Practice Subordination & Coordination: Combining Clauses

Help students combine two separate sentences effectively.

Sentence Combining: Coordination & Subordination Exercises

Evelyn E. Smith

Ph. D. in English, Texas Christian University (1995)

Connecting with Coordinating Conjunctions

Combine two independent clauses, or sentences that make sense by themselves, with a coordinating conjunction.
 

Have class members play the part of Egyptian

servants cooling Cleopatra with FANBOYS fans.

The acronym For, And, Nor, But Or Yet So helps writers remember which conjunctions join two independent clauses. To remember these conjunctions, think of a group of seven Egyptian hunks fanning Cleopatra with ostrich fans, each fan labeled with a letter. Remember to put a comma before the coordinating conjunction that joins two sentences. If you don't, you've written a run-on sentence. If you've joined two independent clauses that with just a comma, you've created a comma splice. College English teachers often count off severely for these errors, so learning how to combine sentences with coordinating conjunctions is important.

When coordinating conjunctions join independent clauses put a comma before the conjunction.

S + V + DO*, coordinating conjunction S + V + DO*

S + V + SC*, coordinating conjunction S + V + DO*

S + V + SC*, coordinating conjunction S + V + DO*

*(Or place other variations on either side of the coordinating conjunction):
 

For -- I was late for work, for I couldn't find my car keys.

And – Sophie went to the mall, and she had a pedicure.

Nor -- Jason's family neither needs a new car, nor will they buy one this year.
 

But -- Maddy heard her alarm , but she went back to sleep.

Or – Customers can order a full dinner, or they can select items separately.
 

Yet – Jack has tried to finish his paper all day, yet he still must proof it.

So -- Connor just turned 11, so he will be eating birthday cake all week.

*Either a direct object or a subject complement, or maybe even a prepositional phrase may follow the verb. In the first clause of the first sentence, for example, “late” is a subject complement that follows a be verb (Be, Is Being, Was, Are, Were – BIBWABWA). In the second sentence's first clause, a prepositional phrase follows the verb went. As does the verb in the third sentence after verb. Please note, however, that all clauses link by coordinating sentences can stand alone as complete sentences.

These coordinating conjunctions set up a cause and effect relationship.

Writers also combine two complete sentence with a semicolon if the second sentence further explains the first one.

S + V + DO*; S + V + DO*.

S + V + Prep. Phrase *; S + V + Prep. Phrase*.

(Or place other variations on either side of the coordinating conjunction).


Example: We came to the game; we left during the third quarter.

To add more detail to this sentence, the writer can add a conjunctive adverb: therefore, however, hence, accordingly, nevertheless, thus, then.

*Again, the writer can follow the verb with either a prepositional phrase or a subject complement. 

A conjunctive adverb often comes just after a coordinating conjunction:

S + V + DO*; conjunctive adverb, S + V + DO.

S + V + Prep. Phrase *; S + V + Prep. Phrase*.

(Or place other variations on either side of the coordinating conjunction).

The writer can also move a conjunctive adverb around an independent clause.

Warning:

However, the semicolon must remain in the middle between the two sentences: 

We came to the game; however, we left during the third quarter.

 The reader can also surround the conjunctive adverb by comma, putting it in the middle of a clause:

We came to the game; we left, however, during the third quarter.  

Sometimes, however, the conjunctive adverb comes at the end of a clause:


We came to the game; we left during the third quarter, however.

*Here again, something usually follows the verb—in this case a prepositional phrase.

Even so, the sentence “We came; however, we left” makes sense.

Moving Around Subordinating Conjunctions

 

Placing a conjunctive adverb in the middle is just one way to combine an independent and a dependent clause.

Subordinating conjunctions (words like because, before, after, if, since, when, where, whether, although, even though, though) join two sentences that both make sense by themselves, but when the writer adds the subordinating conjunction, one of the sentences must now depend on the other to make sense.

When a subordinating conjunction comes at the beginning of the first sentence (or clause), this sentence becomes a dependent clause, for it simply doesn't make sense by itself.

When  a dependent clause comes at  the beginning of a sentence, put  a comma  after it.

Subord. Conjun. + S + V + DO*, S + V + DO*

(Or place other variations on either side of the subordinating conjunction unless the rest of the sentence makes sense with only a subject and verb).

Even though these dependent clauses have a subject and a verb, they don't make sense by themselves. This is the case whether the dependent clause has a subject complement following the verb (Because Natalie felt cold*, ) or whether a direct object follows it. Since a subordinating conjunction starts the dependent clause, the reader wants to know what happened:

• Because Natalie felt cold*,
  
  
• When it snows in Texas,
  
  
• Although Dan brushed his teeth twice a day,
  
  
• If my parents can stay up to midnight,

These sentences supply more information by adding a second sentence to the subordinate clause that makes the statement make sense:

•  Because Natalie felt cold, she put on her sweater.

• When it snows in Texas, everything stops.

• Although Dan brushes his teeth twice a day, his dentist found two cavities.

• If my parents can stay up to midnight, they will celebrate the New Year's. 

The writer can sometimes also put the subordinate clause at the end of the sentence:

S + V + DO* subordinating conjunction S + V + DO*. 
 
(Or place other variations on either side of the subordinating conjunction unless the rest of the sentence makes sense with only a subject and verb).

• Natalie put on a sweater because she felt cold. 

Make sure to put the noun before the pronoun that refers back to it.  For example,

"Suzy went to the grocery store because she needed some eggs." 


NOT "Because she needed some eggs, Suzy went to the grocery store."

