Chapter
\k:
Coordination and Subordination: What to
Say
When
the
Cops
Come
183
3.
Select the subordinating conjunction
that
best expresses the relationship between
the main clause and the dependent
clause.
4.
Arrange the clauses to achieve
logic,
coherence, rhythm, and polish.
The following table shows some of the most common subordinating conjunctions and
the relationships
that
they show between
ideas.
Strictly
Speaking
Conjunctions
and conjunctive
adverbs
can
also

be called tran-
sitions
because
they signal
con-
nections
between
ideas.
Relationship
Subordinating
Conjunctions
Cause,
reason
Choice
Condition
Contrast
Effect,
result
Location
Time
as,
because
whether,
rather than
even if, if, unless, provided
that
though, even though, although
so,
so
that,

in order
that,
that
wherever, where
once,
whenever, since, until, when, while, after, before
Follow
the
Leader
Here are some examples of effective sentence subordination:
Not
subordinated:
You lick a postage stamp. You consume one
tenth
of
a
calorie.
Subordinated:
When you lick a postage stamp,
you
consume one
tenth
of
a
calorie.
Starting
the dependent clause
with
the subor-
dinating

conjunction "when"
gives
a reason for
the main clause.
Not
subordinated:
You are a typical American
man. You spend four hours a year tying your tie.
Subordinated:
If
you
are a typical American
man, you spend four hours a year tying your
tie.
Starting
the dependent clause
with
the subor-
dinating
conjunction "if"
gives
a reason for
the main clause.
Danger,
Will
Robinson
Be
careful not to switch
the main
clause

and the depend-
ent
clause
when you subordinate.
If
you put the main idea in a
dependent
clause,
your
sentence
will
not be logical, as this
exam-
ple
shows:
Because
the
TV
cam-
era
focused
on him,
Todd
wore
a
bright
blazer.
The
sentence
should

read:
Because
Todd
wore
a
bright
blazer,
the
TV
camera
focused
on him.
IM
Part
3:
Usage
and
Abusage
Dice
V
Slice
Choppy
sentences
are a series of short sentences
that
create an
annoyingly
abrupt
rhythm.
Because

there
is no subordination in a series of choppy sentences, each idea is given
equal emphasis. Like a date from the dark side, choppy sentences are
abrupt,
boring,
and repetitious. For instance:
•
Director John Ford banned the use of makeup while he filmed The
Grapes
of
Wrath.
John Ford
also
banned artificial lighting. He
also
banned special camera
effects.
He wanted to stay
true
to the realistic nature of Steinbeck's novel.
Try some sentence combining and subordination of
ideas
to achieve meaning,
emphasis,
and rhythm.
•
In an
attempt
to stay
true

to the realistic nature of The
Grapes
of
Wrath,
director
John Ford banned the use of makeup, artificial lighting, and special camera
effects
while he filmed Steinbeck's novel.
Double Dare
It's time to put up or shut up. Use subordinating conjunctions to link the ideas in each
of
the following sentence pairs. First decide which clause will be dependent and which
one will be independent.
Write
your answers in the spaces provided.
1.
You put a ton
of
Jell-O
in the swimming pool. You still can't walk on water.
2.
The word
trousers
is an uncommon noun. It is singular at the top and plural at
the
bottom.
3.
Milk stays fresh. Keep it in the cow.
4.
You have 3 quarters, 4 dimes, and 4 pennies. You have

$1.19,
the largest amount
of
money in coins
without
being able to make change for a dollar.
Chapter
\k:
Coordination
and
Subordination:
What
to
Say
When
the
(ops
Come
185
5.
Thomas Jefferson was broke when he died. He was one of
America's
most bril-
liant
presidents.
Answers
Possible
responses:
1.
Even if

you
put a ton
of
Jell-O
in the swimming pool, you still can't walk on water.
2.
The word
trousers
is an uncommon noun because it is singular at the top and
plural at the
bottom.
3.
So
that
milk will stay fresh, keep it in the cow.
4.
If you have 3 quarters, 4 dimes, and 4 pennies, you have
$1.19,
the largest
amount of money in coins
without
being able to make change for a dollar.
5.
Although Thomas Jefferson was broke when he died, he was one of America's
most brilliant presidents.
Duke
It Out: Coordination
Versus
Subordination
When

to coordinate?
When
to subordinate? Most often, the
logic
of the ideas dic-
tates the placement of those ideas in main clauses or dependent
clauses.
Here's the
rule of
thumb:
•
Coordinate when you want to link related independent
clauses.
•
Subordinate when you want to put the most important idea in the main clause
and
give
less
importance to the idea in the dependent clause.
Here are some examples
that
show each sentence strategy at work:
Two
clauses:
The sky became a frightening
gray.
The mood was ominous.
Coordinated:
The sky became a frightening
gray,

and the mood was ominous.
Subordinated:
As the sky became a frightening
gray,
the mood
was
ominous.
With
this construction, the mood is the focus.
Subordinated:
As the mood became ominous, the sky became
a
frightening
gray
r
.
With
this construction, the sky is the focus.
186
Part
3:
Usage
and
Abusdge
Parallel Structure: Trod the Straight and
Narrow
Parallel
structure
means
putting

ideas of the same rank in the same grammatical struc-
ture.
Your writing and speech should have parallel words, phrases, and
clauses.
Parallel
structure
gives
your writing many admirable strengths, including the following:
•
Rhythm
You
Could
Look
It
Up
,
• Emphasis
•
Balance
Parallel
structure
means
putting
ideas
of the
same
rank in
the
same
grammatical structure.

