Abstract
Japanese junior high school students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) study the coordinating conjunctions of and, but, and so, and the subordinating conjunction of because at an early stage of English education. However, Japanese EFL college students do not acquire the knowledge of appropriate use of such conjunctions in academic contexts. They somehow excessively produce simple sentences headed by and, but, so, and because in formal writing. Thus, the main purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of these four conjunctions by Japanese EFL college freshmen and provides plausible reasons why they frequently write such simple sentences starting with them. Along with the main investigations, use of other conjunctions is also examined.
