if | when | while | so + SUBORDINATE CLAUSE

A subordinating conjunction connects a sentence’s main clause and a subordinate clause. The subordinate clause (also known as an adverb clause) provides additional information explaining the when, where, how, or why of the main clause.

“If, when & while” are sometimes interchangeable.

In the sentence “It’s hard to have a girlfriend when you don’t have a job”, “when” introduces the subordinate clause “you don’t have a job”. This clause provides the condition under which it is hard to have a girlfriend. The main clause is “It’s hard to have a girlfriend”, and it can stand alone as a complete sentence. ‘If’ or ‘While’ could replace ‘when’ with hardly any change in meaning.

The order of the subordinate clause and main clause can be swapped around (like most adverb clauses).  Here are two examples of the simple subordinating conjunction ‘if’ in a sentence.  Notice the use of a comma when these conjunctions are at the start of the sentence, and no comma when it is between the clauses:

If you would like to see me again, then give me a call.

listen to this real conditional

I think it would be nice if you all dropped him a line.

listen to this hypothetical conditional

In the last two examples, the use of ‘if’ implies that the speaker is uncertain whether they will meet or whether they will communicate. Compare the clause “When you would like to see me again,…” the speaker is certain that the other person will want to see them again. The speaker is suggesting that when the other person wants to see them again, they should let them know.


The choice between when and while depends on the context of the sentence.  Generally speaking:

When is used to describe an event that happens at a specific time. For example, “I will call you when I arrive home.”

While is used to describe an event that is happening at the same time as another event. For example, “While I was cooking dinner, my friend called me.”

In some cases, when and while can be used interchangeably without a significant change in meaning. However, if you want to emphasize that an action has a duration and is in progress, use while with a progressive tense. For example, “While I was washing the dishes, my wife came home.”

On the other hand, if you don’t need to emphasize that an action is in progress or the action is short and without a significant duration, use when with a simple tense. For example, “When it started to rain, we went inside.”


The word “so” in the sentence “Sunny, I don’t know what you’re going through, so I don’t know what to say.” is a coordinating conjunction that introduces a result/consequence. In this case, the reason or cause = the speaker does not know what Sunny is going through, which is why they do not know what to say.  If we reversed the order of the clauses, it would not make sense.

Another way to write the sentence with the subordinating conjunction ‘because’ which can be reversed:

Because I do not know what you are going through, I do not know what to say.


Profiling research

The only point in the English Grammar Profile, for A2 CONJUNCTIONS is point 8, which is defined as:

a limited range of simple subordinating conjunctions ‘(if, when, so, while)’ to introduce a subordinate clause.

‘If’ is covered at many other points more specifically at A2 and above.

So is special here because it can be either a coordinating or subordinating conjunction, depending on how it is used in a sentence.

Coordinating conjunctions join two independent clauses. An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and can stand on its own as a complete sentence.

Here are some examples of so as a coordinating conjunction where it introduces a result clause similar in meaning to (‘therefore‘):

  • I like to eat, so I cook.
  • It was raining, so I didn’t go outside.
  • I studied hard, so I got a good grade on the test.

On the other hand, when “so” is used as a subordinating conjunction, it introduces a dependent clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence. For example, “I will go to bed early so (that) I can wake up early tomorrow.” In this sentence, “so” is used to introduce the dependent clause “I can wake up early tomorrow,” which cannot stand alone as a sentence. Notice that ‘so’ gives the purpose, or it can be replaced with ‘in order that/to’.

The other way to decide that it is truly a subordinate clause is to swap the order of the clauses.  For example:

So I can wake up early tomorrow, I will go to bed early.

NOT: So I cook, I like to eat.

Therefore, in the following English Grammar Profile example sentence, ‘so’ is not a subordinating conjunction.  It is a coordinating conjunction:

“I don’t like green, so I decided to use blue.” = This cannot be reversed.

Since the example given in the EGP of ‘so’ as a subordinating conjunction is wrong, it becomes hard to trust whether ‘so’ can really be used as a subordinating conjunction at the A2 level. We can then check the English Vocabulary Profile and see:

  • A2 ‘so’ = used to say that something is the reason why something else happens
  • B1 ‘so (that)’ = in order to make something happen or be possible

We still think the A2 explanation above is poorly worded since it doesn’t explain which clause is giving a reason.  Here is an A2 EVP example:

I was tired so I went to bed.

The main clause = “I was tired” = the reason something else happened.

“so I went to bed” = the result or effect.


WHILE

The conjunction ‘while’ is also listed at B2 in the English Grammar Profile.  Therefore a look in the English Vocabulary Profile should offer more detail about the differences:

The conjunction ‘while’ has the following meanings at different CEFR levels:

  • A2 during the time that, or at the same time as:

What happened to you? Did you lose your way while was gone?

listen

  • B1 used to compare two different facts or situations
  • B2 although (ALSO MAINLY UK FORMAL whilst) despite the fact that

So while their greatest fight might have ended

these two warriors are still to be locked in combat

even as a new challenger approaches.

