Introduction to Subordinating Conjunctions

Unlike Coordinating Conjunctions (FANBOYS) which connect two equal things, Subordinating Conjunctions connect two things that are unequal in rank.

To understand how these conjunctions work, we must familiarize ourselves with two important terms in English sentence anatomy: Independent Clause and Dependent Clause.

Independent vs. Dependent Clause

A Clause is a group of words that has at least one Subject and one Verb.

1. Independent Clause (Main Clause)

This is a strong, independent sentence. If it stands alone, it already has a complete and understandable meaning.

  • I stayed home. (Meaning is clear).
  • She is crying. (Meaning is clear).

2. Dependent Clause (Subordinate Clause)

This is a “weak” sentence. Even though it has a subject and a verb, the sentence hangs and doesn’t make sense if it stands alone. Why? Because there is a Subordinating Conjunction at the front of it!

  • Because it was raining… (So what? The sentence feels unfinished).
  • When she heard the news… (What happened next?).

The Function of Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating Conjunctions are conjunctions placed at the beginning of a Dependent Clause to connect it to an Independent Clause.

The combination of the two will form a complete and meaningful complex sentence:

  • I stayed home because it was raining.
  • When she heard the news, she started crying.

The Comma Rule

Just like FANBOYS, there is a very important comma rule here, and it’s very easy to memorize:

  1. If the Dependent Clause is in FRONT: Use a comma in the middle of the sentence.
    • Because it was raining, I stayed home.
  2. If the Independent Clause is in FRONT: NO comma is needed.
    • I stayed home because it was raining.

Various Types of Subordinating Conjunctions

Because there are so many of them (over 30 words), Subordinating Conjunctions are usually grouped by their function. In the following modules, we will discuss these main groups in depth:

  • Time: when, while, after, before, until, since
  • Cause & Effect: because, since, as, so that
  • Condition & Concession: if, unless, although, even though

Let’s start with the first group: Conjunctions of Time.