Summer Complex Sentences

Activity Sheets
Subjects and Verbs
The subject of a sentence is the person or thing that is carrying out the main action of
that sentence.

Verbs can describe an action (e.g. jump, swim), emotion (e.g. loves, hates), thought (e.g.
thinks), opinion (e.g. believes) or state of being (e.g. am, is, are, was, were).

Clauses and Conjunctions

A clause is a group of words that contains a verb and a subject. We can
build sentences with clauses. A main clause will make sense on its own,
even if we remove the rest of the words in a sentence. A subordinate clause
will only make sense when it is joined to a main clause; it will not make
sense on its own.

A conjunction is a word, or words, that is/are used to link two clauses together.

Simple Sentences
A simple sentence has only one clause. For example:

The Eiffel Tower increases in height during summer!

Complex Sentences

Complex sentences will include a main clause and a subordinate clause or clauses. The
subordinate clause will add more detail to the main clause but will not make sense on its
own. Wherever it appears in the sentence, a subordinating clause will usually begin with
a type of word called a ‘subordinating conjunction’. This word or words will explain how
the information is linked to the main clause. For example:

Due to a phenomenon called thermal expansion, the Eiffel Tower increases in height
during summer!

The main clause could be a sentence on its own:

The Eiffel Tower increases in height during summer!

The subordinate clause gives additional information but does not make sense on its own:
‘Due to a phenomenon called thermal expansion’. The subordinating conjunction in this
sentence is, ‘due to’.

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 Summer Complex Sentences Activity Sheets
Task 1
Each of these sentences is missing a main or subordinate clause. Think carefully, then add a
clause so the sentence makes sense. Make sure you check punctuation.

a. , I enjoy days out at the beach.

b. Since there are additional hours of daylight,

c. , I always spend time exploring the rock pools.

d. , the Arctic Circle experiences a phenomenon called

the ‘Midnight Sun’.

e. Although the Southern Hemisphere will be experiencing winter,

Task 2
Think of six simple sentences of your own and build them into complex sentences by adding
subordinate clauses that give more detail. Try to vary where in the sentence the main and
subordinate clauses appear.

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 Summer Complex Sentences Activity Sheets

Answers
Task 1
Each of these sentences is missing a main or subordinate clause. Think carefully, then add a
clause so the sentence makes sense. Make sure you check punctuation.

Answers will vary, so example answers have been given.

a. When we are off for the summer holidays, I enjoy days out at the beach.

b. Since there are additional hours of daylight, we can spend longer playing outside in the
summertime.

c. When we visit the seaside, I always spend time exploring the rock pools.

d. During summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the Arctic Circle experiences a

phenomenon called the ‘Midnight Sun’.

e. Although the Southern Hemisphere will be experiencing winter, in the Northern

Hemisphere the summer solstice occurs in June.

Task 2
Think of six simple sentences of your own and build them into complex sentences by adding
subordinate clauses that give more detail. Try to vary where in the sentence the main and
subordinate clauses appear.

Pupils’ own sentences

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