SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTION

Subordinate conjunctions are conjunctions that connect an independent clause with a

dependent clause. An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a complete
sentence without any additional information. For example: "The student failed the test."
Meanwhile, a dependent clause is a clause that cannot stand alone because it functions as
additional information to the main clause. For example: "because she didn’t study." Since a
dependent clause cannot stand alone, a subordinate conjunction is used to form a complete
and more complex sentence, such as: "The student failed the test because she didn’t study."

Below are examples of various types of subordinate conjunctions:

1. Time : after, as, as soon as, before, once, since, until/till, when, whenever, while

2. Place : where, wherever

3. Contrast : although, even though, though, whereas, while, even if

4. Cause / Reason / Result

- Cause/reason : as, because, since

- Result : so

5. Purpose : in order that, so that

6. Condition : as long as, if, only if, otherwise, or else, provided /providing (that), supposing,
unless

7. Manner : as if, as though, how, the way

So, how do we use subordinate conjunctions? Here are two ways to use subordinate
conjunctions:

1. Used at the beginning of the sentence

If a subordinate conjunction is used at the beginning of a sentence, don’t forget to add a

comma ( , ) before the independent clause.

Example:
"Before she went to Jakarta, she got her flowers watered."

Explanation:

“Before” is the subordinating conjunction. “She went to Jakarta” is the dependent clause,
followed by a comma (,), and “she got her flowers watered” is the independent clause.

2. Used between the dependent and independent clauses

If the subordinate conjunction is used between the dependent and independent clauses
(meaning the sentence starts with the independent clause), then you do not need to add a
comma.

Example:

"His phone kept ringing while he was sleeping."

Explanation:

“His phone kept ringing” is the independent clause, joined with the word “while” (a
subordinating conjunction), and “he was sleeping” is the dependent clause.

Below are some example sentences using various subordinate conjunctions:

1. Time

- I’m going to give him these shoes after our surprise party on Saturday is over.

- As soon as/once we finish filling the questionnaire, he will process the data.

- He was cleaning his bedroom floor when he found a very small doll.

2. Place

- You should be polite and humble wherever you live.

3. Contrast

- The waitress seemed nice though she spoke very little Spanish.

- Even if Louis is not qualified enough to enter the top school, he’ll try again next year.

4. Cause/Reason/Result

- They no longer have access to the website since you’ve deleted their account,
- Many people infected coronavirus because they did not use mask.

5. Purpose

- Please use the gloves so that your hands will not burn.

- She will get up earlier in order that she can arrive on time.

6. Condition

- I will come to your birthday party only if Troy accompanies me.

- As long as you follow the rules, you will not get punishment.

- My mother and I can stroll in the park this weekend, providing the weather is nice.

7. Manner

- The man rode as if he was an Moto-GP racer.

CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTION

What is a Correlative Conjunction?

A correlative conjunction is a paired conjunction that connects two words or phrases of equal
value in a sentence. Among its several functions, there are two main purposes of using
correlative conjunctions in a sentence:

1. To show a relationship between two ideas or concepts.

For example, “either…or” is used to express a choice between two options, while “not only…but
also” is used to indicate that both things actually happen.

2. To create balance and symmetry in a sentence.

Paired conjunctions play a role in connecting elements that are equally important in meaning,
helping to make the sentence sound more balanced.

When Can Correlative Conjunctions Be Used?

Correlative conjunctions can be used when you want to connect two elements of the same
grammatical form to make a sentence more effective. For example: verb with verb, noun with
noun, adjective with adjective, and so on.

Here are some examples of their usage:

Example 1:

Andrea is intelligent.

Andrea is beautiful.

Andrea is both intelligent and beautiful.

Example 2:

Johnny won’t ride a bike.

Johnny won’t play basketball.

Johnny will neither ride a bike nor play basketball.

Here are some examples of correlative conjunctions:

1. Both / and

The use of “both” and “and” indicates a relationship between two subjects that perform the
same action or two things that are related to the subject. Here is an example of how this
correlative conjunction is used:

Example 1:

We’ll be leaving the party.

We’ll be taking the bus.

We’ll both be leaving the party and taking the bus.

Example 2:

I’m buying the notebook.

I’m buying the scissors.

I’m buying both the notebook and the scissors.

2. Either/or

When using “either” and “or” in an English sentence, it means connecting two positive
statements that have equal value. For example:

Example 1:

Joey is sleeping on the couch.

Joey is sleeping in the bedroom.

Joey is either sleeping on the couch or in the bedroom.

Example 2:

They don’t realize the situation.

They forget the situation.

They either don’t realize or forget the situation.

3. Neither/nor

For correlative conjunctions “neither” and “nor” are used to connect two negative statements
and have the same value.

Example 1:

I will not watch Harry Potter movies.

I will not read Harry Potter books.

I will neither watch Harry Potter movies nor read Harry Potter books.

Example 2:

He is not at the store.

He is not at the garage.

He is neither at the store nor at the garage.

4. Whether/or

Correlative conjunctions “whether” and “or” are used to connect two possibilities of an action
from a subject. Here are examples of their use:
Example 1:

I wasn’t sure you’d show up late.

I wasn’t sure you wouldn’t show up

I wasn’t sure whether you’d show up late or not.

Example 2:

Students will have to learn all the easy lessons.

Students will have to learn all the difficult lessons.

Students will have to learn all the lessons whether they are easy or difficult.

5. Not only/but also

This type is usually used to emphasize and connect two words or two phrases together. For
example:

Example 1:

Henry is a CEO of a company.

Henry has a master degree.

Not only Henry is a CEO of a company, but also has a master degree.

Example 2:

Dina is angry.

Dina is sad.

Dina is not only angry but also sad.

6. Rather/than

This correlative conjunction is used to show a subject's preference for something. For example:

She would rather have coffee than tea

Jason would rather take the train than the bus.

Me and Marlene would rather stay at home rather than going to a party.

7. Such/that
This conjunction is used to connect two independent clauses by applying a reason for an action.
Examples are:

– It was such a cold morning that we stopped exercising.

– It was such a hot day that nobody could do any work.

– John’s son has such fine manners that everyone likes him.