Subordination vs. Coordination

September 13, 2025

Posted by STLCC in Tutoring Resources 

Basic usage

If your instructor has said that your essay ideas, organization and development are great but that your sentence structure needs work, this explanation will probably help. Follow as many of these steps as you need.

Brainstorm, prewrite and develop your rough draft as you normally would.

Once you are satisfied with the ideas and organization of your paper, go back over your draft, circling the following words each time they appear: and, but, there, was, were, is

Keep the following information in mind as you look through your essay:

Coordination uses conjunctions to connect two sentences with roughly equal ideas. Both ideas in a coordinate sentence (also called a compound sentence) carry approximately equal weight. A trick to remembering the conjunctions is to think of the acronym FANBOYS, which stands for for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so.

Subordination uses conjunctions (for example: although, because, since, when, which, who, if, whereas) to connect one dependent clause to an independent clause, creating a complex sentence. By using a complex sentence, you indicate to your reader that one idea carries more weight than the other.

Subordination is better than coordination in showing relationships between ideas because it more closely reflects complex life situations. In the subordination of two related ideas, the more important idea is put into an independent clause, which could stand alone. The less important idea is put into a subordinate clause, which could never stand alone because it is dependent on the independent clause.

How to use subordination

Example: Because she got home late, she missed her dinner. Pattern: Because + dependent clause, independent clause.

Using coordination would show a weaker relationship: She got home late, and she missed her dinner.

More examples:

• Until she finishes her degree, she will not have her dream job.
• Although he was poor, he was happy.
• Because they worked hard, the student did well on the essay.
• Where there is smoke, there is fire.

Use any of the following to subordinate one idea to another:

• after
• although
• as
• as if
• as long as
• as though
• because
• before
• how
• if
• once
• in order that
• since
• so that
• provided
• than
• though
• unless
• until
• when
• whenever
• where
• wherever
• while

Subordination and commas

Whenever the subordinate (dependent) section comes first, a comma is usually placed between the subordinate section and the independent clause.

While it is often better to put the subordinate section before the independent sentence, the opposite is possible. When this is done, no comma is used between the independent clause and the subordinate section.

Example: She toasted the bread while he scrambled the eggs. Pattern: Independent clause + while + dependent clause.

Once you have learned the pattern of subordination, use it.

Coordination: Dakhon was hurrying, and he cut his finger. Subordination: Because Dakhon was hurrying, he cut his finger.

Write like a pro

Work with your over-coordinated sentences, deciding which ones you could rewrite using subordination instead of coordination. This one step alone will help immensely in making your writing sound more sophisticated.

Next, isolate sentences which begin with words like there is, there are, there was, here is, here are. These words are called expletives. Their only function is to allow you to put the verb in front of the subject instead of after it.

Example: There is a vase on the table. Marked: There is a vase on the table. Changed: A vase is on the table.

Check your essay for overuse of vague verbs such as was, were, has and had. These verbs create no vivid mental pictures. Compare the following:

• The child ran down the street.
• The child rushed down the street.
• The child jogged down the street.
• The child scurried down the street.
• The child scampered down the street.
• The child trotted down the street.

Using subordination, eliminating unnecessary words and choosing stronger verbs will help you become a clearer and more effective writer.

More examples

• Original: There were locusts and cicadas chirping and buzzing in the trees all night long. Revised: Locusts and cicadas chirped and buzzed in the trees all night long.
• Original: As I stood on the mountaintop, there were snowcapped mountain peaks all around me. Revised: As I stood on the mountaintop, snowcapped mountain peaks surrounded me.
• Original: The tornado winds howled outside, and we huddled together in the basement for safety. Revised: While the tornado winds howled outside, we huddled together in the basement for safety.
• Original: No one shops at Dillards after 9 p.m., and the staff decided to close early. Revised: Since no one shops at Dillards after 9 p.m., the staff decided to close early.
• Original: You will not pass this test, and you will fail. Revised: You will fail unless you pass this test.
• Original: The older person walked along the sidewalk. Revised: The older person ambled, strolled, sauntered, trudged or plodded along the sidewalk.
• Original: “I thought you would understand me,” they said. Revised: “I thought you would understand me,” they stated, replied, murmured, muttered, cried, raged or shrieked.