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5th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 6 of 11

Complex Sentences

Clauses and conjunctions

What your child practices

Choosing conjunctions like although, because and unless, finding dependent and independent clauses, telling simple, compound and complex sentences apart, and combining sentences.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 5.L.1 · clauses and subordinating conjunctions

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. An independent clause can stand alone. A dependent clause starts with a word like when, because, although or unless and can’t.
  2. A compound sentence joins two independent clauses with and, but or so.
  3. A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

Example: “When the timer beeped, we took out the bread.” Which part is the dependent clause? “We took out the bread” can stand alone. The part starting with “when” can’t. Answer: when the timer beeped

Complex Sentences in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 6 of 11 in 5th grade English Language Arts, after Greek and Latin Roots and before Punctuation Power.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Arizona Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    What kind of sentence is this?

    Zoe sang and danced in the school play.

    • simple sentence
    • compound sentence
    • complex sentence

  2. Question 2

    Which part of this sentence could stand alone as a complete sentence?

    After the snow melted, the first crocuses bloomed.

    • after the snow melted
    • the first crocuses bloomed

  3. Question 3

    Which subordinating conjunction makes the most sense?

    ____ you finish your chores, you can go to the park.

    • Until
    • If
    • Although
    • Unless

  4. Question 4

    Which subordinating conjunction makes the most sense?

    The team celebrated ____ they won the championship.

    • unless
    • until
    • although
    • after

  5. Question 5

    What kind of sentence is this?

    We can walk to the park, or we can ride our bikes.

    • complex sentence
    • compound sentence
    • simple sentence

  6. Question 6

    Which part of this sentence is the dependent clause?

    If it is sunny on Saturday, we will go to the beach.

    • if it is sunny on Saturday
    • we will go to the beach

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