Glossary: coordination
Words or phrases are coordinated if they are linked as an equal pair by a coordinating conjunction (i.e. and, but, or).
In the examples below, the coordinated elements are shown in bold, and the conjunction is in red.
- Susan and Amra met in a cafe. [links the words Susan and Amra as an equal pair]
- They talked and drank tea for an hour. [links two clauses as an equal pair]
- Susan got on a bus but Amra walked. [links two clauses as an equal pair]
The difference between coordination and subordination is that, in subordination, the two linked elements are not equal.
Not coordination: They ate before they met. [before introduces a subordinate clause]
In coordination, elements or strings of elements (conjoins) are juxtaposed by means of a coordinating conjunction. E.g. Bulgaria and Greece.
