A colleague of mine, Mary Schleppegrell, has an article about the use of
"because" in classroom discourse; as I recall, the idea was that, in
certain contexts, "because" did not function as a suborndinator. I believe
the article appeared in _The Journal of Pragmatics_.

However, in the sentences below, both "if" and "because" look like
subordinators to me.

Kathleen Ward

>Dear Ed,
>
>I would consider both "if" and "because" to be subordinating
>conjunctions.
>
>Both of the sentence below seem to be complex sentences to me.
>
>R.E.
>
>> Date:          Mon, 3 May 1999 14:29:57 -0400
>> Reply-to:      Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
>>                <[log in to unmask]>
>> From:          EDWARD VAVRA <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject:       Subordination/Coordination
>> To:            [log in to unmask]
>
>> I recently read something that led me to ask all of you the following
>>question:
>>
>> Do you consider "if" and "because" to be coordinating or subordinating
>>conjunctions?  For example, consider the following two sentences:
>>
>> He wanted to know if it rained.
>> and
>> He was late because he forgot.
>>
>> Are they compound (two main clauses), or are they complex (a main clause
>>and a subordinate clause)?
>>
>> I will appreciate your answers very much.
>> Thanks,
>> Ed V.
>>