This lesson reviews recognizing sentences with subordinate clauses. The previous lesson looked at sentences with subordinate clauses beginning with a relative pronoun; this lesson presents sentences with subordinate clauses beginning with a subordinating conjunction.

PSAT prep 8

In PSAT prep 5, you learned the following:

Subordinating conjunctions:

after, although, as, as if, because, before, even though, if, how, in order that, rather than, since, so that, than, that, though, unless, until, when, where, whether, while, why

These words subordinate, or make dependent, the group of related words with a subject and verb that comes after it.  For example, “Until she completes reading for at least forty minutes a day for her reading log, Fatima cannot go to sleep.”  The clause “Until she completes reading for at least forty minutes a day for her reading log” cannot stand alone because the thought is incomplete.  The thought is complete when the sentence is complete by adding “Fatima cannot go to sleep.”

Consider the following sentences and identify the subordinating conjunctions and subordinate clauses:

1. After the governor closed schools in Michigan, students continued studying by remote learning.
2. Although remote learning poses difficulties for students and teachers, both are working as best as possible.
3. Students will fall behind in their education, if they fail to read daily and complete assignments.
4. Most students are completing assignments online, while they enjoy the comforts of being at home.
5. Students will celebrate when schools in Michigan eventually reopen.

To show that you understand subordinate clauses with subordinating conjunctions and subordinate clauses with relative pronouns, compose three sentences of each type, identify each in parentheses, and try to weave the six sentences into a short story. The topic is your choice.