Which statement correctly identifies what coordination in syntax involves?

• A. Two or more independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions
• B. A phrase with a missing element
• C. A single clause with a dependent clause
• D. An inverted sentence structure

Answer: (B)

Coordination in syntax involves linking two or more elements of equal syntactic status using coordinating conjunctions like and, but, or. The classic example is joining two independent clauses to form a compound sentence: “She sang, and he danced.” This shows how each part has the same grammatical level and is equally important in the larger structure.

Coordination can also connect other types of elements that share the same category, such as noun phrases: “red apples and green pears,” or adjectives: “ tall and slender.” The key idea is parallelism and equal status between the joined parts.

The option describing a phrase with a missing element points to ellipsis or a fragment, which is not about coordination. The option with a single clause plus a dependent clause refers to subordination, not coordination. The inverted sentence structure concerns word order rather than the act of joining elements of equal status.