5 exercises — choosing the right subordinating conjunctions (because, when, if, while, since) in API docs, runbooks, commit messages, and PR descriptions.
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A commit message reads: "Refactored auth middleware _____ the previous implementation blocked the event loop." Which subordinator fits?
Because introduces a causal subordinate clause — it explains the reason for the action in the main clause. "Refactored auth middleware because the previous implementation blocked the event loop" is a well-formed commit message that pairs the change with its motivation. This is the standard structure for commit message bodies in professional teams. "Although" would imply the refactor happened despite the blocking — the opposite of the intended meaning. "While" signals simultaneity or contrast. "Unless" signals a conditional exception. In commit messages, "because" is the clearest causal connector for explaining why a change was made.
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An API doc reads: "The endpoint returns a 429 status code _____ the rate limit is exceeded." Which word completes the condition correctly?
When introduces a temporal or conditional subordinate clause — "when X happens, Y happens." In API documentation, "when" is the standard connector for describing trigger conditions: "The server returns 503 when the upstream dependency is unavailable." "When" is preferred over "if" in docs when the condition is a regular, expected event rather than a hypothetical. "Since" implies a time-based or causal relationship (ambiguous). "Whereas" is contrastive. "Despite" is a preposition requiring a noun/gerund, not a clause. Use "when" for predictable trigger conditions in API specs and error-code documentation.
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A runbook states: "_____ the database is unreachable, the service falls back to the read replica." Which subordinator is correct?
If introduces a conditional subordinate clause — it signals a hypothetical or contingent situation. In runbooks, "if" is correct for fallback conditions: "If the primary database is unreachable, route traffic to the read replica." This is a standard incident-response pattern. "While" suggests simultaneity. "Although" concedes a point (wrong direction of reasoning). "Since" in this position would imply a causal relationship ("since the DB is always unreachable") which is not what a runbook intends. Use "if" for branching logic in runbooks, playbooks, and operational guides.
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A PR description reads: "_____ the previous version used polling, this implementation uses WebSockets to push updates." Which word correctly contrasts the two approaches?
While can function as a contrastive subordinator meaning "whereas" — it is particularly common in technical writing when comparing an old and a new approach in PR descriptions and design docs: "While the old approach used global state, the new one uses a context-based store." This is concise and professional. "Because" is causal, not contrastive. "Since" is causal or temporal. "Unless" is conditional (introduces an exception). "While" as a contrastive marker is preferred over "whereas" in many style guides for its brevity. In PR descriptions, "while [old approach], this [new approach]" is a standard structure for explaining changes.
5 / 5
An error message in a technical doc reads: "The build fails _____ the JAVA_HOME variable is not set." Which subordinator is correct?
If is correct for conditional error conditions in technical documentation: "The build fails if the JAVA_HOME variable is not set." This is the standard form for describing error triggers — the error occurs contingent on the condition. "Although" implies the build fails despite something, which contradicts the cause-and-effect relationship here. "While" would suggest the build fails at the same time the variable is not set (awkward simultaneity reading). "Since" would imply the variable was never set (permanent state), which is stronger than intended. In error documentation, "if" for contingent conditions and "when" for regular/expected conditions are the two correct choices.