Writing Tip

Use Subordinating Conjunctions Correctly--Especially "Because"

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Recommendation: Especially when dealing with logic, use subordinating conjunctions according to their first meanings in the dictionary.

Don’t use while for whereas.

Don’t use while for although.

Don’t use if for whether.

Don’t use as for because.

Don’t use since for because.

There are two concepts that you need to understand for this tip. You learned both of them in middle school (remember diagramming sentences with a white stick called “chalk”?), but you may have forgotten them. They are the subordinate clause and the subordinating conjunction. The latter is used to connect the former to the main clause. Here’s an example:

“When the bell rings” is the subordinate clause (it is a clause because it has a subject [bell] and a verb [rings]). When is the subordinating conjunction that attaches the subordinate clause to the main clause, and it is the use of this conjunction that leaves room for improvement.

So, what’s the problem? Some authors use the wrong subordinating conjunction, typically by habit. This misuse increases the chances of the reader misreading the subordinate clause. Here are some subordinating conjunctions that are frequently misused:

Using while when whereas is called for:

The context calls for a conjunction that contrasts/compares: whereas.

Using while when although is called for:

The context calls for a conjunction that contrasts/compares: although.

Using if when whether is called for:

The context calls for a conjunction that introduces the first of two or more alternatives: whether.

Using as when because is called for:

The context calls for a conjunction that expresses a logical relationship: because.

Using since when because is called for:

The context calls for a conjunction that expresses a logical relationship: because.

Read the entire article to find out why:

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