Are FANBOYS really coordinating conjunction (or coordinator)?
The answer depends on which grammar book you refer.
And, or, and but are indisputably coordinators; the other four disputably. Let’s understand why four don’t make the cut cleanly.
There are six criteria that determine whether a word is a coordinator or not. If a word fulfils all six, it is indisputably a coordinator. And and or pull off all six. At five, but is close and can be considered an indisputable coordinator. Others hover between three and four, with for being the worst performer at three. That’s why some grammar books even treat for as a subordinator.
If some of the members of FANBOYS underperform on the criteria of being a coordinator, is it then our craving for a nice acronym that has led to FANBOYS? Most credible grammar books after all don’t use the acronym FANBOYS.
Strictly speaking, list of coordinating conjunctions should be acronymized as BOA – and not FANBOYS. Well, the fans of FANBOYS may not like the flamboyant acronym being mutilated and replaced by suffocating BOA (Boa constrictor is a snake), but the latter will be closer to truth.
Here are the six criteria applied to FANBOYS. (Each criterion has been mentioned as heading.)
1. A coordinator is positionally fixed in front of its clause.
All seven (FANBOYS) satisfy this condition of being a coordinator. Here is how but satisfies this condition:
She wanted to join the team, but she didn’t have enough time.
She wanted to join the team; she didn’t but have enough time. [Incorrect: but can’t occupy any other but the front position.]
2. The clause beginning with a coordinator can’t be shifted in front of the previous clause.
All seven satisfy this condition too. Here is how but satisfies this condition:
She wanted to join the team, but she didn’t have enough time.
But she didn’t have enough time, she wanted to join the team. [Incorrect. This would have been fine with most subordinating conjunctions, but not coordinating.]
3. A coordinator cannot precede another coordinator.
Only and, but, or, and for satisfy the condition of not allowing another coordinator immediately before them. In other words, the four satisfy the condition of being a coordinator. Here is how and and but satisfy this condition:
I wanted to go to the concert, and but the tickets were sold out. [Incorrect. Since a coordinator (and) can’t precede another coordinator (but), but is a coordinator.]
The teacher explained the lesson, and and the students took notes. [Incorrect]
You’ll get acceptable sentences with nor, yet, and so. Hence, the three don’t satisfy the condition of being a coordinator.
The team worked hard all season, and yet they didn’t make it to the finals.
He didn’t set an alarm, and so he overslept and missed the meeting.
Medicine didn’t work for my backache, and nor did the therapy.
4. A coordinator can join units other than clauses.
Only for doesn’t satisfy this condition of being a coordinator:
My friends and I went to the concert last night. [Joins two noun phrases]
He didn’t prepare for the exam nor ask for help. [Joins two predicates]
The manager but not the employees attended the meeting. [Joins two noun phrases]
We could visit the museum or take a walk in the park. [Joins two predicates]
She wanted to rest yet continued working late into the night. [Joins two predicates]
I forgot my keys so had to call my roommate. [Joins two predicates]
She stayed home for was feeling unwell. [Incorrect]
5. A coordinator can join dependent clauses.
Only and, or, and but (under certain circumstances) satisfy this condition of being a coordinator:
Although he was tired and although the meeting ran long, he stayed until the end. [Joins two adverb clauses]
She met the manager who helped her with the issue and who offered her a discount. [Joins two relative clauses]
She will be late unless she catches the earlier train or unless the traffic clears up. [Joins two adverb clauses]
We hired the candidate who impressed us in the interview but who lacked the necessary experience. [Joins two relative clauses]
They believed that the weather would improve but that the roads would still be dangerous. [Joins two noun clauses]
Whereas and and or can join more than two dependent clauses, but can join only two.
6. A coordinator can join more than two independent clauses.
Only and and or satisfy this condition:
He finished his homework, and he cleaned his room, and he went for a walk. [All but the final coordinator can be dropped.]
We could take a road trip, or we could fly to our destination, or we could just stay in town.
She brought her coat, for it was cold outside, for winter had just begun. [Incorrect]
