Activity: Subordination and Coordination
Read more about subordination and coordination and how they can not only fix run-ons but also help you show relationships between ideas, write smoother sentences, and vary the lengths and types of sentences you write. Then, practice using these techniques to improve a piece of writing in the activity. Compare your responses to the answer key after you have finished.
Using Subordination and Coordination to Improve Sentence Variety Activity
Answer Key
*Answers will vary
A small North Carolina island holds a secret, for it was the site of an early English colony that mysteriously disappeared. Historians and scientists have conducted research for decades, but no satisfactory answer has been found. In 1585, colonists were sent to America by Sir Walter Raleigh. They built a settlement on Roanoke Island, and more settlers arrived in 1587. Virginia Dare was born on the island that August. She was the first English child born in America and was the granddaughter of John White who was the governor of the colony. John White sailed to England for supplies, but his return trip was delayed three years because a war interrupted his plans. When he reached the colony, he found it empty. The hundred colonists had disappeared. There was no sign of a battle, and there was no sign of violence. The people had just vanished. There was only a single clue; the word "Croatoan" was found carved on a tree. No one could explain what happened to the settlement, so it became known as "The Lost Colony". Though researchers think they were abducted by Native American tribes or died during a severe drought, no evidence of their fate has been discovered.