Read this sentence from the sidebar in "Embarrassed?" If you wouldn't say it to a friend, find something more reasonable to say to yourself. What role does the subordinating conjunction play in this sentence? It establishes the reason for the action in the independent clause.

It establishes a condition for the action in the independent clause.

It establishes a comparative relationship between the two clauses.

It establishes the time relationship between the two clauses.

It establishes a condition for the action in the independent clause.

Explanation:

A subordinate clause (also called dependent clause) is a clause that, unlike an independent clause, can't stand alone as a complete sentence. It provides additional information about the content of the independent clause it's connected to by a subordinating conjunction. One of many subordinating conjunctions is if, and it's used to establish a condition for the action in the independent clause:

"why don't you like me the way i am? " i cried. "i'm not a genius! i can't play the piano, and even if i could, i wouldn't go on tv if you paid me a million dollars! "

explanation:

the conflict between jing-mei and her mother is over jing-mei's piano lessons since her mother wants her to become a prodigy but she does not want to play it any more.