Subordinator
SAT glossary · Course Foundations
Definition
The word (because, although, if, when, so that, who, which, that, whether) that prevents a clause containing a subject and finite verb from standing alone. Clean test: strike the subordinator and see whether what remains stands as a sentence.
Subordinator in plain English
A subordinator is a word — like because, although, if, when, so that, who, which, that, or whether — that turns what would otherwise be a complete, standalone sentence (something with its own subject and finite verb) into a DEPENDENT clause that can no longer stand alone. Here's a clean, reliable test: mentally cross out the subordinator itself, and check whether what's left over could genuinely function as its own complete sentence — if the subordinator makes that difference, you've correctly identified it.
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