Chapter 51: Coordination and Subordination

CHAPTER 51
Coordination and Subordination

CONNECT: What can you do to use subordination for special emphasis in your sentences? 36g, 37e, 51b

CREATE: Rewrite a post from a blog you enjoy, adding subordination to at least three sentences.

REFLECT: Write or record a reflection explaining how you decided what material to subordinate and how the effect of your revision is different from the effect of the original.

IN SPEECH, people tend to use and and so as all-purpose connectors.

He enjoys psychology, and the course requires a lot of work.

The meaning of this sentence may be perfectly clear in speech, which provides clues through voice, facial expressions, and gestures. But in writing, the sentence could have multiple meanings, including these:

Although he enjoys psychology, the course requires a lot of work.

He enjoys psychology even though the course requires a lot of work.

Coordinating conjunctions like and give ideas equal weight, whereas subordinating conjunctions like although emphasize one idea over another.