The FANBOYS Song: Mastering Coordinating Conjunctions

Khan Academy

This engaging animated music video introduces students to the mnemonic "FANBOYS" to help them memorize the seven coordinating conjunctions in English grammar. Through a catchy song and whimsical storytelling, the video personifies the concept as a group of boys who carry a giant fan, leading viewers through a narrative that eventually pivots to a direct grammar lesson. The distinct visual style features neon-colored hand-drawn animations against a black background, making it visually striking and easy to follow. The video weaves a humorous tale involving a train ride to Laredo, an encounter with bandits, and a decree by a magistrate, all to set up the memorable acronym. Key themes include the function of conjunctions to unite words, phrases, and clauses, and the power of language tools to improve writing structure. The song reinforces the list: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. For educators, this video serves as an excellent hook or review tool for English Language Arts lessons on sentence structure and parts of speech. It effectively transforms a dry grammatical list into an earworm that aids long-term retention. Teachers can use this video to transition from identifying conjunctions to using them for combining sentences, correcting run-on sentences, and adding variety to student writing.