brakes and a heavy steel protective body.

 

 

 

 

 

7.     Maria decided to test-drive several cars.

        She would not know if they were comfortable enough.

 

 

 

 

 

8.     The dealer for Ripoff Company did not treat Maria courteously.

        The overpriced Ripoff Cars did not impress her.

 

 

 

 

 

9.     The dealer selling the comfortable, safe, and economical Rightstuff car treated Maria with

        respect.

        She left the dealership in a brand new Rightstuff car.