1. Subordinating Conjunctions
connect two complete ideas by making one of the ideas subordinate or less important than the other

2. Clauses All clauses have a subject and a verb
Subordinate clauses cannot stand alone
Ex: before Nate left on his trip
Independent clauses can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Ex: Nate left on his trip.
Verb
Subject

3. Subordinating Conjunction
Clauses
All clauses have a subject and a verb
Subordinate clauses cannot stand alone
Ex: before Nate left on his trip
Independent clauses can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Ex: Nate left on his trip.
Subordinating Conjunction

4. List of Subordinating Conjunctions
After
Although As
As if
As long as
As soon as
As though
Because
Before
Even if
Even though If
In order that
Lest
Now that
Since
So that
Than
Though
Till

5. Examples
After considering the consequences of murder, the burglar fled the bank without harming the teller.
The tree will fall over unless we replace the top soil.
Whenever Jessica flips her hair, all the boys in the class lose their focus.

6. Punctuating with subordinate conjunctions
When the subordinating clause begins the sentence, the subordinating clause is separated from the independent clause with a comma.
No comma is used when the subordinating clause follow the independent clause.

7. Practice
Write one sentence beginning with a subordinating conjunction.
Write another sentence with the subordinating conjunction in the middle of the sentence separating the two clauses.