CHAPTER

16
Coordinating Conjunctions

CHAPTER SUMMARY EXERCISE 1. Warm-up. Page 357.

Time: 10 minutes
OBJECTIVE: This chapter gives students more choices
for expressing related ideas. They will learn how English • Lead the warm-up by having students take turns
connects pieces of information that are in a relationship of reading each item and then identifying the parts of
equality. speech, as in the example.
• Point out that the exact same parts of speech are seen
APPROACH: Essentially, the chapter deals with the concept
on each side of the conjunction.
of parallelism. Two or more simple pieces of information
should be expressed in similar grammatical forms. This is
Optional Vocabulary
more a matter of style than grammar, but by helping students
realize how “balanced” written English sounds when the waterfall swayed
writer uses parallel structure and coordinating conjunctions rocked
appropriately, you will help students understand the reason
for this preferred format. The chapter teaches the use of
coordinating conjunctions and their required punctuation. CHART 16-1. Parallel Structure. Page 358.
Time: 15–20 minutes
TERMINOLOGY: A “conjunction” is a function word that
serves as a connector or a linking word to join words,
phrases, or clauses. This chapter deals with coordinating
conjunctions, words that are used to create compound Using parallel structure is an economical way to
structures (e.g., compound subjects, compound verbs, include several pieces of information in a single
compound sentences). In this text, correlative conjunctions phrase or clause. The ability to use parallel structure
(e.g., both … and ) are called “paired conjunctions.” is highly valued in spoken and written English
Subordinating conjunctions (e.g., when, because, if ) are because conciseness is a cultural value in English-
used to create complex sentences and are dealt with in the speaking countries. Other cultures may have other
following chapter. values with regard to the expression of ideas in
speaking and writing.
Problems with parallel structure are common in
PRETEST. What do I already know? Page 357. student writing, and sometimes it is hard for students
Time: 10 minutes to anticipate how to write clearly and concisely.
To understand parallel structure, students need to
understand the idea of ellipsis: that certain words
Because this topic more commonly relates to have been omitted from a sentence. The sentence
written rather than spoken English, students may can be understood without the omitted words
not recognize correct forms here quite as readily as because these words themselves are redundant.
they may recognize other structures. As students English rhetoric does not value redundancy or
review each item, emphasize the balanced quality repetitiveness.
of parallel structure and write / highlight parallel
elements on the board. For example, the following sentence includes
unnecessary words.
Steve is coming to dinner and his friend is
• Have students work through pretest autonomously. coming to dinner.
• Tell students that while listening for what sounds correct In ellipsis, the repeated words (be + coming to dinner )
is often enough to help them identify grammatical are omitted, and the verb is made to agree with the
structures, they will want to read through each item a compound subject: Steve and his friend are coming
few times before deciding in each case. to dinner.

Optional Vocabulary
obeying refund • Write the chart title on the board.
manager • Introduce the concept of parallel structure by explaining
that the English language has a stylistic preference for
concise expression whenever possible.

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 • Next, write some intentionally repetitive sentences on EXERCISE 3. Looking at grammar.
the board. For example: Page 358. Time: 10 minutes
The man is wearing a hat and the man is wearing a coat. • Have a student read the completed example aloud.
The woman is wearing her hat and the woman is holding • Ask another student to name the part of speech
her coat. needed for parallel structure in the completed example
• Ask students to cross out and omit whatever they can (adjective).
without changing the meaning of the sentence. Have a • Have students now take turns reading through each
student or students go to the board to demonstrate this. item, identifying the part of speech needed, and
For example: choosing the correct completions.
• Write any challenging items on the board as they arise.
The man is wearing a hat and the man is wearing a coat.
The woman is wearing her hat and the woman is holding Optional Vocabulary
her coat. admirable tidy
• Explain to students that this concise approach is the
grammatical source of the targeted parallel structure
they will now learn. EXERCISE 4. Looking at grammar.
• Tell students that making sure that sentences Page 359. Time: 10 minutes
have parallel construction is similar to balancing • Have students read through the completed example.
the equations that illustrate chemical reactions (an • Ask students to complete the remainder of the exercise
academic task many of them have done in a high autonomously.
school chemistry class). • Review as a class, providing immediate and clear
• Even if you cannot remember how to balance equations correction.
very well yourself, the process is quite similar to making
sentences “balanced” by using parallel structure. Your Optional Vocabulary
students are very likely to be familiar with this concept. ran a stop sign crosswalk
Write the following on the board: pedestrian custody
2 H2 + O2 → 2 H2O shocked
• Explain that the task of creating parallel structure is
similar to balancing an equation. When using parallel EXERCISE 5. Warm-up. Page 359.
structure, learners need to account for each necessary
Time: 10 minutes
part of speech on either side of the conjunction.
• Write the following example on the board, and ask • Have students identify on their own the sentences that
students to identify which part seems unbalanced. You are already punctuated correctly.
may need to read the sentences aloud and emphasize • Review as a class.
certain words so that students can appropriately hear
the error. For example:
CHART 16-2. Parallel Structure: Using
Michael likes to eat pizza and watching movies.
Commas. Page 359. Time: 10–15 minutes
• Students should be able to identify that and watching
movies sounds wrong because it doesn’t match the
parts of speech used in eat pizza. In a series of items, the very last item is preceded
• Rewrite the sentence using parallel structure, by a conjunction (usually and or or ). Many people
identifying the elements of parallel structure as in the place a comma before that conjunction (e.g., an
example below. apple, a banana, and a pear), but this last comma
in the series is a matter of choice or style. This
S V Infinitive + O Infinitive + O final comma is often called an “Oxford comma” or a
Michael likes to eat pizza and (to) watch movies. “serial comma.” Grammar books and style guides
• Reiterate that the above sentence has the same verb disagree on whether this final comma should be
included or not. This text uses the final comma so
forms on both sides of the conjunction.
that students can see more clearly each element of a
• Have students take turns reading example sentences
serial parallel structure. In addition, spoken English
(a)–(e) aloud, and review the explanatory notes. patterns usually have a pause before the conjunction
in this instance, and the comma reflects the pause.

