ISC Paper Template in A4 (V1) Journal of Education, Teaching, and Learning Volume 7 Number 1 March 2022. Page 32-39 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 32 Journal of Education, Teaching, and Learning is licensed under A Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License. APPROACHES FOR MASTERING COORDINATIVE APPOSITIONS EXCEPTIONS IN SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE Farisani Thomas Nephawe1), Matodzi Nancy Lambani2) 1) University of Venda, South Africa E-mail: farisani.nephawe @univen.ac.za 2) University of Venda, South Africa E-mail: Matodzi.lambani@univen.ac.za Abstract. Coordinative appositions bring coordination between words, phrases, and clauses in communication. They are one grammatical feature requiring second language learners’ competence in its usage. However, the use of the coordinative appositions exceptions in English language is concerning. They usually deviate from the exceptions involved in the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in the simple present tense. In South African schools, English First Additional Language learners are affected by this learning adversity. The research paper aimed at investigating a suitable approach for mastering the coordinative appositions exceptions in the simple present tense. A quantitative research approach was used by the researchers because the findings could be reduced to numbers and percentages using statistical procedures. Using a questionnaire, data were collected from the respondents. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22 and IBM SPSS version 25 both were utilised to analyse data after the findings from each software were collated for validity purposes. A random sampling technique was used to sample 8 respondents from an overall enrolment of 65 Grade eight learners at Andries Mugaguli Secondary School in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Although pre-test findings showed poor performance in using ‘Hangman’ approach, after utilising the ‘coordinating conjunction board game, learners’ performance improved remarkably. The research recommends regular practise in the exceptions involved in the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in the simple present tense. Keywords: compound subjects; concord; coordinating conjunctions; exceptions I. INTRODUCTION Parts of speech are the basic components of communication, and consisting of verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions, determiners, and interjections (Khan, 2020). Of these parts of speech, conjunctions bring the coordination between the elements of sentences (Kusumawardhani, 2017). Furthermore, these parts of speech maintain a healthy relationship between two or more words or phrases where two units are grammatically parallel and possess the same referent. The most common and frequently used conjunctions (Tarpley, 2021) are the coordinating conjunctions, the correlating conjunctions, and the subordinate conjunctions. The ‘coordinating conjunctions’, namely: for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so necessitate the adequate command of English grammar (Unubi, 2019). The conjunction ‘for’ explains a reason, ‘and’ joins two ideas, ‘nor’ joins two negative ideas, ‘but’ introduces an opposing idea, ‘or’ shows an alternative, ‘yet’ presents a contrasting idea, and ‘so’ shows an effect or result. Sentence elements of the same grammatical clash are connected using the coordinative appositions (Unubi, 2019) to bring a clear meaning of the intended proposition. They join elements of the equal rank or significance. Singular subjects joined with the coordinating conjunction ‘and’, ‘or’ and ‘but’ form a singular group noun comprising two or more independent elements within a single unit. As the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ coordinates the subjects and the verbs, concord rule is extended to the order of persons, namely: first, second and third persons. This rule states that two or more subjects joined by the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ require the plural verbs, and that the compound subjects do not represent a single unit. Therefore, the plural verbs and the plural subjects must agree in number (Tarpley, 2021), as in: ‘The watch and pencils are on the table’. Also, the subjects joined with ‘both’ and ‘and’ require the plural verbs since they signal more than one subject like in ‘Both the students and the lecturer are here’. Although the nouns 'learners' is plural and ‘lecturer’ is singular, they can be plural due to the conjunction ‘and’. The exception entailed in the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in this regard is that the singular compound subjects referring to a singular idea (Kirszner & Mandell, 2015) require http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ mailto:Matodzi.lambani@univen.ac.za https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/author/lauratarpley/ Journal of Education, Teaching, and Learning Volume 7 Number 1 March 2022. Page 32-39 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 33 singular verbs, as in: ‘The chauffeur and vehicle mechanic is James’. Two verbs can either be combined into a single compound (Thoughtful Learner K-12 Newsletter, 2021) in ‘Jump and run’, two nouns like ‘Sugar and milk’; two adjectives