Subordination with 'because' | English | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Which of these comes at the start of a sentence?
- verb
- noun
- capital letter ✓
- joining word
Match the sentence type to the correct example.
- simple sentence
  
  ⇔
  
  Let's go to the farm. ✓
- compound sentence
  
  ⇔
  
  Let's go to the farm and we can feed the baby lambs. ✓
What must every sentence contain in order to make complete sense?
- an adjective
- a verb ✓
- an adverb
- a joining word
Tick the sentences that make complete sense on their own.
- The wolf.
- The wolf howled. ✓
- howled
- The wolf howled loudly at the moon. ✓
Tick the joining words.
- and ✓
- the
- my
- but ✓
Joining words...
- can join two adjectives.
- can join two words or ideas. ✓
- always come at the end of a sentence.
- always come at the start of a sentence.

Match the joining word to its purpose.
- and
  
  ⇔
  
  for building on ✓
- but
  
  ⇔
  
  for a positive and a negative ✓
- because
  
  ⇔
  
  for giving a reason ✓
What does it mean if something is dependent on something else?
- It does not rely on anything else at all.
- It relies on something else to function or make sense. ✓
Which of these ideas are dependent on another idea to make sense?
- We went to the restaurant.
- because they are muddy ✓
- I turned on the light.
- because it was cold ✓
Which word in this sentence is being used to stretch the first idea? 'The cat purred because it was content.'
- 'because' ✓
Tick the second idea that best stretches this sentence: We took a picnic rug...
- because we were in a rush.
- because it was a beautiful day. ✓
- because the doorbell rang.
Using 'because' to stretch a first idea...
- forms a compound sentence.
- forms a simple sentence.
- forms a complex sentence. ✓

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'Because' is a joining word.
A simple sentence can be stretched with 'because' to give a reason to the first idea.
Joining the first idea with 'because' forms a second idea that is subordinate to the first.
Using 'because' to stretch a simple sentence forms an adverbial complex sentence.

Pupils may think that an idea starting with 'because' makes complete sense on its own.

Make sure that 'because' always begins the second idea so that pupils can hear that the idea does not make complete sense by itself.

Joining word - a word that joins words or ideas
Reason - explanation or justification
Stretch - to make longer or fuller
Complex sentence - a sentence formed of a simple sentence joined with subordination