EXERCISE 2. Looking at grammar.

Page 358. Time: 10 minutes • Write the chart title on the board.
• Explain the direction line. • Explain to students that certain uses of commas are
• Ask students to take turns reading first the word in grammatically required and that other uses are stylistic
italics and then choosing all the parallel words. choices.
• Using your students’ names and experiences, write a
Optional Vocabulary sentence on the board that uses and to connect two
contacted chatting parts of a parallel structure. For example:
Miguel and Kwong Min were late for class.

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 • Explain that if you added a third student, you would EXERCISE 9. Let’s talk. Page 361.
clearly separate all three by using commas. Time: 10–15 minutes
Miguel, Kwong Min, and Viktor were all late for class. • Put students into pairs.
• Tell students that the third comma in the example is • Walk around the room while students are taking turns
not required, but it does reflect the necessary pause in completing each sentence. Encourage by providing
speech needed to effectively complete the exercise. correction and vocabulary, and ask leading questions to
• Repeat each sentence and exaggerate the pause so keep the discussion moving.
that students can readily hear it. • Ask each partner to share one of their classmate’s
responses with the class.
• As always, if a natural discussion arises, allow it to
EXERCISE 6. Looking at grammar. happen and facilitate by also pointing out how to form
Page 360. Time: 10 minutes opinion sentences using parallel structure.
• First have students complete the exercise
independently as seatwork.
• Tell students to read through their punctuated EXERCISE 10. Warm-up. Page 362.
sentences by making obvious pauses to indicate where Time: 10 minutes
commas should be placed. • Have students identify which sentences are correct.
• Confirm where commas should have been placed, • Encourage students to explain why those items that are
writing the students’ versions on the board as they read not correct are ungrammatical.
them aloud.
• This approach should better help students “hear”
where commas should be placed and train their ears to CHART 16-3. Punctuation for Independent
anticipate punctuation. Clauses; Connecting Them with And and But.
Page 362. Time: 15 minutes
Optional Vocabulary
balcony options concierge
buffet suspense attentive The punctuation of independent clauses is not simply
adjoining bellhop courteous a matter of style. It is ungrammatical for independent
clauses (i.e., complete sentences) to be connected
using only a comma, and it will serve your students
EXERCISE 7. Looking at grammar. best if you are very clear about this point. This very
Page 360. Time: 10–15 minutes common error is called a “comma splice.” When
• Ask a student to read through the direction line aloud. several independent clauses are put together using
only commas to separate them, it is also called a
Because it emphasizes the reason for using parallel
“run-on sentence.” Run-on sentences (which go
structure (avoiding repetition of the same words), it is on and on) and comma splices are common writing
useful for students to hear this before completing the problems among both native and non-native writers.
exercise.
• Ask another student to read the completed example Advanced students may be interested to know that
it is possible to use commas between independent
aloud.
clauses when there is a series of more than two
• Give students plenty of time to complete the exercise clauses.
as seatwork.
correct: Janet washed the windows, Bob swept
• Correct the exercise as a class, and write any
the floor, Carlos made a casserole, and I set
particularly challenging items on the board.
the table.
Optional Vocabulary incorrect: Janet washed the windows, Bob
trustworthy hard of hearing swept the floor.

EXERCISE 8. Looking at grammar. • Write the chart title on the board.