such as ‘old and tall’, two adverbs in ‘Slowly and carefully’ two phrases such as ‘Prepare delicious supper and people like it’, or two or more independent clauses in ‘She loves candy’, ‘I know they are sweet’, People are warned against eating them’. The subjects and verbs containing a similar feature must comply with the demand of grammatical features irrespective of the conjunction ‘and’. The compound nouns referring to a single entity ignore the concord rule when the singular verbs are used with the plural subjects (Lester & Beason, 2013), as in: ‘The pencils and a paper’, ‘spaghetti and meatball’, ‘meat and potatoes, ‘fish and chips’ ‘peanut butter and jelly, ‘ham and eggs’ and ‘bacon and eggs’ because they are single dishes taken simultaneously. In addition, when the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ is indirectly available, the plural verb is used, for example, ‘The stove, chairs, tables, fridges are important in the house’. Nonetheless, the absence of the conjunction ‘and’ complicates the exception rules. The plural verbs and the plural subjects are used although one key noun is implicit and missing, for example, ‘South African and Indian English are dialects of one language’, and ‘South African English and Indian English’ are dialects of one language’. The exception rules follow grammatical decorum and relevance (Stapa, 2010) when nouns are placed adjacent to the verbs determining the singularity and plurality regarding the quantity of the subjects. At face value, the exceptions involved in the use of the coordinative appositions seem easy to comprehend. However, understanding the coordination between words, phrases, two independent clauses or sentences (Thoughtful Learner K-12 Newsletter, 2021) has been a major problem for the second language (L2) learners over the years. Nevertheless, the difficulties in understanding these exceptions strengthen the learners’ belief that it is impossible to master the English as a language. They cannot produce a single sentence without committing a grammatical error regardless of the frequent practice they make. Eventually, they become frustrated in learning English even at the higher institutions of learning although it is a vehicle of communication, highly internationalised (Estliden, 2017), and brings unity among different communities in the world. In South Africa, for example, it is used as a First Additional Language (FAL) at schools. Although Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement Grades 7-9 (2011) emphasises that learners must acquire and apply knowledge and skills for communicating appropriately and effectively, they still face difficulties in mastering the exceptions (Nishanthi, 2018) regarding the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in the simple present tense. As the research aimed to identify the approaches for learning Grade eight English FAL, to describe them, and to establish reasons for learners’ poor competence, the identified approach was achieved using the following questions: What approaches can be used in the learning of the exceptions involved in the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’? How can the identified approaches be described? What are the causes of learners’ poor competence in this regard? The limitation of this research was that the samples were minimal and conducted only on the selected Grade eight learners. However, a full-fledged study with a bigger sample can be explored since the results of this study cannot be generalised. The identified approaches can assist learners in discovering adequate approaches for learning the existing exceptions in the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. Teachers can use the identified approaches against the violation of these exceptions. Moreover, the study can contribute to the debate on the mastery of the exceptions involved in this regard, and the substantial issues that warrant further research. A. Literature Review The study was underpinned by Vygotsky’s (1980) Social Constructivist Learning Theory and the ‘Montessori Theory’ (1907) addressing the methods, concepts, and foundation principles for both the researchers and respondents. The Social Constructivist Learning Theory states that learning can be active within the paradigm of the social relationship because knowledge is socially constructed with or without the guidance of the teacher. Therefore, in these theories, the teacher-guided, and the student-centred priorities are blended. The Montessori Theory indicates that learning can occur effectively with the use of games. This theory suggests six principles that can make a game a reality. For example: 1) ‘Independence principle’ for ensuring that learners to get the freedom to move about, to choose what they want to do, and how they want to do it since their self-belief, self-confidence and esteem were stimulated (Isaacs, 2018), 2) ‘Observing principle’ enabling the teacher to be non-directive but spending time watching the learners without predetermined ideas in the exploration of the game with pleasure, 3) ‘Following principle’ making learners to play as they wish, 4) ‘Correcting the child principle’ abetting the learners’ mistakes carefully. 