Subordinating conjunctions Worksheet Practice Exercises with Answers

Question 1. What is a subordinating conjunction?
Answer: A subordinating conjunction is a word that joins two sentences together. However, the two parts connected are not equal in meaning. One part is the main sentence, and the other is a smaller part called a dependent clause. The subordinating conjunction links the dependent clause to the main sentence.
In simple words: A subordinating conjunction hooks a smaller sentence piece onto a bigger main sentence. The smaller piece depends on the main sentence to make full sense.

Exam Tip: Remember that subordinating conjunctions always start the dependent clause, and the dependent clause can come before or after the main sentence.

Question 2. What is a dependent clause?
Answer: A dependent clause is a smaller sentence that cannot stand alone. It relies on a main sentence to create a complete thought. The subordinating conjunction always appears as the first word of the dependent clause. For example, in the sentence "Nick decided to try to escape, although he knew his chances were slim," the phrase "although he knew his chances were slim" is the dependent clause that depends on the main sentence.
In simple words: A dependent clause is a group of words with a subject and verb, but it needs a main sentence to complete its meaning. By itself, it feels unfinished.

Exam Tip: Identify dependent clauses by finding the subordinating conjunction first - it will always be at the start of that clause.

Question 3. List common subordinating conjunctions.
Answer: Common subordinating conjunctions include: after, although, as, as if, as though, because, before, even if, even though, how, if, in order that, once, rather than, since, so (that), than, that, though, till, unless, until, what, when, whenever, where, wherever, whether, which, while, who, why. Some subordinating conjunctions consist of more than one word, such as "even though," "in order that," and "as if."
In simple words: These are words you use to join a main sentence with a dependent clause. Some are single words like "because" or "when." Others are pairs of words like "even though" or "in order that."

Exam Tip: Refer to the provided list when identifying subordinating conjunctions in sentences, and remember that multi-word conjunctions like "even though" must stay together.

Question 4. Where can the dependent clause be placed in a sentence?
Answer: The dependent clause can appear in two positions. It can come after the main sentence, such as in "She continued arguing until everyone finally agreed with her." Or it can come before the main sentence, such as in "If he knew the truth, her father would throw the doll away." In both cases, the subordinating conjunction always stays at the start of the dependent clause. The position of the dependent clause does not change its role or the meaning of the conjunction.
In simple words: The dependent clause can go at the end of the main sentence or at the beginning. Either way, the subordinating conjunction comes first in the dependent clause.

Exam Tip: When the dependent clause comes before the main sentence, a comma usually separates the two parts.

Question 5. How do subordinating conjunctions differ from prepositions?
Answer: Some words can function as either a subordinating conjunction or a preposition, but they work differently in each role. When a word is a subordinating conjunction, it joins two complete sentences together. For example, in "John left before they served dinner," the word "before" is a subordinating conjunction connecting two sentences. When the same word is a preposition, it introduces a noun phrase instead. In "John left before dinner," the word "before" is a preposition that comes before the noun "dinner." Similarly, "for" acts as a coordinating conjunction in "I've been working hard, for I hope to be promoted," but as a preposition in "I've been working hard for IBM."
In simple words: A subordinating conjunction joins two full sentences. A preposition links a word to a noun. The same word can do both jobs depending on how it is used in the sentence.

Exam Tip: To tell the difference, check if the word joins two sentences with subjects and verbs (conjunction) or just introduces a noun (preposition).