TED

Here are the 20 most common collocates of ‘while’ as a subordinating conjunction in the MOVIE corpus:

1 WERE 2755

And while we were doing this and listening, 

we kept asking ourselves questions.

TED

 

Look. That‘s me.
Were you filming me while I was asleep?
I’m trying to figure out how you filmed it,

 unless Michael did it.

The Houses October Built

2 STILL 1847

 There’s a lot of places I could still shoot you

while I wait for my answer.

Executor

3 AWAY 1039
4 GONE 997
5 WAITING 538
6 WORKING 346
7 ALIVE 342
8 SLEEPING 311
9 HOT 295
10 ENJOY 263
11 ASLEEP 261
12 PLAYING 261
13 OTHERS 254
14 WATCHING 231
15 DRIVING 207
16 EATING 202
17 SITTING 193
18 LASTED 163
19 BUSY 151
20 QUIT 135


An iWeb corpus search for three spaces in if|when|so|while * * * _v

‘if’ is clearly the most common of these…

*Note ‘so’ is also listed at B1 as ‘greater’ range.  

1 IF YOU DON’T HAVE 107341 If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
2 IF YOU DONT HAVE 67485
3 IF YOU DON’T WANT 50629
4 IF YOU DO NOT HAVE 49546
5 IF YOU WANT TO BE 40434
6 IF YOU WANT TO GET 39319
7 IF YOU DON’T KNOW 34799
8 IF YOU WANT TO MAKE 30605
9 IF YOU WANT TO USE 29965
10 IF YOU DONT WANT 28814

11 SO YOU DON’T HAVE 28633 It is not always possible to tell if ‘so’ introduces a purpose or result/effect:

But I won’t be within a hundred miles

so you don’t have to worry about me

you know, messing things up.

listen

 

12 IF YOU WANT TO SEE 27865
13 IF YOU WANT TO KNOW 24894
14 IF YOU DON’T LIKE 24797
15 IF YOU DON’T KNOW 22138

16 SO I DON’T KNOW 18305 A2 coordinating:

Sunny, 

I don’t know what you‘re going through,

 so I don’t know what to say.

listen

17 IF YOU WANT TO GO 17392
18 IF YOU WANT TO DO 16560
19 IF YOU DO NOT WANT 16468
20 IF YOU WANT TO LEARN 16039
21 IF YOU WANT TO HAVE 15868
22 SO YOU DON’T HAVE 15807
23 IF YOU WANT TO KEEP 15223
24 IF YOU CAN’T FIND 15082
25 IF YOU DON’T LIKE 14775
26 IF YOU DON’T MIND 14160
27 SO THAT IT CAN BE 13620 Notice the most common indicator of introducing purpose after ‘so’ is ‘can’.

Beautys only been given to us 

so that it can be taken away again.

listen

28 IF YOU WANT TO TAKE 13550
29 IF YOU WANT TO ADD 12661
30 IF YOU DON’T GET 12407
31 IF YOU DON’T SEE 12368
32 SO I DON’T HAVE 12267
33 SO I DON’T THINK 11904
34 IF YOU WANT TO TRY 10988
35 SO THAT THEY CAN BE 10588
36 IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE 10090
37 IF YOU CAN’T GET 9536
38 IF YOU DO NOT KNOW 9496
39 IF YOU WANT TO FIND 9228
40 IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE 9219
41 IF YOU WANT TO PLAY 8807
42 SO, IF YOU ARE 8736
43 SO THAT YOU CAN GET 8725
44 IF YOU DO NOT WISH 8631
45 IF YOU WANT TO CREATE 8479
46 WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING 8403 C1 idiom

When it comes to making a big change in your life, you have to want it more than you fear it.

47 WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE 8334

I mean

it’s just kind of hard to have a girlfriend

 when you don’t have a job.