5) ‘Prepared environment principle’ making the teacher to organise the equipment and venues that give learners freedom of movement and choice, and 6) ‘Absorbent mind principle’ enabling the teachers to assist learners in playing with enjoyment. Games related to multicultural competency have consistently been utilised (Forbes, 2021). In 1990, Barak utilised ‘The Empathy Game’ to increase students’ empathic abilities. Anderton and King (2016) used video games to increase students’ self-awareness and increase empathy for various populations. Swank (2012) employed games including ‘Jenga’, ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’, and ‘Jeopardy’ to assess learners' activities while Pisheh and Bagheri (2012) utilised ‘Make a sentence’, ‘Unscramble sentences on the board’, ‘Hangman’ and ‘Word hunt’. Journal of Education, Teaching, and Learning Volume 7 Number 1 March 2022. Page 32-39 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 34 Game learning create a conducive environment leading to creativity and innovative orientations (James & Nerantzi, 2019). The applied game approaches are self-reflection tools and creative way for imparting psychoeducation. Through games such as the ‘coordinating conjunction board game’, learners enjoy and get motivated in learning. As games are deeply rooted in human brains, they assist in learning, connect theory and practice, and offer support to learners’ well-being. Further, games entrench learning and educational theory without altering the game constructs (Blanton, 2017) in teaching and learning. The examples of the exceptions occurring in the common compound subjects involving the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’, therefore, include 'one and the same', 'each and every', and 'bacon and eggs': 1. One and the same The compound subject ‘one and the same’ is used with a singular verb or two nouns that refer to the same person or object (Lester & Beason, 2013). It is joined with the coordinating conjunction 'and'. Although they are plural in nature, they do not require a plural verb, for example, ‘His wife and renowned dentist seeks vaccination’ and reject *‘His wife and renowned dentist seek vaccination’. The phrase ‘His wife and renowned dentist’ refers to the same person. The compound subject ‘one and the same’ is a singular subject quantifier and has exceptions to consider in the utilisation of the proper coordination in the simple present tense. The exceptions involved in the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’, in this context is that when coordinative appositions are connected by the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ denote the same person, or object a singular verb is to be used in sentences such as ‘My brother and doctor dies of Covid 19’, ‘Her hospitality and her generality denotes girlish character’, and ‘Our teacher and principal sings hymn in the morning prayer’ are good example of the exceptions involved in the use of the coordinating conjunction 'and'. 2. Each and every Regarding noun group ‘each and every’, the Grade eight English FAL learners can be conversant with the exceptions that govern the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ (Kirszner & Mandell, 2015). When the compound subject ‘each or every’ fronts a sentence, the verb becomes singular. The sentences: ‘Every professor and a member of the research council edits an article,’ ‘Every Grade eight and Grade seven learners is to write an online test’, and ‘Each student and Mrs universe is brilliant’ justify the exception rule in this context. Learners find it difficult to comprehend ‘each and every’ is an implicit paraphrase of ‘each one’ and ‘everyone’. When trying to form answers that are relevant to the use of this compound, learners deviate from the exception rules in this context. As the Grade eight English FAL learners find difficulties in using the conjunction ‘and’ (Muhsin, 2016), proper utterances cannot be ensured in the rural South African schools as there is minimal exposure to English. 3. Bacon and eggs Compound subjects joined with the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ are considered a single unit. They require the inclusion of single verbs instead of plural ones, for example, the ‘Sandwiches and bread is my favourite dish’ than *‘Sandwiches and bread are my favourite dish’, and ‘Spaghetti and meatballs’ is delicious instead of *‘Spaghetti and meatballs are delicious’. The nouns ‘spaghetti’ and ‘meatballs’ refer to a single unit. Based on this example, the exception rules are difficult to comprehend (Kirszner & Mandell, 2015). Some learners do not recognise synonymous foods as a single entity and consequently, reject the singular verbs instead of the plural verbs. Hence, the need to investigate the approaches that can make learners understand the use of the exceptions involving ‘bacon an eggs’ in this regard. Learners were given two games to play relating to the ‘coordinating conjunction board game.’ In game one, eight learners were divided into two groups consisting of four members each. They were given exercises involving the agreement between the compound subjects and the verbs in the simple present tense. The first group was given pieces of card box with the compound subjects written on them while the second one was given pieces with verbs in the simple present tense. When a member from the first group raised up a piece of the card box with a compound subject, the second group responded by raising the matching verb. The groups took turns playing such a game for approximately 15 minutes. The results were recorded and compared. The group that scored high marks won the game. The results indicated a far-reaching achievement in understanding the exceptions regarding the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. Nonetheless, the existing literature on learning using a game is most infrequent even though games offer a foundation to the entire learning process (Forbes, 2021). Games allow learners to practise discipline-specific competence in English language. Therefore, they intuitively derive benefit from using games as the process of learning their school subjects. Notwithstanding, the overall lack of research and literature on games at secondary schools may be due to suspicion about the stance of games in education and or the perception that game learning is time-consuming (Swank, 2012). Not only is the literature on games in higher education scant, but the academic publications are conceptual rather than empirical. They describe games as additive and used for a singular purpose within learning rather than as a groundwork to the entire learning process. In this hegemony, the need for further research on games in secondary school education is a requirement to broaden the conceptualisation regarding the efficacy and legitimisation of game approach in the learning of English language. B. Approaches for learning coordinating conjunctions The Department of Basic Education in South Africa is looking forward to seeing the provision of quality learning experiences (Forbes, 2021) to its citizens using increased Journal of Education, Teaching, and Learning Volume 7 Number 1 March 2022. Page 32-39 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 35 students’ motivation and engagement that are vital to deep learning and enhanced student outcomes. Traditionally, active learning approaches have been utilised to make an informed educational throughput (Freeman et al., 2014), however, such approaches are adopted with minimal appreciation by educators. A multitude of learning approaches can be used to bring students “from past a simplistic form of learning and into a more complex education that leads to deeper levels of understanding” (Forbes, 2021:57). According to Pisheh and Bagheri (2012), educational games such as ‘Make a sentence’, ‘Unscramble sentences on the board’, ‘Hangman’ and ‘Word hunt’ were unequivocally indispensable in the learning of English grammar. However, several approaches for learning the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ include ‘combining choppy sentences’, ‘ticking’, ‘slap- it’, ‘bingo conjunction’, ‘challenge’, ‘memory circle’ games, and ‘coordinating conjunction board game’ (Thoughtful Learner Newsletter, 2021). However, although there are several approaches for learning the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’, focus was on the ‘coordinating conjunction board game’. In game two, eight learners were again divided into two groups of four, and each group was given a copy of the game board, a dice, and some counters (TeachThis, 2021). They were told to complete different sentences using the coordinating conjunction 'and'. When the first player has landed on a square at which the previous one had landed, the other learners had to add appropriate words, phrases, or independent clauses. Also, learners placed their counters on the start square. The first learner that had to throw a six started the game. All players took turns to roll the dice and moved their counter along the board. When each player landed on a square, the player combined sentences accordingly and announced the sentence to the group for approval. When the sentence was approved by the other learners including the researchers the player stayed on the square. However, if rejected the player had to go back to the previous square or could have missed a turn. Eventually, the first player to reach the finish square qualified to win the game. In this situation, both two groups performed extraordinarily. II. METHODS The researchers utilised a Hermeneutic Interpretive Phenomenological (HIP) methodology. The resechers envisaged to understand the meaning and the interpretation of the learners’ experiences in using a game approach (Creswell, 2014) regarding the exceptions involved in the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in the simple present tense. The research design for this paper was quantitative for it provides valid research outcomes (Abuhamda, Bsharat & Ismail, 2021) based on mathematical calculations and statistics producing more objective analytical data. The research construction and variables were determined by data collection station. The post-positivist arguments, in this regard, encompassed knowledge, cause and effect reasoning, reduction to individual variables, and theories and questions, use of measurements and observations, and the theory test (Basias & Pollalis, 2018). This design concerned experiments and surveys, and predetermined data collection approaches yielding statistical data, and emphasising quantification in data collection and analysis (Bahari, 2010). It reduced reality to numbers, and its variables were counted with numbers. Also, it