Subscribe

6th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 6 of 14

Commas & Clauses

Clauses, sentence types and commas

What your child practices

Finding dependent clauses, telling simple, compound and complex sentences apart, and using commas in lists, compound sentences, introductions and appositives.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 6.10(D) · commas, clauses and sentence types

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. A dependent clause starts with words like if, although, because or when and can’t stand alone.
  2. Simple: one clause. Compound: two independent clauses joined by and, but or so. Complex: an independent clause plus a dependent one.
  3. Use commas in lists, before and/but/so in compound sentences, after an opening clause and around appositives.

Example: “Although it was late, we kept reading.” Why does it need a comma? “Although it was late” is a dependent clause. It comes first, so a comma sets it off. Answer: It sets off an introductory dependent clause.

Commas & Clauses in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 6 of 14 in 6th grade English Language Arts, after Sentence Repair and before Roots & Analogies.

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

    What type of sentence is this?

    Maya laughed when the puppy sneezed.

    • Simple
    • Complex
    • Compound

  2. Question 2

    Which word is the subordinating conjunction?

    Although Noah was nervous, he gave a great speech.

    • great
    • Although
    • gave
    • nervous

  3. Question 3

    Which part is the dependent (subordinate) clause?

    If it snows tomorrow, the field trip will be postponed.

    • If it snows tomorrow
    • the field trip
    • tomorrow
    • the field trip will be postponed

  4. Question 4

    Which part is the dependent (subordinate) clause?

    We stayed inside until the storm passed.

    • until the storm passed
    • stayed inside until
    • the storm
    • We stayed inside

  5. Question 5

    What type of sentence is this?

    After lunch, the class walked to the library.

    • Compound
    • Complex
    • Simple

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence uses a comma correctly?

    • When the movie ended everyone, clapped.
    • When the movie ended, everyone clapped.
    • When, the movie ended everyone clapped.
    • When the movie, ended everyone clapped.

More 6th grade