Which term refers to a group of conjunctions connected by FANBOYS?

• A. Correlative conjunctions
• B. Subordinating conjunctions
• C. Coordinating conjunctions
• D. Interjection

Answer: (C)

Coordinating conjunctions are the words that link elements of equal importance in a sentence. The seven words you learn with the acronym FANBOYS—For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So—are those coordinating conjunctions. They connect words, phrases, or independent clauses that have the same grammatical level, so they keep parts of the sentence balanced.

That’s why these belong together as a group: they serve the same function—joining equals in a sentence—unlike subordinating conjunctions, which introduce dependent clauses, or correlative conjunctions, which come in paired forms (such as either... or). Interjections are a different part of speech altogether and don’t function as conjunctions.

For example, in "I wanted to go, but it was raining," the two independent clauses are tied by a coordinating conjunction, illustrating how FANBOYS operate. In "We bought apples and oranges," the conjunction links items in a list.