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Intermediate 5 | Lesson 01 | Coordinating Conjunctions - FANBOYS

Collecting Computers

Todd explains why he has so many computers.

Sarah: Todd, why do you have three computers?

Todd: I know. It's crazy. I do have three computers. Before, I had four computers. Now, I only have three computers.

I have three computers because I use computers for my job. So I have one computer for my house. One laptop computer for my house. And I always keep that computer at my house. So it's heavy. It's a MacBook Pro. And I don't like to carry it, so I leave it home. And I have a MacBook Air. It's very light. It's not heavy. And I use my MacBook Air when I travel, when I go to school, when I go downtown to a café.

So yeah, I have one computer for home and one computer for when I travel.

Sarah: And how about the other one?

Todd: Oh, the other computer. The other computer is old. It's also a MacBook Pro, and it's seven years old.

Sarah: Wow.

Todd: Yeah. It still works. It works really well but I use it as a backup computer. So sometimes, I need a computer in case one computer fails. Also, sometimes my friends need a computer and I lend my computer to my friends.

Sarah: Oh, that's nice.

Todd: Yeah. It's easy. I like that.

Sarah: What do you do if you need something that's on the other computer?

Todd: Well, I use cloud computing, so I use Dropbox. So Dropbox shares everything. So all computers are linked and they share all the files. So it's no problem.

Sarah: How about phones? How many do you have?

Todd: I have three phones, also for my job. I have an iPhone. I have a Samsung Galaxy. And I have a Nokia Windows phone.

Sarah: Oh really?

Todd: Yeah.

Sarah: Which one do you like the best?

Todd: Hmm, that's tough. I think I like the Samsung Galaxy the best because it's bigger and it's easy to read. But the iPhone has good apps. I like the apps on the iPhone, and the iPhone is very reliable. So it always works.

So yeah.

Sarah: How about the Nokia?

Todd: The Nokia is also a good phone. It's a Windows phone, and I travel a lot so when I travel, I always take the Nokia phone and I use a new sim card in the country, and that is my phone when I travel.

I usually leave my Galaxy phone or my iPhone at home.

Sarah: You say you use your phone for work. How?

Todd: So I create websites and so I need to check how websites look on different phones. So every time I make a website, I check it on the Nokia phone. I check it on the Samsung phone. I check on the iPhone. So I make sure the website works on all smartphones.

Sarah: Does the website often have problems with one phone or a different phone?

Todd: Usually not. Usually, everything is okay. But sometimes, media files like audio files or video files do not work on the phones. So sometimes, I have to change things. But usually, it works.

Sarah: Ah.

Todd: How about you? How many computers do you have?

Sarah: Well, at home, we have one laptop. And it's kind of big, so I don't usually take it out with me. And then we have a personal computer, and we also have a tablet, an iPad.

Todd: Oh yeah.

Sarah: And I don't use the iPad very much. It's usually used by my daughter. She's two, and she loves to play games on the iPad.

Todd: Right.

Sarah: So it's an expensive toy.

Todd: So your daughter likes the iPad, you like the laptop.

Sarah: I like the laptop, yes.

Todd: And the personal computer?

Sarah: The personal computer is my husbands. And we also use it as the family computer when we want to watch a movie or watch a TV show. Something like that.

Todd: Oh wow. Sounds good. And phones?

Sarah: Phones. Well, I have my own phone. I have Sony phone. It's an Xperia. And I like it. It's big, so sometimes my fingers can't reach all the buttons but I can watch videos on it. I like that. And when I leave the country, I can't use it in other countries. But I can use the Wi-Fi. So that's convenient.

Todd: Yeah, that is convenient. Okay. Thanks a lot, Sarah.

Sarah: Thank you.

Coordinating Conjunctions - Grammar Notes

Coordinating Conjunctions connect words, phrases and clauses. There are seven of them.
  1. I work in the city, and I study at university.
  2. I am tired, but I will keep working.
  3. It was cold, so we stayed inside.
  4. You can leave, or you can stay.
  5. I don't like math, nor do I like history.
  6. We went home, for it was getting late.
  7. I was so tired, yet I could not sleep.
And shows similarity and associates things.

Word: I have a dog and a cat.
Phrase
: I like to study at night and in the morning.
Clause: I can sing and I write music, too.

But contrasts ideas.

Word: It is cloudy but warm.
Phrase
: It is open on Saturday but not on Sunday.
Clause: I play sports, but I never watch sports on TV.

So shows cause and effect. It has other meanings. Thus, it can only be used with clauses.

Word: --x--
Phrase
: --x--
Clause: I was tired, so I went home.

For shows reasons. It means because. It has other meanings. Thus, it can only be used with clauses.

Word: --x--
Phrase
: --x--
Clause: We did not make it, for the traffic was bad.

Or connects related choices.

Word: You can have coffee or tea.
Phrase
: We can stay by the lake or in the woods.
Clause: We can take the train, or we can drive there.

Nor connects two related negative concepts.

Word: The book was not fun, nor useful.
Phrase
: I don't sit much at home, nor at work.
Clause: I don't eat meat, nor do I drink caffeine.

Yet shows a surprising contrast between two things.

Word: Her dress was elegant yet simple.
Phrase
: --x--
Clause: He is rich, yet he never spends any money.

Answer the following questions about the interview.

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