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5th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 6 of 17

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.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 5L1 · 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 New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 6 of 17 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: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

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

    The players stretched before the game started.

    • before the game started
    • the players stretched

  2. Question 2

    What kind of sentence is this?

    Although the hill was steep, Ana rode her bike to the top.

    • simple sentence
    • complex sentence
    • compound sentence

  3. Question 3

    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.
    • The trail was muddy although. We finished the hike.
    • Although the trail was muddy, we finished the hike.

  4. Question 4

    Which subordinating conjunction makes the most sense?

    ____ the movie was long, Kenji enjoyed every minute.

    • Until
    • Because
    • Unless
    • Although

  5. Question 5

    Which subordinating conjunction makes the most sense?

    The team celebrated ____ they won the championship.

    • after
    • unless
    • although
    • until

  6. Question 6

    What kind of sentence is this?

    After lunch, the class went to the gym.

    • compound sentence
    • complex sentence
    • simple sentence

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