A Guide To Learn English Language

Sub­or­di­nat­ing sen­tences are used to make a con­nec­tion between two dif­fer­ent and unequal sen­tences. These sen­tences show the rela­tion­ship between two dif­fer­ent and inde­pen­dent sen­tences by putting the most impor­tant idea in the main clause and the other less impor­tant idea as the sub­or­di­nat­ing clause. Main clause is usu­ally shown by a depen­dent clause and the sub­or­di­nat­ing clause empha­sizes or rep­re­sents the ideas or rela­tion­ships among the ideas and dif­fer­en­ti­ates the impor­tance of one idea over the other. These types of sen­tences give much strength to our writ­ing or our speech and make our idea more clear to the audience.

Before using the coor­di­nated sen­tences we need to think about the logic. If we form the sen­tences with­out proper logic and thought leads to the sen­tences with dif­fer­ent mean­ing. So we should fol­low the steps for using the ideas to form the sub­or­di­nat­ing sentences.

1. Make the dif­fer­en­ti­a­tion between the ideas and decide which an impor­tant idea is and which is sup­posed to be the main clause of our sen­tence and the idea which is used as a sub­or­di­nat­ing clause.
2. The main clause should express the com­plete idea and it should have the nec­es­sary sub­ject or the verb.
3. We have to choose the sub­or­di­nat­ing cause that rep­re­sents the best rela­tion­ship with the main clause and gives the exact meaning.
4. We can use the main clause and sub­or­di­nat­ing clause in any order that we want i.e. we can use either main clause or sub­or­di­nat­ing clause in the begin­ning or at the end. But they should give the mean­ing that we want to show.

Some of the exam­ples for the sub­or­di­nat­ing con­junc­tions include because, before, although, if, though, unless, where, wher­ever etc.

These sub­or­di­nat­ing con­junc­tions should be used accord­ing to their mean­ing and accord­ing to the sit­u­a­tion. They should rep­re­sent the rela­tion­ship between the two ideas correctly.

Let us the mean­ing of each sub­or­di­nat­ing clauses that we have men­tioned above.

Because, as – cause and reason

Whether, rather than, than – choice

Even if, unless – condition

Though, even though, although – contrast

So, so that, in order that, that – result or effect

Where, wher­ever – loca­tion or place

Since, until, while, when, after, before — time

Let us see some of the exam­ples for the sub­or­di­nated sen­tences by con­sid­er­ing some non-coordinated sen­tences and coor­di­nated forms for the cor­re­spond­ing sentences.

E.g. The cli­mate was very bad today. I am not going to class today.

Above sen­tence is non-coordinated sen­tence and shows no proper rela­tion­ship between the sen­tences. By adding the sub­or­di­nat­ing con­junc­tion, the rela­tion­ship between the sen­tences can be formed cor­rectly which makes the reader very easy to read and sounds prop­erly when we speak.

As the cli­mate was very bad today, I am not going to class.

E.g. The team was very strong. Team is not allowed to par­tic­i­pate in the final cup.

The sen­tences are non-coordinated and rep­re­sent no rela­tion­ship between the two sen­tences. The coor­di­nated sen­tence for the above sen­tences is:

Even though the team was very strong, it is not allowed for the final cup.