College English Essentials

Another PowerPoint presentation adapted from WORDSMITH: Essentials of College English

by Your Friendly Neighborhood Teacher Man

Enzo Silvestri BA BEd MA

Coordination and Subordination• Chain Letter

• Dear Friend,

This is a chain letter. It is composed of a chain of simple sentences. Each sentence has one subject and one verb. Each sentence conveys one idea. Each idea is expressed in the same way. The writer has fallen into a pattern. This pattern becomes monotonous to the reader. The reader wants to scream.

Joining your Sentences If you break the chain you will have good luck.

Your writing will flow more smoothly, and your readers will not scream. In this paragraph, for instance, the chain of simple sentences has been broken using techniques that you will learn in this chapter. Break the chain and set your writing free!

Sincerely

Mr. “S”

How should it be done.

Writing Effective SentencesMost people started writing in simple

sentences. These are sentences with just one idea in

them. That is one subject and one verb. As you get further into college you will need

to compose more complex and compound sentences and to do this your sentence structure needs to become more sophisticated to handle more complex ideas.

Why is it more complicated?The Wright Brothers plane at Kittihawk was a simple construction made of a motor, wood cloth, and wire.

Today the stealthy F-22 fighter plane,

like an effective sentence, is much

more sophisticated.

CONNECTING IDEAS THROUGH COORDINATION

Ideas expressed in short simple sentences can be joined to make a more effective sentence.

Coordination is a method that can be done in two ways

Use a comma and a FANBOYS conjunction, or

Use a semicolon and a joining word.

Commas and FANBOYS

FANBOYS conjunctions, more commonly called coordinating conjunctions, are used with a comma to connect two independent clauses.

A clause is a grammatical unit that contains a subject and a verb.

An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence.

This is the pattern used when a FANBOYS conjunction is used with a comma to connect two independent clauses.

The comma goes before the FANBOYS conjunction.

It is NOT a bunch of young groupies who hang around the band or team hunting for autographs.

F – for A – and N – nor B – but O – or Y – yet S - so

What IS a FANBOYS?

FormulaIndependent clause, and independent

clause

Examples: Marcus scanned the crowded cafeteria.

(independent clause) He did not see his friend Hannah.

(Independent Clause) These two independent clauses, or simple

sentences, can be connected with a FANBOYS and a comma.

Marcus scanned the crowded cafeteria, but he did not see his friend Hannah.

SEMICOLON AND JOINING WORD

The other method of coordination is by using a semicolon and a joining word.

Once again, a complete sentence (independent clause) should appear on both sides of the semicolon.

Example: Mary thought she would have extra money left over

at the end of the month. She did not anticipate having to buy a new battery

for her car. Mary thought she would have extra money left over

at the end of the month; however, she did not anticipate having to buy a new battery for her car.

Another WayConnecting Ideas Through Subordination

Ideas can be connected by subordination. Placing a dependent word such as because, although, if, when, or after in front of an independent clause makes it a dependent or subordinate clause, one that can no longer stand on its own as a sentence.

It must be connected therefore, to another idea that is stated as a complete sentence.

It will then depend on the sentence it is attached to and can no longer be separated from it.

Here are some examples.

Example 1: Rashida had no time to sit down for breakfast.

She picked up a banana and a granola bar and walked out the door.

If the dependent clause acts as an introductory clause, a comma follows it.

Because dependent clause, independent clauseConnected

Because Rashida had no time to sit down for breakfast, she picked up a banana and granola bar and walked out the door.

The Alternate Method.Cars were backed up for miles on the

interstate.A tractor-trailer truck had turned over, blocking two lanes.

Independent clause because dependent clause

ConnectedCars were backed up for miles on the

interstate because a tractor-trailer truck had turned over, blocking two lanes.

Dependent words also act as transitional words, showing the relationship between the ideas.

Using dependent clauses help downplay one idea while emphasizing another.

Usually, the idea expressed in the independent clause is of greater importance, while the idea in the dependent clause is of lesser importance.

Creating Emphasis through Subordination

emphasis on the pay

Although the work is dangerous the job pays well. emphasis on the dangerAlthough the job pays well, the work is dangerous.

emphasis on the cheerA cheer went up from the crowd as the home team

scored the winning run. emphasis on the runThe home team scored the winning run as a cheer

went up from the crowd.

EXAMPLES

Final Advice

Go forth and remember to

coordinate and

subordinate!Your sentences