listen

48 IF YOU DON’T NEED 8042
49 SO YOU DON’T NEED 7847
50 SO I THOUGHT I WOULD 7828
51 IF YOU DO NOT SEE 7716
52 IF YOU DON’T USE 7675
53 SO BE SURE TO CHECK 7647
54 IF YOU WANT TO SAVE 7598
55 IF THAT DOESN’T WORK 7577
56 IF THEY DON’T HAVE 7566
57 SO THAT YOU CAN SEE 7546
58 WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING 7478
59 SO I DON’T KNOW 7250
60 IF YOU DONT MIND 7218
61 SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING 7204
62 IF YOU DO NOT AGREE 6987
63 SO I DON’T HAVE 6894
64 IF YOU DON’T FEEL 6844
65 IF IT DOESN’T WORK 6791
66 WHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING 6647
67 IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE 6546
68 IF YOU DON’T DO 6498
69 IF YOU DON’T GET 6467
70 IF YOU WANT TO AVOID 6369′
71 IF I DON’T HAVE 6306
72 IF YOU CAN NOT FIND 6246
73 SO, IF YOU HAVE 6183
74 SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE 6081
75 SO, IF YOU WANT 5990
76 IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE 5943
77 IF YOU WANT TO BUY 5926
78 IF YOU DONT SEE 5835
79 IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE 5733
80 IF YOU WANT TO STAY 5728
81 IF YOU WANT TO GIVE 5726
82 IF YOU WANT TO CHECK 5711
83 IF YOU WANT TO BUILD 5541
84 SO FAR AS TO SAY 5451
85 IF YOU WANT TO START 5419
86 IF YOU DON’T THINK 5408
87 IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN 5382
88 IF YOU WANT TO READ 5362
89 WHEN YOU DONT HAVE 5353
90 IF YOU NEED TO MAKE 5343
91 IF YOU PLAN TO USE 5251
92 IF YOU WANT TO WORK 5220
93 IF YOU ARE NOT USING 5142
94 IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE 5111
95 IF YOU WISH TO USE 5027
96 WHEN IT COMES TO FINDING 4991
97 SO WHAT DO YOU DO 4945
98 IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE 4904
99 SO WHAT DO YOU THINK 4869
100 IF YOU WANT TO RUN 4795

Conjunctions with two spaces

1 IF YOU WOULD LIKE 166192

If you would like to‘ is the 14th most frequent 5-word Ngram in English, iWeb 90,797

2 SO THAT YOU CAN 165131
3 IF YOU ARE LOOKING 139344
4 IF YOU’RE LOOKING 112473
5 IF YOU ARE USING 92052
6 SO THAT THEY CAN 66593
7 IF YOU’D LIKE 65013
8 SO THAT WE CAN 62670
9 IF YOU ARE GOING 59148
10 IF YOU’RE GOING 48983
11 SO THAT I CAN 43306
12 IF YOU HAVE BEEN 41088
13 IF YOU CAN GET 40668
14 IF YOU REALLY WANT 40351
15 SO IF YOU ARE 39844
16 SO YOU CAN SEE 39812
17 SO IF YOU HAVE 36553
18 IF YOU ALREADY HAVE 36355
19 IF YOU’VE GOT 35886
20 IF YOU’RE USING 35739
21 SO YOU CAN GET 35399
22 IF YOU’VE BEEN 33000
23 SO IF YOU WANT 32126
24 SO THAT IT CAN 30534
25 IF YOU CAN FIND 29506
26 SO IT CAN BE 28558
27 IF YOU ARE PLANNING 28252
28 WHEN I FIRST STARTED 27596

I remember

 when I first started to fall in love with you 

like it was last night.

listen

Also notice that if we use the reversal rules the following sentence doesn’t make sense:

When I first started to fall in love with you, I remember.

29 IF YOU ARE HAVING 27163
30 SO THAT IT IS 26023
31 SO THAT YOU DO 24215
32 SO THAT I COULD 21378
33 SO THEY CAN BE 20107
34 IF YOU ARE TRYING 19509
35 IF YOU JUST WANT 19452
36 SO THAT THEY ARE 18944
37 SO YOU CAN BE 18806
38 SO MUCH FOR SHARING 18669
39 SO YOU CAN USE 18525
40 SO IT WOULD BE 17959
41 WHEN THE TIME COMES 17675
42 IF I CAN GET 17629
43 SO IF YOU DO 17591
44 SO YOU CAN MAKE 17158
45 SO IT WILL BE 16912
46 IF YOU’RE PLANNING 16650
47 IF YOU DO HAVE 16456
48 IF YOUR CHILD IS 15690
49 IF YOU ARE DOING 14718
50 IF YOU STILL HAVE 14708
51 IF YOU’RE TRYING 14002
52 WHEN YOU’RE DONE 13760
53 IF YOU ARE THINKING 13730
54 IF YOU ARE WORKING 13697
55 IF YOU ARE RUNNING 13652
56 IF YOU CAN AFFORD 13330
57 IF YOU ARE TAKING 13192
58 SO THAT YOU ARE 13133
59 IF YOU’RE HAVING 13000
60 SO THAT THEY COULD 12819
61 SO THAT YOU HAVE 12794
62 SO I’M GOING 12742
63 IF YOU ONLY HAVE 12701
64 SO FAR I HAVE 12644
65 SO YOU CAN HAVE 12565
66 SO , IT IS 12424
67 WHEN YOU ARE DONE 12374
68 SO THAT IT DOES 12283
69 SO, YOU CAN 12247
70 SO I CAN GET 12224
71 SO THERE YOU HAVE 12164
72 IF IT HAD BEEN 12158
73 IF YOU CAN DO 12085
74 IF YOU’RE FEELING 11903
75 SO THAT HE COULD 11715
76 IF IT CAN BE 11635
77 SO THAT HE CAN 11610
78 SO,  HOW DO 11574
79 IF YOU WILL BE 11446
80 IF IT WOULD BE 11392
81 IF YOU’RE THINKING 11377
82 IF I CAN FIND 11356
83 IF THE ANSWER IS 11023
84 SO THAT IT WILL 11017
85 WHEN I FIRST GOT 10910
86 IF IT HAS BEEN 10849
87 SO THAT THEY DO 10758
88 IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING 10667
89 SO THAT THERE IS 10615
90 SO DON’T BE 10397
91 SO YOU CAN ENJOY 10382
92 IF YOU HAVE HAD 10365
93 SO YOU WILL NEED 10303
94 SO THAT WE COULD 10254
95 SO YOU CAN TAKE 10138
96 IF YOU’RE DOING 10066
97 WHEN I FIRST SAW 9922
98 SO IT SHOULD BE 9864
99 WHEN I WAS GROWING 9710
100 SO YOU CAN KEEP 9688

