Lesson 5: Complex Sentences
Coordinating Conjunctions
A coordinating conjunction (aka coordinate conjunction) is a word that connects two words, phrases, or clauses within a single sentence. The most common coordinating conjunctions are the and, nor, but, or, and yet.
Coordinating conjunctions give you a 2-for-1 deal (or 3-for-1, 4-for-1, etc!) in that they allow you to place several items on the same level. If I say that “I went to the store and bought apples and oranges but not grapes,” then all of the items I bought are on the same grammatical level. I could break up the sentence and apply the verb to each item separately, as in, “I bought apples. I bought oranges. I bought not grapes.” The last part about the grapes sounds odd stated like that, but it makes the point: coordinating conjunctions combine.
In the previous lesson when a coordinating conjunction appeared, we brought in a split shelf. This will not always be the case, however. Coordinating conjunctions are labeled Cc in parsing, and can be diagrammed on a split shelf, floating shelf, next to a dotted line, or together with adjectives or adverbs—all depending on the situation. As you can tell, coordinating conjunctions “go with the flow” as far as it comes to diagramming. This is because their job of combining all different kinds of words and groups of words requires them to be flexible. You will even find that there are times that you need to improvise how you diagram a coordinating conjunction in order to make it make sense in a complicated diagram.
Proper Diagramming with a Split Shelf
Coordinating conjunctions show multiple like things. Two subjects, two verbs, two objects. They never show two different things. So when you use a split shelf, put the shelf that designates what is coming down first, then attach the split shelf.
In the correct example below (on the left), the object shelf (underlined in blue) is attached to the subject-verb shelf as usual, then the split shelf connects to the object shelf. Compare that to the incorrect example on the right.
Examples
Coordinating conjunctions can combine subjects.
Coordinating conjunctions can combine verbs.
Coordinating conjunctions can combine objects.
Are you wondering why the word “just” is parsed as an adverb but placed under the noun “game” like an adjective? It’s not a mistake! What word is “just” modifying? We know that it is not modifying “game” because “just game” doesn’t make sense. You could say “just play,” however the better choice is “just one,” given the ordering of the words in the sentence. Normally adverbs/adjectives are placed under the word they are modifying, but since “just” is modifying an adjective that is already under the noun it’s modifying, the adverb modifying it is simply placed next to it.
Coordinating conjunctions can combine predicate adjectives and nouns.
Coordinating conjunctions can combine simple adjectives and adverbs. In such cases, place the conjunction with the adjectives/adverbs under the shelf.
Coordinating conjunctions can combine clauses.
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
Benjamin Franklin
Notice in this last sentence, we have two independent clauses (i.e. they each are able to stand by themselves). Both “Involve me,” and “I learn,” could be complete sentences in their own right. We will diagram such sentences as two separate pieces and connect them with the dotted line and the conjunction between them.