This is the fifth of a short series of articles on the short list of what are known as coordinating conjunctions, short words themselves that show up very frequently in the GMAT Sentence Correction questions. Learning them can save you time, allowing you to eliminate wrong answer choices quickly and confidently; understanding them will of course also help add style and clarity to your AWA and admissions applications.  These coordinating conjunctions are often remembered by the acronym FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So); their job in a sentence is joining two or more parallel  . . . well, things in a sentence.

1. These words can join single words (Would you like a new coat or hat?);
2. whole phrases (He plans to eat sushi today and cook on the grill at least once by the end of the week);
3. or entire independent clauses — things that would stand alone as complete sentences without the conjunction (I would love to try the peaches, but the fuzz gives me the chills).

The things these conjunctions connect must be the same type of thing — an adverb and another adverb, a noun and a noun, an independent clause with another independent clause.  Just as you can only add fractions when they have the same denominator, you can only use parallel parts with coordinating conjunctions.  All of these coordinating conjunctions also have at least one other job in English.

V. OR

The fifth of the FANBOYS, or, does not lead quite the double life that for does (for is also a preposition, which is a different part of speech); or is only a conjunction, but as one of the three most common coordinating conjunctions, or has Test Day implications for you.  On the surface, or offers a simple choice (wet or dry, left or right), but on closer inspection it has two uses, inclusive and exclusive.

Inclusive:

May I get you an appetizer or some drinks? (Or can separate non-exclusive choices, with an unstated choice “all of them”; tone of voice makes this use of or clearer in spoken English)

That woman is an absolute genius, or at least more insightful than the average person. (Or can precede a clarification or refinement of the statement that comes before it)

Exclusive:

I will make it to the finish line or die trying! (It is not possible to do both logically)

Either clean up this room, or start packing your suitcase for boarding school. (Either . . . or is always the exclusive or)

Note: you will never see either without or, but you will frequently see or without either.

Whether or is inclusive or exclusive, you have just two rules to keep in mind on Test Day:

• Rule 1: Things connected by or need to be parallel (with or without the presence of either)
• Rule 2: When or joins two things (nouns or pronouns) in the subject of a sentence, and both parts are the same number (singular or plural), then the verb will match that number (singular or plural); when or joins two things in the subject of a sentence and the two parts differ in number, the verb will take the number of the part closer to the verb

Examples of Rule 2:

Matthew or Samantha will answer the phone when I am not home. (Two singular subjects with a singular verb)

Bottles of wine or fine chocolates are excellent gifts for the host of the party. (Two plural subjects with a plural verb)

The coach or her assistant coaches decide who plays each game. (One singular, one plural subject with a plural verb)

The assistant coaches or the head coach decides who plays each game. (One singular, one plural subject with a singular verb)

Some say it is a rule that when you have or joining a singular and a plural, the plural always goes second (and therefore you will always have a plural verb if at least one of the parts is plural).  If this is easier for you to remember in your own writing, or if your school’s or employer’s style manual requires it, then by all means follow this rule — but be careful on the GMAT!

In the next article we will cover: Yet

Read other articles in this series:

• Seven Short Words with Score Implications, FANBOYS Part 1/7
• Coordinating Conjunctions: “And” FANBOYS Part 2/7
• Coordinating Conjunctions: “Nor” FANBOYS Part 3/7
• Coordinating Conjunctions: “But” FANBOYS Part 4/7
• Coordinating Conjunctions: “Or” FANBOYS Part 5/7