What Are Subordinating Conjunctions?

What Are Subordinating Conjunctions? (with Examples)

Subordinating Conjunctions

A subordinating conjunction is used to link a subordinate clause (also known as a dependent clause) to the main clause (also known as an independent clause). The role of a subordinating conjunction and the dependent clause is to establish a time, a place, a reason, a condition, a concession, or a comparison for the main clause.

Easy Examples of Subordinating Conjunctions

In each example below, the subordinating conjunction is shaded, and the subordinate clause is in bold. (The normal text is the main clause.)

• Keep your hand on the wound until the bleeding stops.
• Steve will sleep wherever there’s a bed.
• She left early because Mike arrived with his new girlfriend.
• If it rains, the bet is off.
• Even though she’s skint, she’ll still look a million dollars.

A subordinating conjunction provides a bridge between the main clause and the subordinate clause.

A List of Common Subordinating Conjunctions

Here is a list of common subordinating conjunctions:

• after – although – as – as soon as
• because – before – by the time
• even if – even though – every time
• if – in case – in order that – in the event that
• just in case
• now that
• once – only if
• provided that
• rather than
• since – so that
• than – that – though
• until
• when – whenever – where – whereas – whether – whether or not – while – why

The Function of a Subordinating Conjunction

When a sentence has an independent clause (main clause) and at least one dependent clause, it is known as a complex sentence. In a complex sentence, the dependent clause establishes a time, a place, a reason, a condition, a concession, or a comparison for the main clause. (The subordinating conjunction provides the bridge between the main clause and the dependent clause.)

Real-Life Examples of Subordinating Conjunctions

• I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. (Comedian Groucho Marx)
• (The subordinate clause establishes a time for the main clause.)
• Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity. (Greek physician Hippocrates)
• (The subordinate clause establishes a place for the main clause.)
• People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it’s safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs.
• (The subordinate clause establishes a reason for the main clause.)
• Man is ready to die for an idea, provided that idea is not quite clear to him. (Author Paul Eldridge)
• (The subordinate clause establishes a condition for the main clause.)
• I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught. (Sir Winston Churchill)
• (The subordinate clause establishes a concession for the main clause.)

With one dependent clause and one main clause, these are all complex sentences.

Read more about the different types of sentence.

Some More Examples of Subordinating Conjunctions

Below are some more examples of subordinating conjunctions in sentences. Remember that the role of the subordinating conjunction and subordinate clause is to establish a time, a place, a reason, a condition, or a concession for the main clause. This means the clauses in bold are all functioning as adverbs. They’re all adverbial clauses.

Why Should I Care about Subordinating Conjunctions?

As a native English speaker, you don’t need to worry about whether your subordinating conjunction is heading up a clause that establishes a time, a place, a reason, a condition, or a concession. You’ll do that bit naturally. 

The most common question related to subordinating conjunctions is whether to offset the subordinate clause with a comma or not. Here’s the guidance.

(Point 1) Put a comma after a fronted adverbial clause.

When a subordinate clause functioning as an adverb starts a sentence, separate it from the main clause with a comma.

• If you shoot at mimes, should you use a silencer? (Comedian Steven Wright)
• Now that I’m over sixty, I’m veering toward respectability. (Actress Shelley Winters)

These are often called fronted adverbial clauses. A comma is used with a fronted adverbial clause because the comma makes it clear where the main clause starts. 

(Point 2) Don’t use a comma if your adverbial clause is at the back.

When a subordinate clause ends a sentence, you can drop the comma.

• Should you use a silencer if you shoot at mimes?
• I’m veering toward respectability now that I’m over sixty.

There’s a quirk though: You can use a comma for a deliberate pause.

• Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons. (Film director Woody Allen)
• Man is ready to die for an idea, provided that idea is not quite clear to him.

If you were told at school that a comma represents a pause, then your teacher was giving you reading advice not writing advice. There are specific rules on using commas and “to create a pause” isn’t one of them, even though you’d likely whack in a few accurate commas if you adopted that rule. That said, this is a time when a comma can be used to create a pause. That’s why it’s a quirk. It’s also pretty common.

Okay, let’s complicate the issue a bit. The rule that states “drop the comma when your adverbial clause ends a sentence” is not really a rule. In fact, the rule for post-positioned adverbial clauses (as they’re called) is the same as for post-positioned adjective clauses. In other words, use a comma if the adverbial clause is nonessential (i.e., you’d happily put it in brackets or delete it). The problem is that it’s flippin’ way more difficult to decide whether an adverbial clause is essential or nonessential than it is with an adjective clause. As the vast majority of adverbial clauses are essential, it’s pretty safe, but not entirely safe, to declare that a post-positioned adverbial clause isn’t preceded by a comma.

Read more about using commas with post-positioned adverbial clauses.

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AGH / Jan 2020