The Grammar Issue

Even though I am a journalism major I HATE grammar! I have a grammar class right now, and I think it's my hardest class of them all. But to me, ever since I had started doing papers I always had a hard time. My papers would be good, but when it came to my spelling and grammar I would be so bad!

But one of my biggest grammar problems would be subordinating conjunctions! I mean I just can't never get them.They are conjunctions used to join clauses of unequal weight (one clause clearly takes precedence and can stand by itself if necessary as a complete sentence) according to "When Words Collide." My main problem is remembering the most common subordinating conjunctions when I need to.

The most common subordinating conjunctions are: after, although, as, as if, before, how, if, since, so, through, unless, while.

Two incorrect examples would include paying careful attention to using as if. A common error is to use the preposition like.

It looks like it will snow today.
It looks like it will be a beautiful day.

I had to remember that prepositions cannot link a clause-only a phrase or a single word.

It looks as if it will snow today.
It looks like snow today.