Subordinating and Coordinating Conjunction Resource

Coordination/Subordination Resource

Coordination (coordinating conjunction)

Definition: Connects a word to word, a phrase to a phrase, clause to a clause---must be equal or the same type:

Example: A puffer rarely worries about calories or about dieting (two equal phrases connected by or)

Example: He simply puts his lips on a snail and sucks out his next meal (the conjunction and connects the phrase puts his lips on a snail to the phrase sucks out his next meal)

Example: Some living things produce food, and other living things consume food.  (The conjunction and connects two independent clauses to make a compound sentence)

Subordination (subordinating conjunction)

Definition: Connects word or groups of words which are not equally important.  A subordinate conjunction connects a dependent clause to an independent clause in order to complete the meaning of the dependent clause.

Example: A chocolate sundae tastes best when it is topped with chopped nuts (The clause when it is topped with chopped nuts is dependent.  It can’t stand alone and completes the meaning of the sentence)

Example: A brown trout will study the bait before he eats it. (The clause before he eats it is dependent.  It depends on the rest of the sentence to complete its meaning)

Example: The desert climate is considered harsh because it is so hot and dry.   (A subordinating conjunction introduces the dependent clause in a complex sentence.)

Coordinating Conjunctions:  and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet

Subordinating Conjunctions:  after, although, as, as if, as long as, as though, because, before, if, in order that, since, so, so that, though, unless, until, when where, whereas, while