Grade 6 · English Language Arts · Unit 13 of 14
Commas & Clauses
Clauses, sentence types and commas
What your child practises
Finding dependent clauses, telling simple, compound and complex sentences apart, and using commas in lists, compound sentences, introductions and appositives.
Nunavut Curriculum approved guide: NWT English Language Arts (2011), Production · commas and clauses in simple, compound and complex sentences
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
What type of sentence is this?
If it snows tomorrow, we will build a snowman.
- Simple
- Compound
- Complex
Complex
Hint: It has one independent clause plus a dependent clause that starts with a word like when, because, if, who or which.
Question 2
Which word is the subordinating conjunction?
Although Noah was nervous, he gave a great speech.
- speech
- nervous
- Although
- gave
Although
Hint: Which word starts the dependent clause?
Question 3
Which part is the dependent (subordinate) clause?
We stayed inside until the storm passed.
- the storm
- We stayed inside
- until the storm passed
- stayed inside until
until the storm passed
Hint: Dependent clauses can come at the end too. Look for “until.”
Question 4
What type of sentence is this?
After lunch, the class walked to the library.
- Complex
- Simple
- Compound
Simple
Hint: It has just one independent clause, even if it has two subjects or two verbs.
Question 5
Which word is the subordinating conjunction?
Since the gym was busy, we practised outside.
- Since
- busy
- outside
- gym
Since
Hint: Which word makes “the gym was busy” unable to stand alone?
Question 6
Why is there a comma in this sentence? “Ravi made dinner, and Ana washed the dishes.”
- It sets off an introductory word.
- It separates items in a list.
- It separates a dependent clause at the end.
- It comes before “and” to join two independent clauses.
It comes before “and” to join two independent clauses.
Hint: Both “Ravi made dinner” and “Ana washed the dishes” could stand alone.