AN ANALYSIS OF COORDINATION AND SUBORDINATION IN TAYLOR SWIFT’S SONG BACK TO DECEMBER

  • Cesie Septiani Dewanti Universitas Riau
  • Hapni Nurliana HD Hasibuan Universitas Riau
  • Dahnilsyah Dahnilsyah Universitas Riau
  • Yokhebed Yessika Gowasa Universitas Riau
  • Muhammad Ridho Saputra Universitas Riau
Keywords: Back to December, coordinating conjunction, subordinating conjunction, syntax, Taylor Swift

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the use of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in Taylor Swift's song "Back to December". The focus of this study is to identify, classify, and determine the most dominant types of conjunctions used, as well as explain their contribution to the syntactic structure and emotional meaning in the song lyrics. This study uses a mixed method that combines two methods, namely qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative method is used to identify and categorize conjunctions found in the lyrics, while the quantitative method is used to calculate the frequency of their use. The results show that coordinating conjunctions are used more frequently than subordinating conjunctions. The most dominant coordinating conjunction is "and", which functions to connect ideas sequentially and express emotional continuity. Meanwhile, the dominant subordinating conjunctions used such as "because", "when", and "if" function to form logical and conditional relationships between clauses. The use of these conjunctions not only strengthens syntactic cohesion but also contributes to creating a consistent flow of emotions throughout the song lyrics. Thus, the syntactic structure in the lyrics of the song "Back to December" is not only linguistically coherent but also plays an important role in building grammatical harmony and emotional expression.

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Published
2026-06-30
How to Cite
Dewanti, C. S., Hasibuan, H. N. H., Dahnilsyah, D., Gowasa, Y. Y., & Saputra, M. R. (2026). AN ANALYSIS OF COORDINATION AND SUBORDINATION IN TAYLOR SWIFT’S SONG BACK TO DECEMBER. Linguistics and Literature Journal, 7(1), 31- 39. https://doi.org/10.33365/linguistics_and_literature.v7i1.1398