Improving Style by Using Subordinating Conjunctions

Directions:

Underline the word that correctly completes each sentence below.

Example:

Arthur wanted to go back home (because, that) two cats crossed the street in front of his car.

  1.      (After, Than) the Hong Kong stock exchange’s trading floor was completely computerized in 1986, traders no longer needed to shout or wave their arms.

  2.      Although Boyd has photographed poisonous snakes, mountain gorillas, and New York cab drivers, photographing bears in Alaska scared him more (than, which) any of his other assignments.

  3.      (If, Though) Verlyn is good at the technical side of astronomy, he is less interested in improving telescopes than I studying the sky with the equipment he has.

  4.      (Unless, Why) Tara calls me, I’ll be home all evening.

  5.      Janeen was considered shy (because, until) she became involved in community theater presentations.

  6.      Greta has not seen her father (since, whenever) she was five years old.

  7.      (Unless, While) David finished making the minestrone, Edna frosted the birthday cake.

  8.      Jerry recently spent a week on the farm (if, where) he had worked as a teenager.

  9.      A book louse is an insect (that, which) eats mold and mildew, not books.

  10.  English, Spanish, French, and Italian are the languages (that, where) are spoken most widely in North America.

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