involved the integrity, the trustworthiness, and the authenticity implying the correctness and reality of the research findings from both the researchers, the respondents and the readers’ point of views (Warfield, 2010). Since the overall enrolment of the Grade eight English FAL learners at Andries Mugaguli Secondary School comprised 180, a 10% population sampling norm was used to randomly select 18 respondents. Probability sampling technique was used in this research paper because it gives an equal participatory chance to all respondents. Thus, a game approach “steered the way of creating a socially constructed environment” (Forbes, 2021:59) enabling learning through experiences and reflection as envisaged by Vygotsky (1980) and Piaget’s (2013) ‘Social Constructivist Learning Theory’ approach. Data collection was based on (1) the provision of a questionnaire, (2) respondents’ choices from a set of pre- defined responses to the questionnaire, and (3) the natural setting of the questionnaire’s response. A list of subsequent themes with multiple choice answers was typed in sequence and printed to draw data from the respondents (Aryal, 2017). The respondents answered the closed-ended questions without justifying their stances. Empirical data were classified using a coding technique. Frequency of occurrence was used in grouping learners’ answers to access the validity regarding the integrity, the trustworthiness, and the authenticity of the research findings. The reality of the research findings from the respondents’ opinions (Abuhamda et al, 2021) was established Data authorisation was entrenched using their internal reliability and with the findings of Leithwood, Harris, and Hopkins (2020). The seriousness of the respondents towards the research questionnaire necessitated the trustworthiness of their perceptions that did not completely represent the consistent reliability (Mohajan, 2017). The suitability of these perceptions shows the respondents’ competence in the use of the exceptions involving the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. Data were analysed using to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22 to ensure clear interpretation of the results. For the reliability purposes, numerical order and mathematical properties were used. The confirmability of data analysis was done using IBM (SPSS) version 25 relating to descriptive statistics comparing (Nicholas, 2006) between the sample mean, and the population 'mean'. The research was conducted within the rules and regulations of the University of Venda ethical guidelines. The respondents were informed about purpose of the research, guarantee of anonymity, and secure storage of their data. https://k12.thoughtfullearning.com/minilesson/combining-choppy-sentences https://www.emile-education.com/conjunctions-2/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-3 https://www.emile-education.com/conjunctions-2/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-5 https://www.emile-education.com/conjunctions-2/#elementor-toc__heading-anchor-11 Journal of Education, Teaching, and Learning Volume 7 Number 1 March 2022. Page 32-39 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 36 III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Eventually, (1) data reduction was invaluable as it helped in sorting, selecting, classifying, and eliminating irrelevant data against the focus of the study, (2) the relevant data were interpreted and presented based on the aim of the research, and (3) conclusion was three-fold: the depiction of the research findings, verification of data, and specification and validation of the results. In this research paper, from the questionnaire that dealt with the identification of an approach for mastering the exceptions involved in the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’, the compound subjects, namely: ‘one and the same’, ‘each and every’, and ‘bacon and eggs’ were discussed according to the suitability of the ‘coordinating conjunction board game’. TABLE 1 COMPOUND SUBJECTS: CONJUNCTION ‘AND’ Questions Respondents’ rejoinders Correct responses Incorrect responses 1) Sulking and smiling (give/gives) peace. 92.9% 7.1% 2) A car, its tyres, and lamps (is/are) gone. 79.8% 20.2% 3) A nurse and midwife (helps/help) the girl. 48.5% 51.5% 4) Lock and key (are/is) useful security. 86.% 14% 5) Bread and butter (invites/invite) appetite 69.2% 38.8% After having used the ‘coordinating conjunction board game’ approach involving the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’, the Grade eight English FAL respondents could select the appropriate answers from the following table containing five closed-ended questions: Question 1 that deals with the exception ‘one and the same’ shows that the majority (92.9%) of the respondents were competent in the exceptions in the use of the coordinate conjunction ‘and’. The finding is in contrast with Chele’s (2015) suggestion that English FAL learners cannot understand the use of the compound subject ‘each and every’. They knew the difference between the plural verb ‘give’ and the singular verb ‘gives’. The presence of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in the compound subject ‘sulking and smiling’ is intricated in a single action and requires a singular verb gives to bring