Coordinating conjunctions

Question

Hi,Can anyone explain why "so" is a coordinating conjuction and "because" is not?  (It's a subordinator.)(I think I figured it out while I was writing this, but I'm not sure about it.)  I was bored. I went to the party.  I went to the party, but I was bored.  I went to the party and I was bored.I went to the party[,] because I was bored.I was bored, so I went to the party.I was bored because I went to the party.It seems like both clauses are of equal importance.Both "so" and "because" are capable of making one the cause of the other.Thanks,    - A.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Can anyone explain why "so" is a coordinating conjuction and "because" is not? (It's a subordinator.)

(I think I figured it out while I was writing this, but I'm not sure about it.)

I was bored. I went to the party.

I went to the party, but I was bored. I went to the party and I was bored.

I went to the party[,] because I was bored.

I was bored, so I went to the party.

I was bored because I went to the party.

It seems like both clauses are of equal importance.

Both "so" and "because" are capable of making one the cause of the other.

Thanks, - A.

I think along this line: 'because' introduces a subordinate clause whereas 'so' doesn't. 'So' joins two equal clauses. You can write the sentence "So I went to the party.", which does not depend on the the rest of the original sentence I was bored, so I went to the party ; it can stand on its own and it still makes sense. On the other hand, the clause "because I was bored." depends on the rest of the original sentence I went to the party[,] because I was bored. and without the main clause I went to the party doesn't make sense.

Coordinating conjunctions

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