Subordinating Conjunctions
Although
After
As
While
When
Until
Because
Before
If
Since
is a mnemonic device to help you remember the subordinating conjunctions. A subordinating conjunction is used to connect a dependent clause to an independent clause.
Let’s look at some sentences from
stories in the literature book …
As he trudged to English, he practiced scowling.
~ Seventh Grade by Gary Soto
While some youngsters were into street negatives, Antonio and Felix slept, ate, rapped, and dreamt positive.
~ Amigo Brothers Short Story by Piri Thomas
• What did you notice about the structure of each sentence?
• What did the sentences have in common?
Comma after the beginning phrase
So…what’s an
When an AAAWWUBBIS is the first word of a sentence, you are going
to need a comma — usually.
Use a comma to set off an opener.
Opener , Complete sentence .
What if an
comes later in the sentence?
Look at this sentence from The War of the Wall…
• What is the AAAWWUBBIS? • What does the comma separate?
When we came from school, the wall was slick with white.
What if you rewrote the sentence?
Do you need a comma in the second sentence? Why or why not?
2. The wall was slick with white when we came from school.
1. When we came from school, the wall was slick with white.
Look at this sentence from Amigo Brothers…
• What is the AAAWWUBBIS?
Both fighters had a lot of psyching up to do before the big fight.
How could you rewrite the sentence so that the AAAWWUBBIS is at the
beginning?
• What did you have to add to the second sentence?
2. Before the big fight, both fighters had a lot of psyching up to do.
1. Both fighters had a lot of psyching up to do before the big fight.
Writing Practice
Read the following paragraph. Rewrite the paragraph by combining sentences and
using AAAWWUBBIS words.
Although
After
As
While
When
Until
Because
Before
If
Since
Maria stepped inside the haunted house. Maria heard screams and groans. Maria ran into the next room. Maria saw herself in the mirrors that lined the wall.
Although
After
As
While
When
Until
Because
Before
If
Since
When Maria stepped inside the haunted house, she heard screams and groans. As she ran into the next room, she saw herself in the mirrors that lined the wall.
Maria heard screams and groans as she stepped inside the haunted house. When she ran into the next room, she saw herself in the mirrors that lined the wall.
Sample answers: