4th grade coordinating conjunctions worksheets

Fourth graders work with the full everyday set, including yet (a sharper cousin of but), and read more carefully to tell "so" (result) from "but" (contrast).

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.3.1.h.

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The kind of sentences you'll get

Circle the letter of the joining word that fits the sentence.

  1. Jade planned to sculpt a heron, the clay kept slumping into a duck. and · but · or

    Answer: but

  2. The judges must choose either the lemon tart the plum cake for first prize. or · but · and
  3. Dad set the table, so did my brother. or · and · for

Every print pulls a fresh set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on each sheet

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Introduce yet as "but with raised eyebrows": it flags a contrast that's surprising ("she practiced for weeks, yet the trick still failed"). Sentences where both "so" and "but" feel tempting are worth slowing down on: ask whether the second half is a result of the first or a push against it. That single question resolves nearly every case.

Watch for: The conjunctions aren't interchangeable: 'I fell and I laughed' tells a different story than 'I fell, but I laughed'. Because is a joining word too, but it isn't a coordinating conjunction. The core set here is and, but, or, so, yet.

Common questions about coordinating conjunctions

What does "yet" mean in a sentence?
A surprising but. "He studied for weeks, yet he still felt nervous" signals that the second half defies what the first half led you to expect. Fourth graders who already own "but" pick up yet quickly; it's the same job with more surprise in it.
How does this connect to compound sentences?
A comma plus a coordinating conjunction is how two complete thoughts legally join into one sentence, which is a 4th grade punctuation standard. Choosing the right conjunction is step one; placing the comma before it is step two, and it gets its own worksheet set.

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Aligned to Common Core L.3.1.h. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 137, updated August 2026.

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