agreement between subject and verb. However, few respondents (7.1%) were incompetent in the exceptions regarding the use of the coordinative apposition ‘and’. To them, the presence of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ meant that the plural verb (Balwit, 2017) could be used. They chose the answer give instead of ‘gives’. The exception observed was that the gerunds ‘sulking’ and ‘smiling’, in unison, require a singular verb although they were joined by the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. Question 2 regarding the exception ‘each and every’ indicates that 79.8% of the respondents were competent in the exceptions around the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in the simple present tense. They knew that the compound subject: ‘car, its tyres, and lamps’ is a single subject and requires a singular verb is regardless of the presence of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. The finding is in line with Lester and Beason (2013) who suggest that when the compound subject ‘each or every’ fronts a sentence, the verb becomes singular. Thus, the plural ‘are’ was rejected in favour of the singular verb ‘is’. However, only 20.2% of the respondents were incompetent in the exception involving the use of coordinating conjunction ‘and’. They did not know that the compound subject ‘A car, its tyres, and lamps' was in a singular form and did not require a plural verb ‘are’. They might have been confused by the rule stating that the quantifier ‘each and every’ modifies a group noun into a singular subject requiring a singular verb ‘is’. In question 3, the respondents (45.8%) were competent in the exceptions involving the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. They knew that the compound subject: ‘nurse and midwife’ is a single group noun requiring a singular verb helps. The finding was congruent with Kirszner and Mandell’s (2015) suggestion that learners can be competent in the exceptions involving coordinating conjunctions. The ‘nouns ‘nurse and ‘midwife’ refer to the same person even though they were joined by the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. It is concerning that the respondents (51.5%) could not understand the fact that the two nouns refer to the same unit. They confused the singular verb ‘helps’ for the plural verb ‘help’. However, if these nouns were fronted by similar or dissimilar determiners, they would have been plural subjects requiring the plural verb ‘help’. This answer questions the learners’ competence in the application of the exceptions concerning the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. Otherwise, these learners might have just guessed the answer with no philosophical foundation. Nevertheless, these findings do not justify learners’ incompetency because in the other questions they performed above the average. Question 4 concerning ‘bacon and eggs’ signals that the majority (86.%) of the respondents were competent in the exceptions around the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. The finding is in line with Chele (2015) who suggest that the grade eight learners, particularly those living in the deep traditional villages, cannot understand the use of compound subjects. These respondents knew that although the two nouns ‘lock’ and ‘key’ were unidentical and independent, however when joined by the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ a singular verb is required. Nevertheless, it is evident in this research paper that the minority (14%) of the respondents were incompetent in the exceptions around the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. The finding is congruent Muhsin’s (2016) assertion that learners face difficulties in using the compound subject ‘each and every’. The respondents, in this context, might have thought that as the nouns ‘lock’ and ‘keys’ are linked to the door utensils used simultaneously, the presence of the coordinating conjunction 'and' requires a plural verb 'are' the application of the simple present tense. Question 5 regarding the exception ‘bacon and eggs’ shows that the majority (69.2%) of the respondents were Journal of Education, Teaching, and Learning Volume 7 Number 1 March 2022. Page 32-39 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 37 competent in the exceptions involving the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. This finding is congruent with Balwit’s (2017) suggestion that the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ placed between the nouns does not mean that the group noun requires a plural verb ‘invite’ in conformity with the concord rule. Thus, compound subjects: ‘Bread and butter’ is singular and requires a singular verb ‘invites’ to maintain the agreement between the subjects and the verb. Although 38.8% of the respondents were incompetent in the exceptions around the use of the coordinating conjunction 'and', the study revealed that respondents' performance was satisfactory. They might have been confused by the rule regarding the use of the conjunction ‘and’ where the two nouns joined by the conjunction ‘and’ become plural. Also, they might have thought that the plural verb ‘invite’ could be the right answer instead of the singular verb ‘invites’. Since data analysis was descriptive and required inferential statistics, after having engaged the descriptive statistics analysis, the researchers illustrated the respondents’ mastery of the exception rules in this regard. The relations between the mean and the standard deviation of the variables sanctioned the validity and reliability of findings. As this approach is invaluable, the following descriptive statistics analyses were utilsed accordingly. TABLE 2 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS: CONJUNCTION ‘AND’ Simple present tense Mean Std deviation Std error mean 1) Sulking and smiling (give/gives) peace. 