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6th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 6 of 12

Commas & Clauses

Clauses, sentence types and commas

What your child practices

Finding dependent clauses, telling simple, compound and complex sentences apart, and using commas in lists, compound sentences, introductions and appositives.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 6.L.2 · commas, clauses and sentence types

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. A dependent clause starts with words like if, although, because or when and can’t stand alone.
  2. Simple: one clause. Compound: two independent clauses joined by and, but or so. Complex: an independent clause plus a dependent one.
  3. Use commas in lists, before and/but/so in compound sentences, after an opening clause and around appositives.

Example: “Although it was late, we kept reading.” Why does it need a comma? “Although it was late” is a dependent clause. It comes first, so a comma sets it off. Answer: It sets off an introductory dependent clause.

Commas & Clauses in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 6 of 12 in 6th grade English Language Arts, after Sentence Repair and before Roots & Analogies.

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

    Why does this sentence need a comma? “Although it was late, we kept reading.”

    • It sets off a speaker's exact words.
    • It sets off an introductory dependent clause.
    • It joins two complete sentences with no conjunction.
    • It separates items in a list.

  2. Question 2

    Which part is the dependent (subordinate) clause?

    Although the water was cold, Priya jumped right in.

    • Although the water was cold
    • Priya jumped right in
    • jumped right in
    • the water

  3. Question 3

    Which word is the subordinating conjunction?

    Since the gym was busy, we practiced outside.

    • gym
    • practiced
    • outside
    • Since

  4. Question 4

    Which word is the subordinating conjunction?

    Although Noah was nervous, he gave a great speech.

    • Although
    • nervous
    • great
    • speech

  5. Question 5

    What type of sentence is this?

    Kenji set the table, and his sister made the salad.

    • Compound
    • Complex
    • Simple

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence uses a comma correctly?

    • I studied, for the test and I felt ready.
    • I studied for the test, and I felt ready.
    • I studied for the test and, I felt ready.
    • I, studied for the test and I felt ready.

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