Printable Coordinating Conjunctions Worksheet | Grade 4

This Grade 4 ELA worksheet helps students master coordinating conjunctions by teaching them how to connect independent clauses and fix run-on sentences. By practicing with the FANBOYS acronym, learners develop stronger sentence-building skills and improve their overall writing mechanics through targeted, step-by-step exercises.

At a Glance

• Grade: 4 · Subject: ELA
• Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.C — Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction.
• Skill Focus: Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS)
• Format: 3 pages · 15 problems · Answer key included · PDF
• Best For: Independent practice and grammar review
• Time: 20–25 minutes

This comprehensive resource includes a clear reference guide outlining six essential rules for using coordinating conjunctions, followed by three distinct practice sections. Students will work through 15 total problems spread across three pages, utilizing a provided FANBOYS reference chart. A complete answer key is included to ensure accurate grading and immediate feedback.

• Guided practice: Students begin by identifying and underlining the correct coordinating conjunction in five pre-written sentences.
• Supported practice: Next, learners fill in the blanks with the most appropriate FANBOYS conjunction to complete five sentences using context clues.
• Independent practice: Finally, students apply their knowledge by rewriting five run-on sentences or comma splices, combining them correctly with a comma and a conjunction.

This gradual-release approach ensures students build confidence before tackling complex sentence revisions independently.

Aligned to primary standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.C: Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence. It also supports broader language skills by helping students recognize and correct inappropriate fragments and run-ons. Both standard codes can be copied directly into lesson plans, IEP goals, or district curriculum mapping tools.

This worksheet is highly effective as an independent practice activity immediately following direct instruction on compound sentences. Teachers can also use the "Fix the Sentence" section as a formative assessment to observe whether students remember to include the required comma before the conjunction. Expected completion time is 20 to 25 minutes.

Designed primarily for fourth-grade students, this resource is also excellent for fifth graders needing a grammar refresher or English language learners mastering sentence structure. For optimal results, pair this worksheet with an anchor chart displaying the FANBOYS acronym and examples of compound sentences.

Mastering sentence boundaries is a critical component of elementary writing development. Standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.2.C requires students to use a comma before a coordinating conjunction. Explicit grammar instruction that moves from identification to application significantly improves student writing quality. According to Fisher & Frey (2014), providing structured, gradual-release practice allows learners to internalize complex syntactic rules more effectively than isolated drills. By requiring students to actively fix run-on sentences and comma splices, this resource bridges the gap between rote memorization of the FANBOYS acronym and authentic writing application. Consistent practice with these sentence-combining techniques reduces grammatical errors in independent writing tasks and builds the foundational skills necessary for drafting complex texts in upper elementary grades.