Coordination and Subordination (Review)

Techniques and Models To Inspire Our Own (216-17):

1.  Coordinate using a comma, followed by the right conjunction (FANBOYS) for the relationship.

• Example: I failed calculus because I could not understand math concepts that I studied hours each night, but Bourdain failed in his early attempts at being a chef because his drug addiction made him lazy and disinterested.  

•  [one text on each side of the , conjunction]

• Example: Both Bourdain and I reached a breaking point with our separate struggles, so we promised ourselves to seek help from our friends and family.   

•  [both texts connected as a plural subject, followed by the idea that parallels them on the other side of the , conjunction]

2. Coordinate using a semicolon, followed by a conjunctive adverb and comma.

• Example: I failed calculus because I could not understand math concepts that I studied hours each night; however, Bourdain failed in his early attempts at being a chef because his drug addiction made him lazy and disinterested.

• Example:  Both Bourdain and I reached a breaking point with our separate struggles; therefore, we promised ourselves to seek help from our friends and family.  

3. Subordinate using a subordinate conjunction (see 

• Example: Although I failed calculus because I could not understand math concepts that I studied hours each night, Bourdain failed in his early attempts at being a chef because his drug addiction made him lazy and disinterested.

• Example: I failed calculus because I could not understand math concepts that I studied hours each night, while Bourdain failed in his early attempts at being a chef because his drug addiction made him lazy and disinterested.

• Example: Because both Bourdain and I reached a breaking point with our separate struggles, we promised ourselves to seek help from our friends and family.  

4. Coordinate using only a semicolon if the two sentences being combined have phrases within that help build a relationship between the idea in each sentence.

• verbs match? Verbs from the same family? If so, this helps build continuity between two sentences.
• Or, include a modifying clause in one of the sentences that  gets "picked up" in the other sentences.