Difference Between Coordinating And Subordinating Conjunctions
Hello there,
I have the following question concerning conjunctions:
It is commonly known that coordinating conjunctions like "and", "but", "or" not only can join clauses but phrases and words as well.
Does the same hold for subordinating conjunctions or is it only possible
to use them to connect clauses?
An example for a subordinating conjunction is "after" like in the sentence
"After we had eaten dinner, we left the house".
If I say instead "One after another we left our home", the word "after" counts as a preposition, not as a conjunction any more, as far as I have understood.
If this is true, why is the word "and" in the sentence "I and John went to the supermarket" still a conjunction and not a preposition, although it only connects two nouns, similar to the word "after" in the example "One after another we left our home"?
I´m looking forward to your answers.
Top answer
class zany 514 If this is true, why is the word "and" in the sentence "I and John went to the supermarket" still a conjunction and not a preposition, although it only connects two nouns, similar to the word "after" in the example "One after another we left our home"? It's mostly a matter of convention. The vast majority of the uses of "and" are as a coordinating conjunction, and the vast majority of the uses of "after" are as a subordinating conjunction or preposition.
- class zany 514 If this is true, why is the word "and" in the sentence "I and John went to the supermarket" still a conjunction and not a preposition, although it only connects two nouns, similar to the word "after" in the example "One after another we left our home"?
- It's mostly a matter of convention.
- The vast majority of the uses of "and" are as a coordinating conjunction, and the vast majority of the uses of "after" are as a subordinating conjunction or preposition.
- An occasional use of words as if they belonged to a different category is typically overlooked and labeled an unusual exception.
- There is always some non-systemic usage in every language — more than most people realize — so it's not really surprising to find this "one after another" exception where a preposition seems to act like a conjunction.
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class zany 514If this is true, why is the word "and" in the sentence "I and John went to the supermarket" still a conjunction and not a preposition, although it only connects two nouns, similar to the word "after" in the example "One after another we left our home"?
It's mostly a matter of convention. The vast majority of the uses of "and" are as a coordin
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