CHAPTER 9

Sentence Coordination and Subordination

You should read this chapter if you need to review or learn about

➜Coordinating dependent and independent clauses to create clear and logical sentences
➜Subordinating clauses to make your sentences more concise and graceful
➜Achieving parallel structure in your sentences

Coordinating Sentence Parts

In Chapter 8, you learned how to connect the parts of a sentence to avoid run-on sentences and sentence fragments. There’s more to connecting sentence parts than just linking them, however. You have to decide which parts of each sentence to emphasize and why. The proper emphasis helps you communicate your ideas in writing with strength and style.

Sometimes you want to show that two or more ideas are equally important in a sentence. In such cases, you’re looking to coordinate. Sentence coordination links ideas of equal importance. This process gives your writing balance by bringing together related independent clauses. Coordination involves using the right word or mark of punctuation to show different relationships between ideas.

There are four different ways to coordinate sentence parts:

1. Use a coordinating conjunction.
2. Use a pair of correlative conjunctions.
3. Use a semicolon.
4. Use a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb.

1. Use a coordinating conjunction.

   As you write, use the coordinating conjunction that conveys the precise relationship between ideas that you seek. Each of the coordinating conjunctions has a different meaning, as the following chart shows:

   Coordinating Conjunction	Meaning	Function
   and	in addition to	to link ideas
   but	however	to contrast ideas
   for	as a result	to show cause
   nor	negative	to reinforce negative
   or	choice	to show possibilities
   so	therefore	to show result
   yet	however	to show contrast or difference

2. Use a pair of correlative conjunctions.

   Link sentences with a correlative conjunction if you want to show a balance between two independent clauses.

   either . . . or	neither . . . nor
   not only... but	also both . . . and

3. Use a semicolon.

   Link independent clauses with a semicolon to show that the ideas are of equal importance.

   A cause is what happens; the effect is the result.

   The mechanic adjusted the carburetor; Tina’s car now runs smoothly.
4. Use a semicolon and a conjunctive adverb.

   As you learned in Chapter 8, there are many different conjunctive adverbs. Some are single words; others are phrases.

   consequently	furthermore	therefore
   nevertheless	as a result	for example
   however	nonetheless	in addition

   A semicolon and a conjunctive adverb together indicate different relationships, depending on the conjunctive adverb. The relationships are chiefly examples, continuation, and contrast.

   I adore chili; unfortunately, it doesn’t adore me!

   The invention of air-conditioners has greatly influenced major migration trends; for example, Sunbelt cities such as Phoenix, Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston would never have grown as successfully without air-conditioning.

   Follow these steps when you coordinate independent clauses:

   • Decide which ideas can and should be combined.
   • Select the method of coordination that shows the appropriate relationship between ideas.

Each way to coordinate sentences establishes a slightly different relationship between ideas. Often, there’s no “right” answer when you’re choosing which conjunctions and punctuation to use to coordinate ideas. As always, keep the “big three” considerations in mind:

• Audience. Your readers and their expectations
• Purpose. Why you are writing (to entertain, instruct, persuade, describe)
• Style. Your personal choices in diction (words) and sentence structure

With practice, you’ll discover that some sentences are smoother and more logical than others. Study the following examples:

Uncoordinated: The dog’s fur was tangled. We took her in for grooming.
Coordinated: The dog’s fur was tangled, so we took her in for grooming.
Uncoordinated: There have been many controversial World Series. The most infamous was certainly the thrown World Series of 1919.
Coordinated: There have been many controversial World Series, but the most infamous was certainly the thrown World Series of 1919.
Uncoordinated: Jack lost his briefcase. Jack lost his cell phone.
Coordinated: Jack lost both his briefcase and his cell phone.
Uncoordinated: Each year it seems to get harder to pay for a college education. At least $500 million in private-sector money is available to help students pay for their college education.
Coordinated: Each year it seems to get harder to pay for a college education, but at least $500 million in private-sector money is available to help students pay for their college education.

Each year it seems to get harder to pay for a college education; however, at least $500million in private-sector money is available to help students pay for their college education.

Subordinating Sentence Parts

Subordination is connecting two unequal but related clauses with a subordinating conjunction to form a complex sentence. Coordination shows the relationship among equal independent clauses; subordination, in contrast, shows the relationship between ideas of unequal rank.

When you subordinate one part of a sentence to another, you make the dependent clause develop the main clause. Subordination helps you develop your ideas, trace relationships among ideas, and emphasize one idea over the other.

Therefore, you will want to use subordination to give your writing (and speech!) greater logic, coherence, and unity.

