SAT Grammar: FANBOYS Conjunctions

The SAT exam is filled with grammar rules that students need to understand. One of the items that shows up most often on the exam and run-on sentences.

The typical run-on sentence occurs when you combine two complete sentences with a comma:

Complete sentence, Complete sentence

As an example:

I was frustrated with the policies of the our city, I decided to run for mayor.

Alternatively, the writer may just ignore the comma altogether and write:

Complete sentence Complete sentence

For example:

I was frustrated with the policies of our city I decided to run for mayor.

How do you correct this? There are a number of ways.

1. Use a period:

   • Complete sentence. Complete sentence

     • I was frustrated with the policies of our city. I decided to run for mayor.

2. Use a semicolon

   • Complete sentence; Complete sentence

     • I was frustrated with the policies of our city; I decided to run for mayor.

3. Change the wording

   1. Create a dependent clause

      • Incomplete sentence, complete sentence

        • Because I was frustrated with the policies of our city, I decided to run for mayor.

   2. Use a relative clause (who, which, that)

   3. Use a noun phrase set off by commas

   4. Use a modifier

   5. Use and to join verbs

4. Use a coordinating conjunction

   • Complete sentence comma coordination conjunction complete sentence

     • I was frustrated with the policies of our city, so I decided to run for mayor.

The focus of this blog post is to talk about the coordinating conjunctions.

These conjunctions can be identified by using the mnemonic FANBOYS

• F: For

• A: And

• N: Nor

  B: But

• O: Or

• Y: Yet

  S: So

The two most common ones that show up on the SAT exam are and and but.

Note that a FANBOYS conjunction should be used after a comma. Sometimes the exam writers will incorporate a FANBOY conjunction after a semicolon. This would not be an appropriate use of a FANBOY conjunction.