Showing When and Why

English · Grammar & Punctuation · ages 7-8

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Which sentence tells you WHY something happened?
- Amir ran inside when it started to snow.
- Amir ran inside because it started to snow.
- Amir ran inside after it started to snow.
'Zara hummed ___ she drew a picture.' Which word shows that both things happened at the same time?
- then
- while
- so
'Leo felt cold, ___ he put on his jumper.' Which word fits best?
- so
- while
- before
'She opened the door. ___, she stepped outside.' Which word fits best?
- During
- Then
- Because
True or false: In 'After lunch, we had art,' the art lesson came before lunch.
Circle one: True False
Ben wrote a story: 'First, I lost my tooth. Then, I put it under my pillow. ___, the tooth fairy came.' Which word ends the story?
- During
- Finally
- Because
'Ben ate breakfast. ___, he brushed his teeth.' Which word shows what happened next?
- During
- Next
- Because
'___ we left the house, Dad checked the windows.' Which word fits best?
- Because
- Before
- After
Which sentence shows the events in the right order?
- After the film, we ended the walk home.
- After the film ended, we walked home.
- After we walked home, the film ended.
'The match was cancelled ___ the heavy snow.' Which words fit best?
- because
- while
- because of

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Amir ran inside because it started to snow. · "Because" gives the reason: the snow is why Amir ran inside. The other sentences only say when it happened.
while · "While" is a joining word that tells you two things happened at the same time.
so · "So" connects the two ideas and points to the result: feeling cold is why Leo put on his jumper.
Then · "Then" is an adverb that shows what happened next.
False · "After" points at the event that happened first. Lunch came first, then the art lesson.
Finally · "Finally" is a story order word that tells you the last event in a set of steps.
Next · "Next" is an adverb that shows the order events happened in.
Before · "Before" shows that Dad checked the windows first, and then everyone left.
After the film ended, we walked home. · "After" points back to the event that happened first. The film ends first, then the walk home.
because of · A noun like "the heavy snow" needs "because of" in front of it. "Because" alone needs a full idea with a verb after it.