Expressing Time, Place and Cause
Use conjunctions (when, before, after, while, so, because), adverbs (then, next, soon, therefore) and prepositions (before, after, during, in, because of) to express time, place and cause within and across sentences
What a learner can do afterwards
- Use time conjunctions to connect clauses (e.g., 'We went inside because it was raining', 'After the bell rang, we lined up')
- Use adverbs of time and cause within sentences (e.g., 'First, she opened the door. Then, she stepped outside. Therefore, she got wet.')
- Use prepositions of time and cause in phrases (e.g., 'during the lesson', 'before lunch', 'because of the rain')
The lesson
Some little words connect two ideas in a sentence. They tell you when something happened, or why it happened. Conjunctions like when, before, after, while, so, and because join two parts of one sentence. Words like then, next, soon, and therefore can start a new sentence and point to time or cause.
During the lesson, Ben felt sleepy. He drank some water so he could focus. Soon, the bell rang. Then, he went outside for recess.
You can flip a because sentence around and it still makes sense. 'We went inside because it was raining' means the same as 'Because it was raining, we went inside.' Try flipping your own sentences to check they make sense both ways.
Connector words like because, after, then, soon, and during tell you when something happened or why it happened.
Watch it
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.