Coordinating vs subordinating conjunction

Question

A coordinating conjunction used to join clauses has only one function: it joins clauses of equal importance. https://www.dailywritingtips.com/coordinating-vs-subordinating-conjunctions/ How do we know when to use a coordinating conjunction? I know that it joins grammatically equal elements but how do we decide whether  we need a coordinating conjunction or a subordinating conjunction? I got confused because I saw "so" can be both a coordinating as well as subordinating conjunction.Thank you for your help!

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

JigneshbharatiHow do we know when to use a coordinating conjunction?

When the clauses can stand alone equally well. A dependent clause cannot stand alone.

I like John. John likes me. (Two sentences which can be joined.)

I like John. Because he is tall, smart and handsome. (A sentence and a fragment.)

I have known John. Since we were kids. (A sentence and a fragment.)

I can see John. He is in the library. (two sentences)

A subordinating conjunction describes a relation between the two.

I can see John when he is in the library. ( time)

I can see John if he is in the library. (conditional)

I can see John because he is in the library. (reason)

CalifJim · Answer

JigneshbharatiHow do we know when to use a coordinating conjunction?

If I may say, I think you've got this backwards. Remember that a coordinating conjunction is just a word. It's nothing to get excited about just because it has the fancy name "coordinating conjunction".

So the real question is "How do you know when to use a word?"

You use a word when you need that word to communicate your thought. If you want to say that you saw a cat, you don't choose the word "dog" to communicate that. You use the word "cat". And you don't have to know that "dog" and "cat" are nouns before you can say them.

So you use words when you need them. You use words when you mean them. The same is true for any word, no matter what what category the grammarians put it in.

Jigneshbharatihow do we decide whether we need a coordinating conjunction or a subordinating conjunction?

You have control over the words you use — not the people who write books about grammar. You choose your words by the meaning they have, not by the category that grammarians put them in. Don't tie yourself in knots by thinking that you have to know what kind of conjunction you're saying before you can say it.

If you want, you can say

Tom played football, and Dan played basketball.

Or, if you want, you can say

Tom played football while Dan played basketball.

It's your choice. It doesn't matter that 'and' is called a coordinating conjunction and 'while' is called a subordinating conjunction.

JigneshbharatiI saw "so" can be both a coordinating as well as subordinating conjunction

I am not familiar with this particular factoid, but I assure you that you can use 'so' whenever you mean 'so' regardless of this fact, and you don't have to look it up in a grammar book before you say it or write it.

CJ

Coordinating vs subordinating conjunction

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