Page 361. Time: 10 minutes • Ask students to define independent clause, and write
• Complete this exercise in small groups. the best parts of their definition on the board. For
• Have a student read the sentences and combinations in example:
the example item aloud. independent clause = S+V
• After group members have completed each item, come (can stand alone as its own sentence)
together as a class and correct all the completions by
• Explain that two independent clauses cannot be
having each group share.
separated by only a comma.
• Put particularly challenging items on the board.
• Write an incorrect example (comma splice) on the
Optional Vocabulary board and, in an exaggerated fashion, cross it out.
curvy narrow reputation For example:
steep climate integrity incorrect: Juan plays tennis, Marco prefers golf.

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 • Explain that an independent clause can either: Optional Vocabulary
1) be separated by a period (with capitalization of the ziplining cable hair-raising
new sentence, of course); impassible strung strive
canyons harness appeal
correct: Juan plays tennis. Marco prefers golf.
thrilling strapped
2) 
or be joined by a conjunction (in this particular case, soar platform
either but or and would work, but this depends on
the meaning of the whole sentence).
correct: Juan plays tennis, and Marco prefers golf. EXERCISE 15. Warm-up. Page 364.
correct: Juan plays tennis, but Marco prefers golf. Time: 10 minutes
• Review the chart by asking students to read the • Explain to students that all sentences in the warm-up
example sentences (a)–(h) aloud. are correct.
• Ask students to read the examples to themselves.
• Have students give you the “rules” or practices they
EXERCISE 11. Looking at grammar. have deduced from the sentences they have read.
Page 362. Time: 10 minutes • Put these “rules” as students have said them on the
board, and leave them on the board as you move to the
• Read the direction line, and ask a student to read item
presentation of paired conjunctions. For example:
1 aloud.
• Give students time to complete the exercise as seatwork. The verb has to agree with the noun that comes
• Correct by asking students to go to the board and write immediately before it.
their correct sentences clearly.
• You can have other students correct by changing the
answers written on the board, or you can discuss these.
CHART 16-4. Paired Conjunctions: Both …
And; Not Only … But Also; Either … Or; Neither
Optional Vocabulary … Nor. Page 364. Time: 10–15 minutes
push-ups assistant
demonstrated available
There are two important grammar points discussed
in this chart.
EXERCISE 12. Looking at grammar. subject-verb agreement
Page 363. Time: 10 minutes parallel structure
• Continue with this exercise in the same fashion as Both are practiced in exercises following the chart.
Exercise 11. Significantly, both points are hard to teach and
• Give students time to complete the exercise as seatwork. harder to learn because many native speakers
• After students write their corrected sentences on the regularly make subject-verb agreement mistakes
and fail to use parallel structure. Because these
board, invite their classmates to correct each one.
forms are not regularly modeled by native speakers,
• Make sure you cite the reason certain punctuation is students have a harder time learning to use them.
incorrect. Clear and immediate correction will help
students anticipate their own errors. In actuality, native speakers often use plural verbs,
even though both subjects may be singular, when
using any of the paired conjunctions presented here.
EXERCISE 13. Looking at grammar. For example, students are just as likely to hear both
Page 363. Time: 10 minutes of the following sentences though only the second
one is correct:
• Ask students how often they write emails, and ask them
Neither my sister nor my brother are coming with us.
to discuss the characteristics of emailed communication.
• Some students might be under the impression that Neither my sister nor my brother is coming with us.
because email is so commonly used, and certainly less The text doesn’t discuss all the mistakes students
formal than written letters, poor grammar is accepted. will hear because doing so would be unnecessarily
Discuss whether this is the case and why it is important confusing. Tell your students to default to making the
to be grammatical even in more informal writing. verb agree with the subject that comes immediately
before it.
• Ask students to take turns reading the sentences in the
email aloud, and have them say whether a correction is Another point mentioned in the text is that when
needed or not, and if so, what the correction should be. there are two independent clauses connected by
not only … but also, the first clause usually has
inverted subject-verb word order. This happens in
other sentences that begin with a negative adverb.
EXERCISE 14. Reading and grammar. For example: Not only does John love sports,
Page 363. Time: 10–15 minutes but he also loves music. Chart 16-4 provides a
• Have students work with partners. good opportunity to introduce this inversion to your
• Ask students to locate and correct all errors. They should students (or to remind them of it if they have already
be prepared to explain what the error was in detail. encountered it).
• Review as a class.