1,3724 0,47809 0,07968 2) A room, radio, and table (is/are) for sale. 1.8551 0,28031 0,04672 3) A nurse and midwife (helps/help) the girl. 1.7866 0,50395 0,08399 4) Lock and key (are/is) useful security. 1,4575 0,50395 0,08399 5) Bread and butter (invites/invite) appetite. 1,7598 0,47809 0,07968 Based on the IBM software version 25 for statistical analysis (Nicholas, 2006), table 2 shows the descriptive statistics regarding the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in terms of the mean and the standard deviation scores. The questionnaire was based on the Grade eight English FAL learners’ competence regarding the exceptions involved in the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in the simple present tense performance. On the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in question 1 reading ‘Sulking and smiling (give/gives) peace’, the mean score was 1.372 and the standard deviation was 0.478. These results indicate that most the respondents performed per the expectation of the researchers, however, compared to other questions concerning the coordinating conjunction ‘and’, the performance was the least of them all. Regarding the question around the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ ‘A room, radio, and table (is/are) for sale’, the mean score was 1.8551 and the standard deviation was 0.28 implying that most of the respondents did well on this question, and their performance was not dispersed. The mean score on the question involving the coordinating conjunction ‘and’: ‘A nurse and midwife (helps/help) the girl’ was 1.7866 with a standard deviation of 0.503, which implies that the respondents’ competence was unquestionably outstanding, but their scores were dispersed. On the subject, ‘Lock and key (are/is) useful security’, the mean score was 1.4575 with the standard deviation of 0.5039, Nevertheless, the question around the coordinating conjunction 'and', namely: 'Bread and butter (invites/invite) appetite', the mean score was 1.759, and the standard deviation was 0.478. Generally, this implies that there was an improvement in the understanding of the exceptions involved in the use of the coordination conjunction 'and' in the simple present tense. Further, the 'coordinating conjunction board game' was an indispensable tool for understanding the exceptions concerning the use of the conjunction in this regard. Nonetheless, not only did the Grade eight English FAL learners at Andries Mugaguli Secondary School benefitted from the use of the ‘coordinating conjunction board game’ in this regard, but all the L2 learners can enjoy same all over the world. Hence, teaching and learning can be enhanced if all English language teachers and their learners begin to use the 'conjunction board game' approach in this regard. IV. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS The identification of the approaches useful in learning the exceptions involved in the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ is noteworthy in ensuring proper communication in both academic and social archetypes. From the study findings established using a questionnaire dealing with the approaches for mastering the exceptions involved in the use of the coordinating conjunction 'and', the fundamental conclusions, therefore, are: 1. Identifying the approaches for learning coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in the simple present tense is a sophisticated strategy for addressing the challenges faced by the Grade eight English FAL learners. 2. Understanding the exceptions involved in the use of the coordinating conjunction 'and' in the simple present tense is a requirement. 3. Involving the ‘coordinating conjunction board game’ approach is worthwhile in learning the exceptions concerning the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in the simple present tense. In conformity with the conclusions mentioned in the preceding paragraph, the next suggestions are: 1. Expose learners to use the 'coordinating conjunction board game' approach in mastering the exceptions concerning the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. Journal of Education, Teaching, and Learning Volume 7 Number 1 March 2022. Page 32-39 p-ISSN: 2477-5924 e-ISSN: 2477-8478 38 2. Workshop English FAL teachers regularly on the exceptions regarding the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’. 3. Inspire researchers to conduct further studies on the use of the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ exceptions. 4. Integrate the ‘coordinating conjunction board game’ approach in the school syllabus. 5. Encourage the curriculum developers to incorporate the ‘coordinating conjunction board game’ approach. 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