Coordination normally uses one of the coordinating conjunctions and, but or or to create a link between items:
Quickly and resolutely, he strode into the bank.
The course was short but intensive.
I don’t like laziness or dishonesty.
This type of coordination, with a coordinating conjunction actually
present, is called syndetic coordination .
Coordination can also occur without a coordinating conjunction, as in:
Quickly, resolutely, he strode into the bank.
Coordination without the use of a coordinating conjunction is called asyndetic coordination .
When three or more items are coordinated, the coordinating conjunction is usually placed between the final two items only:
We need bread, cheese, eggs, flour and milk.
This is syndetic coordination, since a coordinating conjunction, and, is present. It would be unusual to find a coordinating conjunction between each item:
We need bread and cheese and eggs and flour and milk.
This is called polysyndetic coordination . It is usually only used for effect,for instance, to express repetition or continuation:
He just talks and talks and talks.
I’ve said it again and again and again.
This play will run and run and run.
The coordinators and and or can be used to link any number of
items
in coordination. However, but is slightly different. It can link a maximum of two items, usually clauses:
Steve Cram ran well but he was overtaken in the last length
Quickly and resolutely, he strode into the bank.
The course was short but intensive.
I don’t like laziness or dishonesty.
This type of coordination, with a coordinating conjunction actually
present, is called syndetic coordination .
Coordination can also occur without a coordinating conjunction, as in:
Quickly, resolutely, he strode into the bank.
Coordination without the use of a coordinating conjunction is called asyndetic coordination .
When three or more items are coordinated, the coordinating conjunction is usually placed between the final two items only:
We need bread, cheese, eggs, flour and milk.
This is syndetic coordination, since a coordinating conjunction, and, is present. It would be unusual to find a coordinating conjunction between each item:
We need bread and cheese and eggs and flour and milk.
This is called polysyndetic coordination . It is usually only used for effect,for instance, to express repetition or continuation:
He just talks and talks and talks.
I’ve said it again and again and again.
This play will run and run and run.
The coordinators and and or can be used to link any number of
items
in coordination. However, but is slightly different. It can link a maximum of two items, usually clauses:
Steve Cram ran well but he was overtaken in the last length
