Hello! In our last session, we saw how to use coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) to connect two equal and complete sentences. This helped make your writing flow more smoothly. Today, we're going to take that skill a step further by learning about a new type of connecting word that adds more detail and complexity to your ideas.
This lesson is all about subordinating conjunctions. These are words like although, because, while, and unless. By the end of our time, you'll be able to use them to form complex sentences, which will allow you to show the relationship between different ideas in your creative writing, making your character monologues and stories much richer and more expressive.
What Makes a Sentence "Complex"?
In the last lesson, we joined two complete sentences, or independent clauses. An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a complete thought. For example:
- The movie started.
- We found our seats.
A complex sentence, however, joins an independent clause with a dependent clause. A dependent clause has a subject and a verb, but it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence because it starts with a special kind of connecting word. It depends on the independent clause to make sense.
In the example "When the cake is brown, remove it from the oven":
remove it from the ovenis the independent clause. It’s the main instruction and a complete thought.When the cake is brownis the dependent clause. It tells us when to do the action, but it feels incomplete by itself. The word "When" is what makes it dependent.
The words that begin a dependent clause are our topic for today: subordinating conjunctions.
Meet the Subordinating Conjunctions
Just like we had FANBOYS to remember coordinating conjunctions, there are mnemonics to remember some of the most common subordinating conjunctions. Here’s a popular one:
These words establish a specific relationship between the clauses, such as time, reason, or contrast. Let's explore these relationships.
How Subordinating Conjunctions Work
To understand how these words create meaning, we'll watch a video that breaks them down into different categories. It’s a great way to see how each type of conjunction serves a different purpose.
How to Use Subordinating Conjunctions for Better English
This video, "How to Use Subordinating Conjunctions for Better English," explains why we use complex sentences and how different conjunctions create different meanings.
Watch the following segments to get a clear overview: First, watch the introduction to understand why moving from simple to complex sentences makes your writing more interesting. To show a REASON: Use words like because and since. Watch from this section to see how they explain why something happens. Example: Bitsy got her dessert because she ate her carrots. To show a CONDITION: Use words like unless or if. Watch from this part to see how one action depends on another. Example: Bitsy can't eat dessert unless she eats all of her carrots. To show a CONTRAST: Use words like although or while. This is for showing an unexpected or different idea. See the explanation from this segment. Example: Although it was raining, we played soccer. To show TIME: Use words like after, before, when, and until. Watch the final section from this part of the video. Example: Bitsy had to eat her carrots before she could have dessert.
A Special Case: "Whereas"
The word whereas is also used for contrast, but it's very specific. It directly compares two different facts or ideas, highlighting how they are opposite. It's especially useful when you want to make a clear comparison between two people, things, or situations.
Let's watch a short video dedicated just to this word.
Compare and contrast with WHEREAS
The video "Compare and contrast with WHEREAS" gives clear examples of how to use this powerful conjunction.
Pay attention to these parts: First, get the basic definition from the introduction. Next, watch the examples from this segment. Notice how the sentences can be structured in two different ways. Mark likes cats, whereas Jane prefers dogs. Whereas Mark likes cats, Jane prefers dogs.
The Comma Rule
Did you notice the comma in some of those examples? The rule is very simple:
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If the sentence starts with the dependent clause (beginning with the subordinating conjunction), place a comma after it.
Correct:Although I was tired, I finished my homework.
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If the sentence ends with the dependent clause, you do not need a comma.
Correct:I finished my homework although I was tired.
This rule is important for making your writing clear and easy to read.
Listening Practice
Now, let's hear some of these conjunctions in natural conversation. This helps you get a feel for how they sound in everyday English.
Subordinating Conjuctions for Cause and Reasons - B1 Intermediate Grammar - Lesson 13
This resource from ELLLO provides short audio conversations. We'll use it as a listening exercise. Listen to the audio for each conversation and try to spot the subordinating conjunctions.
Click the play button for each of the four conversations. You can follow along with the text if you need to. As you listen, identify the conjunctions because, since, although, and even though. Notice how they connect the speakers' ideas. Focus on all four conversations.
Creative Writing Task
It's time to put this into practice with a creative task. Imagine a character who is trying to decide whether to tell their friend a secret.
Your Task:
Combine the simple ideas below into two or three complex sentences to create a short inner monologue for this character. Use at least three different subordinating conjunctions from this lesson (e.g., although, because, if, while, unless).
Simple Ideas:
- I want to tell my friend the truth.
- I am scared they will be angry.
- Telling the truth is the right thing to do.
- Maybe I should wait.
- Our friendship could be ruined.
Take a few minutes to write the monologue. Focus on creating a natural, thoughtful voice for your character.
...
Sample Answer:
Here’s one possible version. Remember, yours might be very different, and that's great!
Although I want to tell my friend the truth, I'm scared because they might get angry. I know I should be honest, but if I tell them now, our friendship could be ruined.
See how the conjunctions connect the character's conflicting thoughts and feelings? This is a much more powerful way to show their internal struggle than just using simple sentences.
Conclusion
Fantastic work today! You’ve learned how to build more sophisticated sentences that show clear relationships between ideas. This is a key skill that will make your writing more detailed and engaging.
Here are the main points we covered:
- Complex sentences are made of one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
- Subordinating conjunctions (like
because,although,if,while) start a dependent clause and show its relationship to the main clause (e.g., reason, contrast, condition, time). - Use a comma after the dependent clause when it comes at the beginning of a sentence.
In our next lesson, we'll look at another way to connect ideas: correlative conjunctions. These are pairs of words like either/or and neither/nor that work together to link elements in a sentence.