Subordinating Conjunctions

Have you ever noticed how some sentences feel incomplete unless they are connected to another idea? That’s where subordinating conjunctions come in. They are special words that join a main idea with a supporting idea, making the sentence more meaningful and detailed.

For example: I stayed at home because it was raining.

Here, the word because links the reason to the main action.

Subordinating conjunctions are important because they indicate relationships such as cause and effect, time, contrast, purpose, or condition. They help us explain why something happens, when it happens, or under what conditions it happens.

In this article, you will learn the meaning, definition, and usage of subordinating conjunctions, along with exercises. You will also find a useful list of subordinating conjunctions that you can use in your sentences and daily communication.

 

 Table of Contents

• What is a Subordinating Conjunction?
• How Do I Identify Subordinating Conjunctions?
• Examples of Subordinating Conjunctions
• List of Subordinating Conjunctions for Everyday Use
• Check Your Understanding of Subordinating Conjunctions
• Frequently Asked Questions on Subordinating Conjunctions

 

What is a subordinating conjunction?

A subordinating conjunction is a word that connects a dependent clause to an independent clause, indicating the relationship between them (like time, reason, or condition). Essentially, it joins a clause that can't stand alone (dependent) to one that can (independent). 

Here's the classification:

• Dependent Clause: A clause that relies on another part of the sentence for its meaning and cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

• Independent Clause: A clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence.

• Subordinating Conjunction: The word that links these two clauses, showing the relationship between them (e.g., "because," "although," "if," "when"). 

 

Types of Subordinating Conjunctions in English Grammar

• Time: when, after, before, since, until, while

• Cause/Reason: because, since, as, so that

• Condition: if, unless, provided that, in case

• Contrast/Concession: although, though, even though, whereas

• Place: where, wherever

• Purpose: so that, in order that

 

How Do I Identify Subordinating Conjunctions?

Unlike coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions are far too many to remember using an acronym. However, unlike coordinators, subordinators can be “played by ear”: that is, we can test to confirm whether a word is a subordinator by putting it at the beginning of a complete sentence. If adding the word makes the sentence into a fragment, then the word is a subordinator. Consider the following example.

1. Charlie chugged the cola.

2. when Charlie chugged the cola

Charlie chugged the cola is an independent clause as it has both a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. It can stand on its own as a complete sentence. Add when to the beginning, and the clause becomes dependent: it is still a clause (since it has both a subject and a verb), but it does not express a complete thought. The reader is left with the question, “What happened when Charlie chugged the cola?” To express a complete thought, the dependent clause requires an independent clause.

When Charlie chugged the cola, the sport of competitive cola drinking changed forever.

Try the following exercise to tune your ear to find subordinate clauses. Keep in mind that coordinating conjunctions, or FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), are not subordinators, and therefore, they do not make clauses subordinate, so clauses linked with coordinating conjunctions remain independent.

 

Examples of Subordinating Conjunctions

In the English language, subordinating conjunctions include those like as long as, because, even if, if, unless, before, since, though, etc. Let us look at the following sentences to understand how subordinate conjunctions are employed and made use of.

Examples:

1. Unless you submit all the supporting documents, your application will not be processed.

2. I was not able to go to the hospital because it was raining heavily.

3. When I arrived at the railway station, I found out that the train had already departed.

4. Although we had parked in the parking lot, the traffic police issued us a parking ticket.

5. It is better to keep everything packed, as you are not sure when you will be asked to come to Bangalore.

 

List of Subordinating Conjunctions for Everyday Use

Given below is a list of subordinating conjunctions that can be used in everyday conversation.

Check Your Understanding of Subordinating Conjunctions

Activity 1: Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate conjunction in the following sentences. You can choose the most suitable conjunction from the list given below.

(after, although, because, before, if, since, unless, until, when, while)

1) I will go to the park __________ it stops raining.

2) Sarah likes to read books __________ she has free time.

3) We went to the beach __________ it was sunny.

4) Tom cannot play outside __________ he finishes his homework.

5) Maria will call you __________ she arrives at the station.

6) Peter likes to play basketball __________ his friends come over.

7) The cat will stay indoors __________ it's too cold outside.

8) Sally will go for a walk __________ the rain stops.

9) I will study hard __________ I want to pass my exams.

10) David will not go to the movies __________ he finishes his chores.

Answers:

1. when

2. when

3. because

4. until

5. after

6. when

7. if

8. when

9. because

10.  unless

 

Activity 2: Correct any punctuation errors in the following sentences. 

1. She plays guitar, when she sings.

2. As they harvested tomatoes they spoke little.

3. The crimes persisted although the police always roamed the street.

4. James Brown is funkiest, because he dances better than anyone.

Answers:

1. She plays guitar when she sings.

2. As they harvested tomatoes, they spoke little.

3. The crimes persisted although the police always roamed the street. (Original sentence is correct—no changes necessary.)

4. James Brown is the funkiest because he dances better than anyone.

 

Activity 3: Complete each sentence using the subordinating conjunction from the parentheses:

1. I visit the Grand Canyon _________ I go to Arizona. (once, whenever, wherever)

2. This is the place _________ we stayed last time we visited. (where, when, how)

3. _________ you win first place, you will receive a prize. (wherever, if, unless)

4. You won’t pass the test _________ you study. (when, if, unless)

5. I could not get a seat, _________ I came early. (as, though, when)

6. We are leaving Wednesday _________ or not it rains. (if, whether, though)

7. Pay attention to your work _________ you will not make mistakes. (so that, unless, or)

8. The musicians delivered a rousing performance _________ they had rehearsed often. (though, as, once)

9. She’s honest _________ everyone trusts her. (if, so, when)

10. Write this down _________ you forget. (or, when, lest)

Answers: 

1. whenever

2. where

3. if

4. unless

5. though

6. whether

7. so that

8. as

9. so

10. Lest

 

Frequently Asked Questions on Subordinating Conjunctions

 

Q1. What is a subordinating conjunction, and examples?

Answer: Subordinating conjunctions like "despite" and "although" are used to join independent and dependent clauses together. This is called a "complex sentence". "Although she couldn't stand him, Melinda took a cross-country trip with Jerry."

 

Q2. What are 50 subordinating conjunctions?

Answer: Some common subordinating conjunctions are after, although, as, as if, as long as, because, before, despite, even if, even though, if, so that, rather than, since, so that, that, though, unless, until, when, where, whereas, whether, and while.

 

Q3. What is coordination and subordination with examples?

Answer: Coordination: Dakhon was hurrying, and he cut his finger. Subordination: Because Dakhon was hurrying, he cut his finger.

 

Q4. Is ‘that’ a subordinating conjunction​?

Answer: No, "that" is not always a subordinating conjunction. While it can function as one, it also has other roles in English grammar. When used to introduce a noun clause that acts as the object of a verb, "that" is a subordinating conjunction. However, it can also be a relative pronoun, a demonstrative adjective, or a pronoun.

 

Q5. Is ‘then’ a subordinating conjunction​?

Answer: No, "then" is not a subordinating conjunction. It's typically used as an adverb or as part of a coordinating conjunction (often with "and") to indicate time or sequence. Subordinating conjunctions, like "because," "although," or "if," introduce clauses that depend on the main clause for their meaning, while "then" usually introduces a separate idea or action following another.

 

Q6. Is ‘till’ a subordinating conjunction​?

Answer: Yes, "till" is a subordinating conjunction. It can be used interchangeably with "until" to connect a dependent clause to an independent clause, often indicating a point in time. While "until" is more common in formal writing, "till" is a perfectly acceptable alternative, especially in less formal contexts.