You
can have parallel words,
phrases,
and
clauses.
•
Impact
•
Crispness
•
Conciseness
Here's how to create parallel words, phrases, and clauses:
•
Parallel
words
share the same
part
of speech (such as nouns, adjectives, or verbs)
and tense (if the parallel words are verbs).
•
My date was
obnoxious,
loud,
and
cheap;
no
doubt
he thought I was
gorgeous,
personable,

and witty.
•
We
pleaded,
begged,
and
prayed—to
no
avail.
•
Parallel
phrases
create an underlying rhythm in your speech and writing, as these
examples show:
•
"For taking away our Charters, abolishing our laws, and altering the Forms
of
our Government " (Declaration of Independence)
•
"Now the
trumpet
summons us
again—not
as a call to bear arms, though
arms we
need—not
as a call to battle, though embattled we
are—but
a call
to bear the burden of

a
long twilight struggle " (John F. Kennedy's inau-
guration speech)
•
Parallel
clauses
can
give
your writing balance as well. For instance:
•
"Let every nation know,
whether
it wishes us well or ill,
that
we shall pay
any
price, bear any burden,
meet
any hardship,
support
any friend, oppose
any
foe to assure the survival and success of liberty." (John F Kennedy's
inauguration speech)
•
"Our chiefs are killed;
Looking-Glass
is dead;
Ta-Hool-Shute
is dead."

(Chief
Joseph's
surrender speech, 1877)
Chapter
14:
Coordination
and
Subordination:
What
to
Say
When
the (ops
Cone
187
^)
Take
My
Word
for
It
Some
of the world's most famous documents and
speeches
derive power
from
parallel
structure. In his famous
1963
speech

on the
steps
of the Lincoln Memorial, for example,
Dr.
Martin
Luther
King
Jr.
created an enduring statement
with
these parallel
phrases:
"I
have
a dream
that
one day every valley shall be exalted, every
hill
and mountain shall
be
made low, the rough
places
will
be made plains, and the crooked
places
will
be
made
straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it
together."

Make
It
So
Be
sure to brush after every meal, wear clean underwear in case you are in a car acci-
dent,
and use matching forms to create parallel structure. Here are some examples to
show how creating parallel structure can improve your oral hygiene, raise your social
status, and make your writing
better:
Not
parallel:
To avoid getting hit by lightning, never seek protection under a tree, lying
down on wet ground, or not staying on a bike.
Parallel:
To avoid getting hit by lightning, never seek protection under a tree, lie down
on wet ground, or stay on a bike.
Because
the phrases "match," the sentence sounds smoother and more
logical.
Not
parallel:
During a thunderstorm, people who are inside should not talk on the
telephone, standing near open windows, and using large appliances.
Parallel:
During a thunderstorm, people who
are
inside should not talk on the telephone,
stand near open windows, or use large appli-
ances.

Now
that
it's parallel, this sentence is bal-
anced and
less
wordy.
i^
/
Quoth
the
Maven
_
Because
parallelism has to do
with
the sound of language, read
sentences
aloud as you
work.
Time
to
Face
Old Sparky
Revise
each of the following sentences so the elements are parallel.
Write
your
answers
on the lines provided.
188

Part
3:
Usage
and
Abusage
1.
Groucho Marx
said
to one of
his
leading
ladies:
"Martha, dear,
there
are many
bonds
that
will hold us together through eternity: your
savings
bonds, the bonds
that
are called Liberty bonds, and the bonds you get from the government."
2.
In addition to being a
puppeteer,
the late Jim Henson was
also
a painter, an
artist skilled
with

animation, and someone who liked to sculpt
clay.
3.
Contrary to legend,
Ringo
Starr never
sang,
"She's 16, she has beauty, and she
belongs
to me."
4.
The typical member of the Book-of-the-Month Club is well educated, his or
her age is about 40, a Democrat (moderate variety).
5.
If you happen to be stranded at sea
with
a group and you see a shark, bunch
together to form a tight circle, warned to be using shark repellent, staying
dressed,
and be sure to float as a good way to save energy.
Answers
Possible
responses:
1.
Groucho Marx
said
to one of
his
leading
ladies:

"Martha, dear,
there
are many
bonds
that
will hold us together through eternity: your
savings
bonds, Liberty
bonds,
and government bonds."
2.
In addition to being a
puppeteer,
the late Jim Henson was
also
a painter, animator,
and
sculptor.
3.
Contrary to legend,
Ringo
Starr never
sang,
"She's 16, she's beautiful, and she's
mine."
Chapter
\k:
Coordination
and
Subordination:

What
to
Say
When
the
(ops
Come
189
4.
The typical member of the Book-of-the Month Club is well educated, about
40
years old, and a moderate Democrat.
5.
If you happen to be stranded at sea
with
a group and you see a shark, bunch
together to form a tight circle, use shark repellent, stay dressed, and float to save
energy.
The
Least
You Need to Know
•
Sentence coordination links ideas of equal importance.
•
Sentence subordination connects two unequal but related clauses
with
a subordi-
nating
conjunction to form a complex sentence.
•

Parallel structure means
putting
ideas of the same rank in the same grammatical
structure.
•
Use 'em all to create
logical,
concise, and graceful writing.

Tools
of
the
Trade
If
you
need to get a nail into a wall, you'll probably reach for a hammer
rather than a tire iron, toaster, or socket wrench.
A
jack
is
the tool of
choice when you're changing a tire;
cleavers
work great to dice celery.
Most tools are so simply labeled
that
there's no choice at
all:
Even I know
that

a screwdriver
goes
with
screws, for instance.
Life
is not
as
simple for writers and their tools, however. Not only are
there
many different writing tools to choose from, but the ones you select
can
have a great influence on the quality and style of your writing.
In addition to pens and computers, writers work
with
punctuation, capitaliza-
tion, abbreviations, and
spelling
rules.
That's
what
this
part
is
all about.