  Watch out for ways sentences don't make sense:

• Dan's dentist found two cavities, even though Dan brushes his teeth twice a day.

Use a proper noun (Dan) twice here, or the reader might not know whether the pronoun he refers to Dan or his dentist.  Better yet, write "Even though Dan brushes his teeth twice a day, his dentist found two cavities".

Remember that when a writer is trying to establish cause and effect, one action must logically proceed another one:

Thus, write, "Tanya decided to do the laundry after she spilled (or spilt) chocolate milk on her blouse"; or write, "After Tanya spilled chocolate milk on her blouse, she decided to do the laundry". 


But don't write, "She decided to do the laundry after Tanya spilled chocolate milk on her dress".

Reason: The reader is left wondering who she and her refer to in this sentence. Does “she” refer to Tanya or somebody else.

Some authorities put a comma before although, though, and even though when they fall in the middle of the sentence.

See: The Comma, Part 23. (n. d.). Askives): https://docs.askives.com/docs_file.php?v=VFRoZSBDb21tYSwgUGFydCAyMwpodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm1hcnRoYWJpYW5jby5jb20vV1I5MC9Db21tYXMyLnBkZgow.

S + V + DO*, although S + V + DO*.

(Or place other variations on either side of the subordinating conjunction that ensure that the sentence makes sense).

Sentence Combining Exercises

Combine these sentences using coordination and subordination. Label the subject and verb.

Remember to put the noun before the pronoun that refers back to it. 

Bottom Line:

• Each clause before and after the conjunction or conjunctive adverb has to be able to stand alone by itself.

• The two subordinate clauses must form a sentence that make sense.

Students need to practice combining sentences since as those modeled below until they have become skilled in using these transition devices.

------------

1) Sam plans to major in electrical engineering. He wants to go to the Texas A & M next fall.

because

so

therefore

2)  Romeo has just meet Juliet. He has fallen in love at first sight.

even so

but

however

Here, notice that a verb (as in the second clause) can have more than one part:

• He felt . . . 

• He has fallen . . .

• He has been falling . . . although

3) The Nelson family plans to go on vacation in August.  
 Christy graduates from high school in May.

if

after

even though

4)  Laura needs to take her Yorkie to the vet. It's time for Rosie to get her shots.

because

therefore

since 

5)  Brad and Lesley need to take down the Christmas decorations. The 12 days of Christmas don't officially end until January 6^th.

although

but

however

6)   Rita has to hide the Kleenex box and the toilet  paper. Her dog likes to shred them.  

for

since

therefore  

7) Kate has always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon. She read about it in her historical geology class.

after

because

so

8) Dylan had lived his entire life in Pocatello, Idaho. He spent two years as a missionary in Argentina.

until

even though

nevertheless

9) I just set down the TV remote control. I can't remember where in the room [that] I put it.

however

but

and

10) Allie will go on a grueling, liquid fast. She has gained even the tiniest amount of weight. 

if

since

so

For Your Information: More Coordination & Subordination Websites

Sentence punctuation: More Pointers. English 101 Help. Grammarmudge.cityslide.com. Retrieved from http://www.grammarmudge.cityslide.com/articles/article/2569239/36239.htm

Wells, Jaclyn M. (2009 August 7). 1.2: Coordination & Subordination. The OWL at Purdue. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/1/37/

Coordination & Coordination Video

Compound sentences: Where sentence make out. (2013, September 6). WTH S E 3 Grammar. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aT-Rj_clA4

Suggested Learning Activities

Write separate clauses on the chalk board. Write the seven FANBOY coordinating conjunctions, some of the most often used conjunction adverbs, a comma, and a semicolon on sentence strips. Then ask students to attach different coordinating elements correctly to join the sentences.  Not only  should students  be able to spot run-on sentences and comma splices, but they should  they should immediately know how to correct them.  To practice this  skill, pair students as peer tutors.



Using seven paper fans, each one labeled with a separate letter (FANBOYS), have “fan persons” stand between two sentences. The group can decide what conjunctions would work best when joining two separate sentences into one sentence.

Write subordinating conjunctions as well as a comma on sentence strips and then ask students to join separate sentences written on the board, so the independent clause and its dependent clause make sense when joined together in a single sentence.  Here the  writer must take care to match the gender, number, and  person of the pronoun with the antecedent that comes before it.

If a noun that comes before a pronoun is plural, the pronoun that follows it must be plural as well (or vice versa) unless the  essay warns the reader with a transition phrase that the essay is about to emphasize plural noun.  Pronouns that end in one and body, for example, are singular.

Subordinate one of two separate sentences on the board and then have students assigned the different words go to where their word is on the board. Now call “flip”, and have the students go to their new places.

Point out examples of the effective use of coordination and subordination in what the students are reading. Also, find examples in popular fiction where the author could have used coordination and subordination more effectively.



It's not your grandmother's composition class:

Have students record their own  Online grammar tutorials.

As a class project, have groups record their own coordination and subordination videos with a smart cell phone. Similarly, ask students to text each other abbreviated directions for coordinating and subordinating sentences.

Have students prepare Powerpoint programs illustrating coordination and subordination.  Pick the best presentations and publish them Online.

 
Test and retest students on sentence combining using subordination and coordination. At the end of a six weeks, if everyone in the class has received a 90 percent mastery rate, reward the class with a pizza party. [Yes, I've done this with numerous high school, community college, and remedial rhetoric and composition classes.]
 

Aim for  mastery and then  reward  it.