ESEN
Blog
Conjunctions in English: And, But, Or, So, Because
And, but, or, so, and because connect ideas: each one links sentences in a different way.
Written by Bryan López, Profesor de inglés · Updated
Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or sentences. The most common ones are and, but, or, so, and because. Each one connects ideas in a different way.
The most common conjunctions
FANBOYS: the acronym to remember them
In English there are 7 main coordinating conjunctions, remembered with the acronym FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. For beginner level, the most important ones are and, but, or, and so.
Publicidad
Practice conjunctions with real audio
Interactive exercises, real pronunciation, and the full lesson taught in English.
Because vs. so: reason vs. result
"Because" gives the reason for something: "I stayed home because it was raining" ("because it was raining" is the reason). "So" gives the result: "It was raining, so I stayed home" ("I stayed home" is the result). They connect the same two ideas, but in opposite directions.
Common mistakes learners make
Mixing up the order of reason and result between because and so, using the wrong conjunction for how the sentence is arranged. It's also common to forget the comma before but, or, and so when they connect two complete sentences.
Publicidad
Frequently asked questions
What are conjunctions in English?
They're words that connect words, phrases, or sentences. The most common ones are and, but, or, so, and because.
What are the most common conjunctions in English?
And, but, or, so, and because are the most used at beginner level.
What is FANBOYS?
It's the acronym used in English to remember the 7 coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
What's the difference between because and so?
"Because" gives the reason for something (I stayed home because it was raining). "So" gives the result (It was raining, so I stayed home).
What are some examples of conjunctions?
"She likes pizza and pasta." "He is tired, but he keeps working." "I was hungry, so I made dinner."
Why do learners mix up because and so?
Because both connect a cause with an effect, just in a different order, and it's easy to pick the wrong conjunction depending on how the sentence is arranged.
Practice conjunctions with real audio
Interactive exercises, real pronunciation, and the full lesson taught in English.