With one space

1 IF YOU ARE 2236402
2 IF YOU HAVE 1940187
3 IF YOU DO 1219782
4 IF YOU WANT 1212437
5 WHEN IT COMES 885600
6 SO YOU CAN 638435
7 WHEN I WAS 491611
8 IF YOU CAN 476797
9 IF IT IS 470927
10 IF THERE IS 424444
11 WHEN YOU ARE 358831
12 IF YOU NEED 348041
13 IF THEY ARE 346120
14 WHEN HE WAS 249462
15 WHEN YOU HAVE 228647
16 IF THIS IS 223176
17 WHEN THEY ARE 219784
18 IF YOU WERE 218099
19 IF IT WAS 212010
20 IF YOU WOULD 210493
21 IF THERE ARE 205261
22 WHEN IT IS 202152
23 SO IT IS 197855
24 SO I CAN 186426
25 IF YOU USE 177964
26 WHEN IT WAS 171947
27 IF YOU LIKE 171600
28 IF THEY DO 168033
29 IF YOU THINK 162940
30 SO THEY CAN 157437
31 IF I HAD 155477
32 IF YOU GET 151126
33 SO WE CAN 144800
34 SO I DO 138023
35 IF THEY WERE 137795
36 IF YOU WISH 137385
37 IF YOU KNOW 136637
38 WHEN YOU GET 134781
39 IF THEY HAVE 132353
40 IF I CAN 130634
41 IF YOU LOOK 126827
42 IF IT DOES 125513
43 WHEN YOU DO 122305
44 SO YOU DO 121241
45 IF YOU FIND 119810
46 IF I DO 117648
47 WHEN SHE WAS 114895
48 IF IT WERE 114543
49 IF I WAS 111504
50 WHEN THEY WERE 111061
51 IF I COULD 110650
52 WHEN YOU NEED 109842
53 IF I HAVE 108829
54 IF YOU COULD 108514
55 SO IT WAS 105443
56 WHEN THERE IS 104808
57 IF YOU HAD 104212
58 IF YOU CA 103871
59 SO I HAVE 102252
60 IF YOU CHOOSE 100075
61 IF THERE WAS 99833
62 IF I WERE 98489
63 SO I WAS 98363
64 IF WE ARE 97656
65 IF YOU GO 96423
66 IF YOU FEEL 94667
67 IF YOU DID 93832
68 WHEN I GOT 92644
69 WHILE I WAS 90504
70 SO THERE IS 89093
71 IF WE DO 88451
72 WHILE IT IS 88030
73 IF I AM 87650
74 SO I AM 87469
75 IF YOU SEE 83535
76 WHEN YOU WANT 83501
77 SO THIS IS 83028
78 IF YOU TAKE 82862
79 WHILE YOU ARE 82311
80 SO I COULD 81826
81 IF THAT IS 79610
82 IF WE CAN 78059
83 WHEN YOU CAN 77759
84 WHEN WE WERE 77647
85 SO I THINK 77419
86 SO YOU HAVE 75758
87 WHEN I GET 75747
88 IF YOU PLAN 74512
89 IF YOU PREFER 73889
90 WHEN IT CAME 73212
91 WHEN I AM 72515
92 IF YOU LIVE 71606
93 IF THEY CAN 70682
94 IF I DID 70104
95 WHEN I STARTED 69173
96 SO I WOULD 68961
97 IF YOU’RE LOOKING 68711
98 WHEN WE ARE 68658
99 IF YOU DECIDE 66742
100 IF HE IS 65713

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