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.
Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.
Need one more? These are the skills next door at this grade.
The kind of sentences you'll get
Circle the letter of the joining word that fits the sentence.
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The road to the lighthouse was long, the view was worth it.
and · or · but
Answer: but
- Penguins are birds, they cannot fly. but · nor · or
- The conductor asked whether we should open with the waltz the march. but · and · or
Every print pulls a new set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.
What's on a 4th grade sheet
4th grade sheets draw from 60 sentences, 10 to a page. 25 of the 60 aren't on 3rd grade sheets. The other 35 are.
A few of the sentences:
- The soup was too salty, so Wei added more water.
- The joke in the story was funny, so the whole class laughed.
- The old violin looked worn out, yet its sound filled the entire hall.
- Choose the word. Circle the letter of the joining word that fits the sentence. 10 questions per page.
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 4th grade 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.
Related worksheets
- 3rd grade coordinating conjunctions A step easier, same skill
- 4th grade abstract and concrete nouns Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade action verbs Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade adjective or adverb? Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade adverbs of how, when, and where Same grade, nearby skill
- Coordinating conjunctions, all grades The full progression
- All 4th grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 4th grade worksheets Everything at this level
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Aligned to Common Core L.3.1.h. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.
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