Subordinating Conjunctions Practice (B1-B2) - English Grammar Quiz

⏱ Time: 07:30 📝 Questions: 15 📊 Level: B1, B2 📚 Type: Grammar ⭐ XP: up to +16 (on pass)

Challenge yourself: 15 Subordinating Conjunctions questions, 7 minutes, Level B1-B2. Can you get a perfect score? The questions start straightforward and build to tricky edge cases. Read every explanation to pick up tips that textbooks often skip.

⏱ You have 07:30 to answer 15 questions. The timer only starts when you click Begin.

Q1  15
Q1 15

Question 1: She stayed indoors ___ it was raining heavily outside.

Question 1 options
'because' is correct because it introduces a dependent clause showing cause and effect. 'although' expresses concession, 'unless' expresses condition, and 'wherever' expresses place — none of these fit a cause-and-effect relationship here.
Q2 15

Question 2: ___ the meeting ends, we can go out for lunch together.

Question 2 options
'Once' is correct because it introduces a time clause meaning 'as soon as' or 'after the point when'. 'Despite', 'whether', and 'so that' do not fit a time relationship in this context.
Q3 15

Question 3: A subordinating conjunction joins two independent clauses of equal importance.

Question 3 options
False because a subordinating conjunction joins an independent clause with a dependent clause. The dependent clause cannot stand alone — this is what makes it different from a coordinating conjunction, which joins two equally important clauses.
Q4 15

Question 4: Which sentence uses a subordinating conjunction to express a condition?

Question 4 options
'Unless you call ahead, the restaurant may be fully booked' uses 'unless' as a conditional subordinating conjunction, introducing a requirement for the main clause to happen. The other options express time, cause, and place relationships respectively.
Q5 15

Question 5: Arrange the words to make a correct sentence:

Question 5 options
  • they decided
  • Although it was cold,
  • to go swimming

Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.

The correct order is 'Although it was cold, they decided to go swimming' because when the dependent clause introduced by 'although' comes first, a comma separates it from the main clause.
Q6 15

Question 6: Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Question 6 options
'He kept practising even if he felt tired' is correct because 'even if' is a valid conditional subordinating conjunction here. 'Because' needs a clause not a noun phrase; 'since' cannot be followed by 'of'; 'unless' does not fit a positive continuation context.
Q7 15

Question 7: Customer: 'Why did you leave the party so early?' Friend: 'I left ___ I had an early start the next morning.'

Question 7 options
'because' is correct here because it introduces a reason or cause for the action in the main clause. 'wherever', 'before', and 'as though' express place, time sequence, and manner respectively, which do not answer 'why'.
Q8 15

Question 8: Which sentence correctly uses a subordinating conjunction (not a coordinating conjunction)?

Question 8 options
'She went to the gym although she was exhausted' uses 'although', a subordinating conjunction that introduces a dependent clause. The other options use 'but', 'so', and 'yet', which are all coordinating conjunctions joining two independent clauses.
Q9 15

Question 9: Put the words/clauses in the correct order:

Question 9 options
  • when
  • everyone has arrived
  • We will start the tour

Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.

The correct order is 'We will start the tour when everyone has arrived' because the main clause comes first when the subordinating conjunction appears mid-sentence, and no comma is needed in this position.
Q10 15

Question 10: The children played outside ___ the sun was still shining.

Question 10 options
'while' is correct because it introduces a time clause showing that two actions happened simultaneously. 'in case' expresses precaution, 'as if' expresses manner/appearance, and 'so that' expresses purpose — none describe simultaneous actions.
Q11 15

Question 11: Which statement about subordinating conjunctions is true?

Question 11 options
A dependent clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. It must be attached to an independent clause. The other options are incorrect: subordinating conjunctions can appear mid-sentence or at the start; a comma is only required when the dependent clause comes first; and 'and/but/or' are coordinating, not subordinating, conjunctions.
Q12 15

Question 12: Rewrite using a subordinating conjunction: 'He trained hard. He wanted to win the competition.' → He trained hard ___ win the competition.

Question 12 options
'so that he could' is correct because 'so that' is the subordinating conjunction expressing purpose, and it must be followed by a subject and verb ('he could'). 'for winning', 'to winning', and 'because win' are all grammatically incorrect structures.
Q13 15

Question 13: Match each sentence to the correct grammar label.

Question 13 options
She texted me before she left the office.
Even though he studied, he failed the test.
I will help you if you ask me nicely.
She was late since the bus broke down.
Conditional subordinating conjunction
Time subordinating conjunction
Concession subordinating conjunction
Cause and effect subordinating conjunction

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Subordinating conjunctions are categorised by the relationship they express: time (when events happen), concession (unexpected contrast), condition (requirement for main clause), and cause/effect (reason for main clause).
Q14 15

Question 14: When a dependent clause introduced by a subordinating conjunction comes before the main clause, a comma should be used to separate the two clauses.

Question 14 options
True because comma placement with subordinating conjunctions depends on clause order: if the dependent clause comes first, a comma is required. If the main clause comes first and the dependent clause follows, no comma is needed.
Q15 15

Question 15: Which sentence most clearly expresses that two contrasting situations exist at the same time?

Question 15 options
'Whereas she loves spicy food, her brother cannot eat it at all' uses 'whereas' to draw a direct comparison or contrast between two simultaneous situations. 'Unless' expresses condition, 'once' expresses time sequence, and 'since' expresses cause — none express simultaneous contrast.