Clauses & Sentence Types

This step Lesson 4 & Lesson 5 are combined

Objectives

To understand what makes a complex sentence.

Resources

Plain paper | Lined paper | Pens and crayons | 📄 Matching Independent Clause with Subordinate Clause | 📄 Spot the Complex Sentence

Today's Lesson

Spelling

Practise the spelling words for a test on Day 5.

Take the spelling test by asking your student to write the words they have been learning this week.

Main Activity

Look through the following information with your student. Stop at certain points when your student has questions or when he or she needs support in their understanding.

What is a complex sentence?

A complex sentence is formed when you join a main clause and a subordinate clause with a subordinating conjunction (sometimes known as connectives). A subordinate clause is one that relies on a main clause to make sense.

READ - What is a Clause? (twinkl)

READ - What is a Complex Sentence? (twinkl)

The conjunctions in complex sentences are subordinating conjunctions and they tell us about the order or the place in which things happened or specify a cause or effect relationship between events. Conjunctions used in complex sentences include: after, although, as, because, if, since, unless, when.

I love roast potatoes although my mum prefers them mashed.
You need to prepare for the spelling test tomorrow if you want to get all your spellings right.
The big dog barked whenever I knocked on the door.

Make a note of which points your student has found particularly challenging, in order to revisit this in the next lesson.

Model how to write a complex sentence, in addition to those above in the example. Ask your student to write their own complex sentences.

You may wish to watch the following video that will spend a little more time examining how complex sentences are constructed.

Ask your student to add to their poster from Day 2, or to create a new poster, to explain everything they understand about complex sentences.

To practice writing complex sentences have a go at completing the resource Matching Independent Clause with a Subordinate Clause.

To deepen your understanding of all three of the sentence types, choose the relevant sheet for your student from Spot the Complex Sentence.

Citations

[1] www.twinkl.co.uk [2] www.twinkl.co.in