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. . 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. 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. 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