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Grade 5 · English Language Arts · Unit 10 of 12

Complex Sentences

Clauses and conjunctions

What your child practises

Choosing conjunctions like although, because and unless, finding dependent and independent clauses, telling simple, compound and complex sentences apart, and combining sentences.

Alberta Curriculum learning outcome: Experiment with and apply grammar, spelling, and punctuation to develop precise written communication. · 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.

  1. Question 1

    Which part of this sentence is the dependent clause?

    The hikers waited under a tree until the rain stopped.

    • until the rain stopped
    • the hikers waited under a tree
    Show answer

    until the rain stopped

    Hint: A dependent clause starts with a word like because, when, if or although. It can't stand alone as a sentence. The independent clause can.

  2. Question 2

    Which subordinating conjunction makes the most sense?

    The team celebrated ____ they won the championship.

    • unless
    • until
    • although
    • after
    Show answer

    after

    Hint: First they won, then they celebrated. Which word shows time order?

  3. Question 3

    Which subordinating conjunction makes the most sense?

    You won't see the stars tonight ____ the clouds clear.

    • since
    • unless
    • because
    • although
    Show answer

    unless

    Hint: The stars will only show if the clouds go away. Which word means “if not”?

  4. Question 4

    What kind of sentence is this?

    We can walk to the park, or we can ride our bikes.

    • simple sentence
    • compound sentence
    • complex sentence
    Show answer

    compound sentence

    Hint: A compound sentence joins two independent clauses with a comma and a word like and, but, or or so.

  5. Question 5

    What kind of sentence is this?

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

    • complex sentence
    • simple sentence
    • compound sentence
    Show answer

    complex sentence

    Hint: A complex sentence has an independent clause plus a dependent clause that starts with a word like because, when or although.

  6. Question 6

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

    Although the trail was muddy, we finished the hike.

    Hint: The combined sentence must make sense, and when the dependent clause comes first, a comma goes right after it.

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