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.
Maine Learning Results learning standard: Language 1 · clauses and subordinating conjunctions
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- An independent clause can stand alone. A dependent clause starts with a word like when, because, although or unless and can’t.
- A compound sentence joins two independent clauses with and, but or so.
- 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 Maine
In the Maine Learning Results, 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.
- 5th grade guide for Maine parents
- Printable 5th grade English Language Arts sheet
- Maine report cards explained
Source: Maine 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.
Question 1
Which sentence correctly combines these two sentences using “although”?
The trail was muddy.
We finished the hike.
- The trail was muddy although. We finished the hike.
- Although the trail was muddy we, finished the hike.
- Although, the trail was muddy we finished the hike.
- Although the trail was muddy, we finished the hike.
Although the trail was muddy, we finished the hike.
Hint: The combined sentence must make sense, and when the dependent clause comes first, a comma goes right after it.
Question 2
Which part of this sentence is the dependent clause?
After the snow melted, the first crocuses bloomed.
- the first crocuses bloomed
- after the snow melted
after the snow melted
Hint: A dependent clause starts with a word like because, when, if or although. It can't stand alone as a sentence. The independent clause can.
Question 3
Which subordinating conjunction makes the most sense?
____ the movie was long, Kenji enjoyed every minute.
- Because
- Unless
- Although
- Until
Although
Hint: You might expect a long movie to be boring, but he enjoyed it. Which word shows a surprising contrast?
Question 4
What kind of sentence is this?
Although the hill was steep, Ana rode her bike to the top.
- compound sentence
- simple sentence
- complex sentence
complex sentence
Hint: A complex sentence has an independent clause plus a dependent clause that starts with a word like because, when or although.
Question 5
What kind of sentence is this?
Zoe sang and danced in the school play.
- complex sentence
- simple sentence
- compound sentence
simple sentence
Hint: A simple sentence has just one independent clause (one subject–verb idea), even if it has two subjects or two verbs.
Question 6
Which subordinating conjunction makes the most sense?
The team celebrated ____ they won the championship.
- although
- after
- until
- unless
after
Hint: First they won, then they celebrated. Which word shows time order?