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 • Write the chart title on the board. EXERCISE 18. Looking at grammar.
• Write the following pairs of conjunctions on the board: Page 365. Time: 10–15 minutes
not only … but also
• As for Exercise 17, students combine the sentences in
both … and Part I and Part II with the specified paired conjunctions
either … or as seatwork.
neither … nor • Students read their combined sentences aloud.
• Correct students immediately and overtly, and write any
• Ask students whether they are already familiar with
complicated items on the board.
either … or and neither … nor. Many may already
know how to use these, and if so, you can ask them for
sample sentences to write on the board. For example:
EXERCISE 19. Listening. Page 365.
Pablo likes neither chocolate nor vanilla ice cream.
Time: 10–15 minutes
Stephy has been to neither France nor Italy.
• Be completely provisioned for the listening by having
Bruno will either go to New York City or stay here this the audio cued and listening script handy.
weekend. He hasn’t decided. • Read through the completed example item with students
Xiao-Liang is happy to try either a French or a and remind them that they are not looking for the
Vietnamese restaurant. She doesn’t want to have sentences that sound the most like what they hear. They
Chinese food. are looking for the sentence that has the closest meaning
• After you have written student-generated sample to what they hear. Be clear about this distinction.
sentences on the board, underline the phrases that • Play the audio and have students choose which
follow each paired conjunction, demonstrating that the sentence is the most accurate restatement.
parts of speech are the same. • Review as a class, referring to the listening script as
• Reiterate that these phrases occur in pairs, so if needed.
students see the first word or phrase of a paired
conjunction, they should anticipate the word that
completes the pair. For example, if students see either, EXERCISE 20. Looking at grammar.
they should anticipate or. When they read not only, Page 366. Time: 10–15 minutes
they should anticipate but also. • Read the direction line aloud.
• Write some simple sentences on the board • Give students time to correctly combine the sentences
incorporating various paired conjunctions and requiring using the paired conjunctions specified.
completion, such as: • Correct as a class.
Not only the students but also enjoy a day off from
school.
Both my mother and bake delicious pies. EXERCISE 21. Grammar and listening.
Page 367. Time: 10–20 minutes
• Using these patterns, create more cloze examples on
the board and as students complete each one, remind • Be provisioned with audio and listening script.
them which noun determines whether the subject is • Students work through the passage, selecting the
singular or plural. correct part of speech for each parallel structure
• Ask students to take turns reading example sentences sentence presented.
(a)–(i) aloud and review the accompanying explanatory • Play audio for students and have them correct their own
notes. work.
• Read through the passage, asking students to take
turns reading aloud and incorporating their corrections.
EXERCISE 16. Looking at grammar.
Page 364. Time: 10–15 minutes Optional Vocabulary
creatures rabies destruction
• Without prereading each item, ask students to take symbols pollinating gentle
turns reading aloud and deciding whether a singular or unreasoned overripe prefer
plural verb is needed. tangle flourish avoid
• Students should hear whether the noun before the verb carriers destroy
is singular or plural and use that as their guide.
• Provide prompt and clear correction.
EXERCISE 22. Reading, grammar, and
EXERCISE 17. Looking at grammar. speaking. Page 367. Time: 15–20 minutes
Page 365. Time: 10–15 minutes Part I
• Give students time to combine the short sentences • Have students take turns reading the sentences aloud
in Part I and Part II in succession, using the paired and discussing content and vocabulary.
conjunctions specified for each as seatwork.
• Students read their combined sentences aloud. Part II
• Correct students immediately and overtly, and write any • Ask students to underline all the parallel structures
complicated items on the board. while working in pairs.

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 • Ask students to paraphrase (say in their own words) Optional Vocabulary
each idea. Encourage them to explain whether they cautious ample aftershocks
agree or not and if / how they see evidence that Dr. intention supply endurance
King’s beliefs are working today. crops soil archaeologists
• Walk around the room, assisting students in suitable climate subsequent
understanding the quotes. Refer to the list of abstract
nouns in optional vocabulary below.
• Come back together as a group and discuss, writing EXERCISE 24. Writing. Page 368.
the most important concepts on the board and asking Time: 20 minutes
students for examples they can see at present.
• Congratulate students on simplifying and understanding Part I
dense passages in English. • Discuss social media posts looking for jobs,
roommates, or live-in situations. Ask students if these
Optional Vocabulary are common and whether they have ever looked for a
civil rights nonconformists overcome certain situation in this way.
movement dedicated oppression • Have students read the post aloud, taking turns.
segregation justice resorting
discrimination ultimate evolve Part II
inspiring convenience reject • Have students read and discuss reminders for clear
secure controversy aggression posts on social media.
livable crucial retaliation • Remind your students to keep clarity and brevity in
mind when writing their ads.
• Ask students to refer to the writing tip as they work.
EXERCISE 23. Check your knowledge.
Part III
Page 368. Time: 15–20 minutes
• Ask students to edit either their own or a partner’s work,
• Ask students to locate the errors in each sentence as using the editing checklist.
seatwork.
• Have students read corrected versions of each
sentence aloud. Ask students to explain why the
original was wrong.
• Put any challenging items on the board for further
analysis.

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