As with sentence coordination, sentence subordination calls for logic and thought.

Follow these four steps to subordinate sentence ideas:

1. First choose the idea or clause that you think is the most important.
2. Then make this your main clause by adding a subject or verb, if necessary. Make sure the main clause expresses a complete idea, too.
3. Choose the subordinating conjunction that best expresses the relationship between the main clause and the dependent clause
4. Decide whether to place the main clause or the dependent clause first. See which order helps you achieve your purpose and appeal to your audience.

There are many subordinating conjunctions, including after, although, because, before, if, though, since, when, till, unless, wherever, where. The following chart shows some of the most common subordinating conjunctions and the relationships between ideas that they show.

With practice, you’ll discover that some sentences are smoother and more logical than others. Study the following examples:

Not subordinated: It snowed all night. School was closed the following day.
Subordinated: Because it snowed all night, school was closed the following day.
Not subordinated: About two million dollars had been bet on the Cincinnati Reds to win. The White Sox were favored five to one.
Subordinated: Even though the White Sox were favored five to one, about two million dollars had been bet on the Cincinnati Reds to win.
Not subordinated: A tornado can pick up a house and drop it hundreds of feet away.
Subordinated: Since a tornado can pick up a house and drop it hundreds of feet away, these are extremely dangerous storms.
Not subordinated: The case was finally tried. The three men denied having made any confessions. They denied having been involved in any way in the rigging scheme. There was no proof against them.
Subordinated: When the case was finally tried, the three men denied having made any confessions. They also denied having been involved in any way in the rigging scheme because there was no proof against them.

When the case was finally tried, the three men denied having made any confessions and having been involved in any way in the rigging scheme because there was no proof against them.

Not subordinated: A tornado is one of the smallest of all types of storms. It is one of the most dangerous of all storms because of its swiftly spinning winds and unpredictable path.
Subordinated: Even though a tornado is one of the smallest of all types of storms, it is one of the most dangerous of all storms because of its swiftly spinning winds and unpredictable path.

Be careful not to switch the main clause and the dependent clause when you subordinate.

If you put the main idea in a dependent clause, your sentence will not be logical.

Illogical: Because people stared at her, Rikki wore a see-through blouse.
Logical: Because Rikki wore a see-through blouse, people stared at her.

Coordination versus Subordination

How can you decide which ideas need to be coordinated and which ones need to be subordinated? Base your decision on the ideas in your sentences. As you read in the previous section, rely on the logic of the sentence. Here are some guidelines you can use as you’re deciding whether to coordinate or subordinate:

• Coordinate when you want to link related independent clauses.
• Subordinate when you want to put the most important idea in the main clause.

Here are some examples.

Two clauses:	The ground began to tremble. The air was heavy with fear.
Coordinated:	The ground began to tremble and the air was heavy with fear.
Subordinated:	When the ground began to tremble, the air was heavy with fear. subordinate clause main clause The emphasis is on the feeling of fear, the information in the main clause.
Subordinated:	The air was heavy with fear as the ground began to tremble. main clause subordinate clause The emphasis is on trembling ground, the information in the main clause

Parallel Structure

In 1946, Winston Churchill traveled to Fulton, Missouri, to deliver a speech and to be present at the dedication of a bust in his honor. After his speech, an attractive and ample woman approached the wartime prime minister of England and said, “Mr. Churchill, I have traveled over a hundred miles for the unveiling of your bust.” Churchill, who was known far and wide for his quick wit, responded, “I assure you, in that regard, I would gladly return the favor.”

Parallel structure means putting ideas of the same rank in the same grammatical structure. In the above anecdote, the italicized words and phrases show parallel structure. Your writing and speech should have parallel words, phrases, and clauses. Parallel structure gives your writing many admirable strengths, including tempo, stress, balance, and conciseness.

1. Parallel words share the same part of speech (such as nouns, adjectives, or verbs) and tense (if the words are verbs).
   To some people, traveling by air is safe, inexpensive, and convenient.

   To others, it’s dangerous, expensive, and inconvenient.

   You should eat foods that are nourishing as well as tasty.
2. Parallel phrases contain modifiers.
   Polyester shirts wash easily, drip-dry quickly, and wear durably.

   Nick took the new job to learn more about finance, make important connections, and get a health plan.

   “For taking away our Charters, abolishing our laws, and altering the Forms of our Government . . .” (Declaration of Independence)
3. Parallel clauses can be complete sentences or dependent clauses.
   I came, I saw, I conquered.

   “Our chiefs are killed; Looking-Glass is dead; Ta-Hool-Shute is dead.” (Chief Joseph’s surrender speech, 1877)