Literary Term: Subordination

Subordination:

• Words, phrases, and clauses that make one element of a sentence dependent on (or subordinate to) another.

Part of Subordinate Clause:

• A group of words that has both a subject and a verb but (unlike an independent clause) cannot stand alone as a sentence. Also known as a dependent clause.

Clause Subordinators: after, although, as, because, before, even though, if, once, since, though, unless, until, when

Examples:

1.The dog barked incessantly at night.
Because the dog barked incessantly at night,
Because the dog barked incessantly at night, the neighbors finally lodged a complaint with the town board.
2.Constance sighed.
When Constance sighed,
When Constance sighed, the other people in the room turned to see who had done it.Video on Subordination