B2 – Upper Intermediate
Time and Place Subordinating Conjunctions
Time and place subordinating conjunctions are words that connect a dependent clause to a main clause.
They show when something happens or where something happens.
A subordinating conjunction makes one clause dependent. It cannot stand alone.
Common Time Conjunctions
These show when something happens:
- After: “We went for ice cream after we finished dinner”.
- Before: “Wash your hands before you eat”.
- When: “I was sleeping when the phone rang”.
- While: “She sang while she was walking”.
- Until/Till: “I will wait until you arrive”.
- Since: “I have been here since 8:00 AM”.
- As soon as/Once: “As soon as the sun sets, we will start the fire”.
- Whenever: “She smiles whenever she sees him”.
- By the time: “By the time we arrived, the movie had ended”.
Common Place Conjunctions
These show where something happens:
- Where: “He hid where no one could find him.”
- Wherever: “You can sit wherever you like”.
- Everywhere / Anywhere: “Everywhere I go, you seem to be nearby.”
Sentence Structure
You can place the subordinate clause at the beginning or end.
If the subordinate clause comes first, use a comma:
- When the class ended, we went home.
- Wherever she goes, she takes her dog.
If it comes second, no comma is needed:
- We went home when the class ended.
- She takes her dog wherever she goes.
Advanced Usage Notes
A. “As” vs “While”
- While = two actions happening at the same time
Example: I listened to music while I studied.
- As = simultaneous actions, often with a sense of change or progression
Example: As I walked home, it started to rain.
B. “Until” vs “By the time”
- Until = continuous action up to a point
Example: I waited until she arrived.
- By the time = completed before another action
Example: By the time she arrived, I had left.
Common Errors
Incorrect: I will call you when I will arrive.
Correct: I will call you when I arrive.
Incorrect: Where I go, I will call you.
Correct: Wherever I go, I will call you.
Incorrect: I’ll finish the report after I will get home.
Correct: I’ll finish the report after I get home.
Incorrect: I have lived here since five years. (Duration)
Correct: I have lived here since 2019. (Point in time)
Note: Use “for” for duration: “I have lived here for five years.”
Incorrect: The power went out while I dropped my phone. (Dropping is instantaneous)
Correct: The power went out when I dropped my phone.
Correct: The power went out while I was cooking dinner. (Cooking is a duration)
Incorrect: That was the year where I graduated.
Correct: That was the year when I graduated.