Subordinating Conjunctions - Usage

Subordinating conjunctions are parts of speech that join dependent clauses to independent clauses. Sometimes referred to as subordinators or subordinate conjunctions, these important words and phrases may also introduce adverb clauses.

There is only one rule to remember about using subordinate conjunctions:

A subordinate conjunction performs two functions within a sentence.

1. It illustrates the importance of the independent clause.

2. It provides a transition between two ideas in the same sentence. The transition always indicates a place, time, or cause and effect relationship.

after	how	Till
although	if	unless
as	inasmuch	until
as if	in order that	when
as long as	lest	whenever
as much as	now that	where
as soon as	provided (that)	wherever
as though	since	while
because	so that
before	than
even if	that
even though	though

Note: A subordinating conjunction always comes at the beginning of a subordinate clause. It "introduces" a subordinate clause. However, a subordinate clause can come after or before a main clause. Thus, two structures are possible: