Grammar Terms: Clauses and Conjunctions
Use and understand Year 3 grammatical terminology accurately when discussing reading and writing: preposition, conjunction, word family, prefix, clause, subordinate clause, direct speech, consonant letter, vowel letter, inverted commas/speech marks
What a learner can do afterwards
- Use the terms 'clause' and 'subordinate clause' to identify parts of a multi-clause sentence (e.g., point to the subordinate clause in 'I stayed inside because it rained')
- Use the terms 'conjunction', 'preposition', and 'prefix' correctly when explaining word/sentence choices in own writing
- Distinguish between consonant letters and vowel letters and use the terms 'direct speech' and 'inverted commas' when discussing punctuation
1 · Read
A clause has a subject and a verb. Some sentences have two clauses joined by a small word called a conjunction, like 'because', 'when', or 'if'.
See this sentence: 'She stayed home because she was ill.' 'She stayed home' is the main clause. It makes sense on its own. 'because she was ill' is the subordinate clause. It cannot stand alone. 'because' is the conjunction.
Prepositions are small words that show where or when something happens, like 'under', 'before', or 'near'. A prefix is different: it's letters added to the front of a word to change its meaning, like 'un-' in front of 'happy'.
When you write someone's exact words, put inverted commas (speech marks) around them: "Where are you going?" asked Mia. And remember: a, e, i, o, u are vowel letters. Every other letter is a consonant letter.
Try 'Wash your hands when the bell rings.' 'Wash your hands' is the main clause. It gives a command, so the subject is an understood you. Flip it to 'When the bell rings, wash your hands.' The subordinate part can come first.
Clauses join with conjunctions, prefixes change meanings, and inverted commas mark out someone's exact words.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
24 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.