Coordination and Subordination
In graduate school, I had a professor who said, “The hardest word in the English language to use properly is the conjunction ‘and’,” and “The key to success is subordination.”
Coordination
I just used the coordinating conjunction ‘and’ in the sentence above to join the two quotations, which are independent clauses.
A good way to think about coordination is to visualize a scale in balance, or kids balancing on a see-saw.
There are seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, yet, for, or, nor, so. Used properly, they join equal parts: two or more words, phrases, clauses or sentences of equal rank. Each of the seven coordinating conjunctions has a different meaning.
- And: in addition, also, moreover, besides
2&3. But or yet: nevertheless, however, still
4. For: because, seeing that, since
5. Or: as an alternative, otherwise
6. Nor: and not, or not, not either [nor is used after a negative]
7. So: therefore, as a result
Using the accurate conjunction betters a writer’s chance of being correctly understood.
Subordination
Since ideas are neither all equal nor merit equal emphasis, it’s important to subordinate the lesser elements to make the primary idea paramount. This is called subordination.
A good way to visualize subordination is to think of a painting where the compositional elements are toned down in order to bring attention to the focal point, as in Rembrant’s self- portrait. Everything in this painting is secondary to the artist’s face.
Things that are subordinate are secondary; they have lower rank than the main idea, and their placement in a sentence, paragraph or essay should reflect that.
Subordination allows a writer to emphasize the main idea, to combine lesser ideas in the service of the main idea, and to combine supporting evidence with clarity and elegance.
You can read more about subordination here.
Deborah Lee Luskin is an author, speaker and educator who loves winter.
Thanks for this post and for the other valuable posts published here regularly. A few examples would have been welcomed, but then we can always practice coordination in comments like this one, can’t we?
The first sentence of the post is an example of coordination, as the second sentence explains.
The sentence, “Since ideas are neither all equal nor merit equal emphasis, it’s important to subordinate the lesser elements to make the primary idea paramount.” is an example of subordination. [“Since ideas are neither all equal nor merit equal emphasis” is a subordinate clause with two coordinated elements (all equal/equal emphasis), followed by the main idea, “It’s important to subordinate lesser elements.”
Thanks for reading the blog.
That explanation was very helpful.
Reblogged this on Notes from An Alien and commented:
Important Little Words in today’s Re-blog…
Is the key to success really subordination? How does this play out in politics?
Taken out of context this is a questionable assertion.
You are absolutely correct: taken out of context, this assertion is questionable. But isn’t context everything? Taken out of context, almost any assertion can be rendered questionable.
This post appears on LIVE TO WRITE – WRITE TO LIVE “a blog about “the craft and business of writing,” as clearly stated on the masthead – giving context.
Understanding how language works and reading carefully are critically important to political life.
Thanks for comment.