Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions

A conjunction is a word that is used to join words, phrases, or sentences.

Coordinating conjunctions such as and, but, and or are used to combine two or more subjects, predicates, or sentences to make compound subjects, predicates, or sentences.

Examples: because, if, then, when, although, before, after, since...

Used to link dependent clauses and independent clauses in complex sentences.

They are called SUBordinating conjunctions because they cause an independent clause to become a dependent clause just by adding the conjunction.

Before the games began, all wars stopped.

Before the games began is a dependent clause because of the word "Before"

All wars stopped is an independent clause (aka complete sentence). Together they make a complex sentence.

NOTICE THE COMMA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TWO CLAUSES!! IF THE DEPENDENT CLAUSE COMES FIRST, A COMMA SHOULD BE USED!

She is a good runner because she practices.

She is a good runner is an independent clause. "because she practices" is a dependent clause.

Because the independent clause comes first, NO COMMA IS NEEDED!

DEPENDENT, INDEPENDENT

INDEPENDENT(no comma) DEPENDENT