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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.

Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 5.2.1.3 · clauses, relative pronouns and relative adverbs

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 Minnesota

In the Minnesota K-12 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: Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)

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

    Which subordinating conjunction makes the most sense?

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

    • Unless
    • Although
    • Until
    • If

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence correctly combines these two sentences using “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.
    • The trail was muddy although. We finished the hike.

  3. Question 3

    Which subordinating conjunction makes the most sense?

    Zoe kept practicing ____ she could play the song perfectly.

    • although
    • unless
    • since
    • until

  4. Question 4

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

    The plants will wilt unless you water them.

    • unless you water them
    • the plants will wilt

  5. Question 5

    What kind of sentence is this?

    Zoe sang and danced in the school play.

    • complex sentence
    • simple sentence
    • compound sentence

  6. Question 6

    Which word is the subordinating conjunction?

    While the kettle heated up, Ravi set the table.

    • heated
    • Ravi
    • kettle
    • while

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