Two ways to join ideas
When you join two ideas in one sentence, you decide how they relate. There are two basic ways.
Coordination joins ideas as equals. The words that coordinate are the coordinating conjunctions for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (remembered as FANBOYS), pairs such as both… and and either… or (correlative conjunctions), and the semicolon. Each side is an independent clause, or a matching part of one.
- “The factory created jobs, and it polluted the river.”
- “The factory created jobs; it polluted the river.”
Subordination makes one idea depend on another. The subordinate idea sits in a dependent clause, introduced by a subordinating conjunction (although, because, since, when, while, if, unless, after, as) or a relative pronoun (who, which, that). The main idea stays in the independent clause.
- “Although the factory created jobs, it polluted the river.”
- “The factory polluted the river, which supplied the town’s drinking water.”
The first of the subordinated sentences treats the jobs as a fact acknowledged but outweighed. The second treats the drinking water as a reason the pollution matters. In neither does the subordinate clause carry the main claim.
What each structure says about the ideas
Writers frequently use coordination to show balance or equality between ideas, and subordination to show imbalance or inequality. This is a useful rule to start from, not a law. Always check against the sentence.
| Structure | Typical relationship | Effect on the reader |
|---|---|---|
| “A, and B” | Addition, equal weight | Both ideas matter equally |
| “A, but B” | Contrast between equals | Tension; B often gets the final emphasis |
| “A; B” | Parallel or related, no connector | Sharp juxtaposition; the reader draws the link |
| “A, so B” | Cause and effect between equals | A leads straight to B |
| “Although A, B” | A conceded, B asserted | B is the writer’s point; A is acknowledged |
| “A because B” | B is the reason | B explains A; A is the main claim |
| “If A, B” / “Unless A, B” | Condition | B holds only under A |
| “B, which A” / “B, who A” | Added information | A supplies detail about B |
Why the choice is part of the argument
Compare these three sentences, all about the same events (written by Marlbridge):
- “The scheme cut waiting lists, but it cost the council a great deal.” (A and B are balanced, with a contrast; the closing idea is the cost.)
- “Although the scheme cut waiting lists, it cost the council a great deal.” (The benefit is conceded and subordinated; the cost is the main point.)
- “The scheme cut waiting lists, although it cost the council a great deal.” (The cost is subordinated; the benefit is the main point.)
Sentences 2 and 3 are not equivalent. The writer of (2) is arguing the scheme is too expensive. The writer of (3) is defending it. The same facts, a different conjunction, an opposite claim. A reader who notices this has noticed the writer’s purpose.
When you analyse a text, ask: Which idea is in the independent clause? Which is subordinated? Which are set side by side as equals? The answers show what the writer wants you to treat as central, what is conceded, and what is regarded as of equal weight.
Public-domain examples
Coordination for balance and irony: Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address (1865). “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other.”
The sentence joins its two halves with a semicolon and “and”, giving each side’s claim exactly equal weight. The structure makes the two sides symmetrical (they read the same Bible, they pray to the same God, they each invoke His aid), and the final clause “against the other” then exposes the paradox within that symmetry. Equal grammar presents equal standing, which is the point Lincoln wants his audience to feel.
Coordination as accumulation: Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859). “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.”
Each clause is independent and equal in form, linked by commas and no conjunction. The opposing pairs (“best” and “worst”, “wisdom” and “foolishness”) are placed side by side as equals, so the reader feels a period in which extremes coexisted. If Dickens had subordinated one half (“Although it was the best of times, it was the worst”), the sentence would have ranked one over the other and lost the sense of coexistence.
Worked example 1: reading the relationship
Task. Explain how the structure of the sentence below, written by Marlbridge, shapes the reader’s view of the town council.
“While the council debated the new car park for six months, the library closed, the bus route was cut, and the playground was left without a gate.”
Step 1: find the main and subordinate material. “While the council debated the new car park for six months” is a subordinate clause (it begins with “While”). The three clauses after the comma (“the library closed”, “the bus route was cut”, “the playground was left without a gate”) are coordinated independent clauses, joined as a list with “and” before the last.
Step 2: say what the subordination does. It puts the council’s debate in the background, as the circumstance during which other things happened. The council is treated as a time marker, not an actor who achieves anything.
Step 3: say what the coordination does. The three equal clauses show the losses as a series of the same weight, building a sense of accumulating neglect. Because they are coordinated, none is excused as less important than the others.
Step 4: link to purpose. The writer’s criticism is that the council’s attention to a car park coincided with, and was therefore partly responsible for, a loss of public services. The sentence structure makes that criticism without stating it directly.
Worked example 2: choosing coordination or subordination (writing)
Task. Two ideas: (i) the new timetable gives students longer lunch breaks; (ii) the new timetable shortens the final lesson of the day, which students had valued. Write one sentence for each of these purposes, and explain.
- Purpose 1: argue in favour of the timetable, while acknowledging the shorter final lesson.
- Purpose 2: argue against the timetable, while acknowledging the longer lunch.
- Purpose 3: present the two effects as equally important for a neutral report.
Step 1: choose the main idea for each purpose. In Purpose 1 the main idea is (i); in Purpose 2, (ii); in Purpose 3, both.
Step 2: write.
- Purpose 1: “Although the new timetable shortens the final lesson, it gives students a longer lunch break, which they have long asked for.”
- Purpose 2: “Although the new timetable gives students a longer lunch, it shortens the final lesson that they valued most.”
- Purpose 3: “The new timetable gives students a longer lunch; it also shortens the final lesson.”
Step 3: check. In (1) and (2) the concession sits in the subordinate clause and the main idea in the independent clause, so the reader treats the main idea as the writer’s point. In (3) two independent clauses linked by a semicolon give equal weight. The facts are the same in all three; the structure alone changes the stance.
Common misconceptions
- “Subordinate means unimportant.” The idea is ranked lower in the sentence, but it can still be crucial: a concession in a subordinate clause shows fairness.
- “Coordination is the simple choice.” Coordination is a deliberate choice for balance. A long chain of “and… and… and…” can also sound breathless or flat.
- “‘But’ makes the first idea disappear.” It keeps it, but the reader’s attention shifts to what follows.
- “I can swap ‘although’ and ‘but’ freely.” “Although A, B” and “A, but B” both lead to B as the point, but “although” subordinates A and so marks it clearly as a concession, while “but” keeps A at equal rank. “A, although B” reverses the stress and puts A in the main clause.
- “On the exam I only need to name the conjunction.” Name the relationship (concession, cause, balance) and explain what it does for the writer’s purpose.
- “Semicolons are for lists.” A semicolon can join two related independent clauses and make the reader see them side by side (see Topic 7.6).
Where this leads
Topic 7.6 turns to grammar and punctuation: the conventions that make these sentences readable and that let a writer shape relationships among ideas. Try the practice questions, consult the revision notes and the checklist, then move on to the Topic 7.6 study guide. To recall how clauses are classified, revisit the Topic 7.4 study guide.
Quick questions
Is a sentence with 'but' always balanced?
It gives both ideas equal grammatical rank, so it usually reads as balanced, but the contrast still creates a tension and the second idea often receives the end-position emphasis. Read the sentence for what it stresses as well as for its structure.
Which is better for argument, coordination or subordination?
Neither. Coordination suits ideas that deserve equal weight; subordination suits a concession, a condition or a background idea that should not compete with the main point. Choose by the relationship you intend.
Do I need to use subordination in a timed essay?
Using subordination, especially for concessions, is a natural way to show reasoning, but the exam expects you to write clearly, not to use complicated structures for their own sake.