Year 9 · English · Language
Clauses and complex sentences
Identify main and subordinate clauses, use subordinating conjunctions, and combine ideas into complex sentences that show relationships such as cause, time and contrast.
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These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to New Zealand year levels by age (NZ Year 1 is the first year of school). They are not yet mapped to The New Zealand Curriculum, so check them against your own learning programme.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Distinguish between main (independent) and subordinate (dependent) clauses.
- Build complex sentences using subordinating conjunctions.
- Punctuate complex sentences correctly when the subordinate clause comes first.
Success looks like
- I can find the verb in a clause and decide whether the clause makes sense on its own.
- I can join two ideas with a subordinating conjunction such as 'because', 'although' or 'when'.
- I can place a comma after an opening subordinate clause.
The big idea
Every clause has a subject (who or what) and a verb (the action or state). 'The bus arrived' is a clause: subject 'the bus', verb 'arrived'.
A main clause makes complete sense by itself: 'We stayed inside.' A subordinate clause begins with a subordinating conjunction and leaves the reader waiting: 'because the hail was falling…' – because what happened?
A complex sentence joins a main clause and a subordinate clause: 'We stayed inside because the hail was falling.' The conjunction shows the relationship between ideas – here, cause and effect.
- Time: when, after, before, while, until
- Cause: because, since, as
- Contrast or concession: although, even though, whereas
- Condition: if, unless
If the subordinate clause comes first, put a comma after it: 'Although the water was freezing, Jack dived in.' If the main clause comes first, a comma is usually not needed: 'Jack dived in although the water was freezing.' Moving the subordinate clause to the front is a good way to vary sentence openings and build suspense.
Worked examples
Identifying the clauses
Identify the main and subordinate clauses: 'When the siren sounded, the swimmers raced back to the sand.'
- Find the verbs: 'sounded' and 'raced'. Two verbs suggests two clauses.
- 'When the siren sounded' starts with 'when' and cannot stand alone: subordinate clause.
- 'the swimmers raced back to the sand' makes sense alone: main clause.
- Note the comma after the opening subordinate clause.
Answer: Subordinate clause: 'When the siren sounded'. Main clause: 'the swimmers raced back to the sand'.
Combining simple sentences
Combine into one complex sentence that shows contrast: 'The track was muddy. The team finished the hike.'
- Decide the relationship: the mud might have stopped them, but it did not – this is contrast.
- Choose a contrast conjunction: 'although'.
- Attach it to the clause that is being conceded: 'Although the track was muddy'.
- Add the main clause and a comma: 'Although the track was muddy, the team finished the hike.'
Answer: Although the track was muddy, the team finished the hike.
Choosing a conjunction for meaning
Complete with a conjunction showing condition: 'You can borrow my bike ___ you bring it back by six.'
- Condition means one thing depends on another.
- Condition conjunctions: 'if', 'unless', 'provided that'.
- 'Unless' would reverse the meaning, so choose 'if'.
Answer: You can borrow my bike if you bring it back by six.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
Which of these is a subordinate clause?
because the gate was open — It begins with 'because' and cannot stand alone.
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
Unless it rains, we will play cricket. — A comma follows an opening subordinate clause.
Which conjunction shows contrast?
Although — 'Although' introduces an idea that contrasts with the main clause.
Which is a complex sentence?
The cat hid while the lorikeets screeched. — It has a main clause and a subordinate clause beginning with 'while'.
What do all clauses contain?
A subject and a verb — A clause is built around a subject and a verb.
What type of clause can stand alone as a sentence? A ______ clause. (one word)
Main — Main (independent) clauses make complete sense on their own.
Write the subordinating conjunction in: 'She kept running even though her legs ached.' (two words)
even though — 'Even though' introduces the subordinate clause and shows concession.
What do we call a sentence with one main clause and at least one subordinate clause? A ______ sentence. (one word)
Complex — That is the definition of a complex sentence.
Watch out for
- Thinking a long sentence must be complex. Length does not matter; the structure of clauses does.
- Treating a subordinate clause as a full sentence ('Because I was tired.'). This is a sentence fragment in formal writing.
- Adding a comma before every conjunction. A comma is needed after an opening subordinate clause, but not usually before 'because' in the middle of a sentence.
Tips for parents
- Write clauses on paper strips and let your learner physically rearrange them to see how meaning and punctuation change.
- When your learner writes, ask, 'Can that part stand on its own?' to check for fragments.
- Challenge them to start three sentences in a piece of writing with a subordinate clause.
Go further
- Rewrite a paragraph of simple sentences from a children's book as a passage with varied complex sentences, then compare the effect.
- Write a suspenseful 100-word scene in which every sentence begins with a different subordinating conjunction.
- Find five complex sentences in a newspaper report and identify the relationship each conjunction shows.