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Mr.Maru: I'm home!
Sparky: Did you have a good day at work?
Mr.Maru: It was okay. How about you?
Sparky: Although it was sunny today, I stayed inside.
Mr.Maru: Did you take out the trash?
Sparky: No.
Mr.Maru: Why not?
Sparky: Before I took out the trash, it started raining.
Mr.Maru: That's no problem.
Sparky: Even though I wanted to take out the trash, I don't like the rain.
Mr.Maru: If you want supper tonight, you should take out the trash now.
How do you use subordinating conjunctions? These are very useful connectors that can be used to link two ideas or thoughts together. Let's talk about some examples and rules of subordinating conjunctions.
 What are subordinating conjunctions?
Subordinating conjunctions link a subordinating clause to the main part of a sentence to form a whole clause. Subordinating clauses are incomplete sentence that can act as different parts of speech in a sentence. For example,
I'll pay you back | on Friday.
[main clause] | [adverb]
I'll pay you back | when | I get paid.
[main clause] | [subordinating conjunction] | [subordinating clause]
The subordinating conjunction and subordinating clause act as an adverb.
You can also use it as an object:
I read | a story.
[main clause] | [object]
I read | that | penguins live in Antarctica.
[main clause] | [subordinating conjunction] | [subordinating clause]
 It can also be an adjective:
He has a | likable | car.
[main clause] | [adjective] | [object]
He has a car | that | everyone likes very much.
[main clause] | [subordinating conjunction] | [subordinating clause]
A Complete List of Subordinating Conjunctions
after, although, as, as if, because, before, even though, if, in order that, rather than, since, so that, than, that, though, unless, until, when, where, whether, while
Do you think you understand? Let's take a short quiz.
1) I'm not going to the store ____________.
A) before I go to the post office
B) before going to the post office
C) before the post office
2) He asked ______ I wanted to go to the party.
A) whether
B) if
C) while
3) I like the car ______________
A) when someone parked next to the building.
B) where someone parked next to the building.
C) that someone parked next to the building.
Answers
1) A) and B) – Both of these are okay in this situation. C) is okay in casual spoken English.
2) A) and B) – Both are okay to report yes/no questions. For example,
Do you like movies? → He asked if/whether I liked movies.
3) C) – The subordinating conjunction 'which' is used to make the subordinating clause act like an adjective.
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