Grade 5 · Foundations of Language · Strong Sentences
Shape Clear Sentences
Sentence structure shows readers how ideas relate. Longer is only better when every clause has a clear job.
The big idea
Clauses can coordinate and depend on one another
A compound-complex sentence contains at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Work it through
Combine three related ideas
- 1. Start with two complete ideas: The rain stopped. We left the shelter.
- 2. Add a dependent idea: when the clouds moved east.
- 3. Join them clearly: When the clouds moved east, the rain stopped, and we left the shelter.
- 4. Read aloud to check that the punctuation supports the meaning.