As writers, we want the reader to be aware of the main point we are trying to make in a sentence. In this issue of Grammatically Correct we will look at one technique which can be used to accomplish that goal: using subordination to highlight the main point of a sentence.

If one sentence contains several clauses, it can sometimes be difficult for the reader to determine which clause is most important. Subordination lets the reader know which clauses are most important and which are less important, or subordinate, in relation to the other clauses. So how can you use subordination in your writing?

Make the less important point an adjective clause that begins with a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom, or whose).

Option 1: Charles Lindbergh, who made the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, was a landmark American aviator.

In this example, the reader’s attention is drawn to the fact that Charles Lindbergh was a landmark American aviator.

Option 2: Charles Lindbergh, who was a landmark American aviator, made the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

In this example, the reader’s attention is drawn to the fact that Charles Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

The first sentence subordinates Lindbergh’s nonstop flight achievement to the fact that he was a landmark aviator. The second sentence subordinates the fact that Lindbergh was a landmark aviator to the fact that he made the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Both examples use the subordination of one clause to highlight the other clause’s importance.

Write the less important clause as a dependent clause that begins with a subordinating conjunction (after, although, as, because, before, even though, if, since, though, unless, until, when, whenever, whereas, wherever, while).

Option 1: Although much research has been done in the area of evolution, no stable conclusion has been reached.

Option 2: Even though no stable conclusion has been reached, much research has been done in the area of evolution.

The first sentence subordinates the fact that much research has been done to the fact that no stable conclusion has been reached. The second sentence subordinates the fact that no stable conclusion has been reached to the fact that much research has been done.

Try using these subordination techniques in your own writing to highlight the importance of a main point.

In addition to our own website, this week we recommend Big Dog’s Grammar website featuring mini-tutorials of the “bare bones” of grammar issues from parts of speech, to agreement, to active/passive construction. Visit Big Dog’s Grammar website at http://aliscot.com/bigdog/.

Test your understanding by rewriting the following sentences so that subordination highlights the main point. (Answers may vary depending on which point you wish to emphasize). In the answer section, the subordinate clause will be bolded.

1. Dr. Joseph Lister was the first person to demonstrate the use of antiseptic in surgery. He supported Louis Pasteur in Pasteur’s attack of the medical      community.
2. This morning I visited a friend and went to the gym.
3. Smith and Wesson (2002) proved that music has a positive influence on children. They also showed that music appears to have the greatest effect on children between ages three and five.

Answers
In the following sentences, the subordinate conjunctions and relative pronouns are underlined, while the entire subordinate phrase is bolded.

1. Dr. Joseph Lister, who supported Louis Pasteur in his attack of the medical community, was the first man to demonstrate the use of antiseptic in
    surgery.
2. Before I went to the gym, this morning I visited a friend
3. Although Smith and Wesson (2002) proved that music has a positive influence on children, they also proved that music appears to have the greatest effect on children between ages three and five.

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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