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7th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 4 of 13

Clauses & Sentences

Simple, compound, complex and more

What your child practices

Finding independent and dependent clauses, naming the four sentence types, and fixing fragments, run-ons and comma splices, the building blocks of varied, clear sentences.

Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 7.2.1.3 · phrases, clauses and sentence structure

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. An independent clause stands alone. A dependent clause starts with a word like if, because or when and can’t.
  2. Simple: one independent clause. Compound: two joined by and, but or so. Complex: independent plus dependent. Compound-complex: two independent plus a dependent.
  3. Fix fragments, run-ons and comma splices by adding what’s missing or joining clauses correctly.

Example: “When the bell rang, we ran outside.” What type of sentence is this? “We ran outside” is independent. “When the bell rang” is dependent. Answer: Complex

Clauses & Sentences in Minnesota

In the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, this is unit 4 of 13 in 7th grade English Language Arts, after Persuasive Power and before Modifiers & Parallelism.

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 of these is a sentence fragment?

    • We could take the ferry, or we could drive around the lake.
    • If it snows tomorrow, the game will be canceled.
    • If it snows tomorrow.
    • The students cheered when the bell rang.

  2. Question 2

    What type of sentence is this?

    The students cheered when the bell rang.

    • Compound-complex
    • Simple
    • Complex
    • Compound

  3. Question 3

    What type of sentence is this?

    Although the movie was long, Noah enjoyed it, and he wants to see it again.

    • Simple
    • Compound
    • Complex
    • Compound-complex

  4. Question 4

    Which part of this sentence is the dependent clause?

    The book that Amir recommended was excellent.

    • that Amir recommended
    • was excellent
    • The book

  5. Question 5

    What type of sentence is this?

    The library opens early on Saturdays.

    • Simple
    • Complex
    • Compound
    • Compound-complex

  6. Question 6

    What type of sentence is this?

    Leo smiled as he opened the letter.

    • Compound
    • Complex
    • Simple
    • Compound-complex

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