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5th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 6 of 13

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.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 5.11(D) · 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 Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 6 of 13 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: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

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?

    Although Leo was tired, he finished his chapter.

    • he finished his chapter
    • although Leo was tired

  2. Question 2

    What kind of sentence is this?

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

    • compound sentence
    • complex sentence
    • simple sentence

  3. Question 3

    Which subordinating conjunction makes the most sense?

    Zoe kept practicing ____ she could play the song perfectly.

    • until
    • since
    • unless
    • although

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence correctly combines these two sentences using “because”?

    Noah wore a hat.

    The sun was very strong.

    • Because Noah wore a hat the sun was very strong.
    • The sun was very strong because Noah wore a hat.
    • Noah wore, a hat because the sun was very strong.
    • Noah wore a hat because the sun was very strong.

  5. Question 5

    Which word is the subordinating conjunction?

    The plants will wilt unless you water them.

    • them
    • wilt
    • unless
    • will

  6. Question 6

    Which part of this sentence is the dependent clause?

    The players stretched before the game started.

    • the players stretched
    • before the game started

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