• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Subordinating conjunctions: when, if, because, although, until; Simple or compound sentence?). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Choose the conjunction that makes the best sense. Brush your teeth ___ you go to bed. (before / unless / although / because) → beforePrompt: How are the two ideas linked? Time, reason, condition or contrast?
2. Is this a simple sentence or a compound sentence? Ana and Raj played chess after school. (simple sentence / compound sentence) → simple sentencePrompt: Count the subject–verb pairs. Each pair that could stand alone is a clause.
3. Which word is the subordinating conjunction? Because the path was icy, we walked carefully. (path / Because / carefully / icy) → BecausePrompt: Find the word that joins two parts of the sentence.

• Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
• Share the objective: Main clause or subordinate clause?. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Which part is the SUBORDINATE clause? We stayed indoors because it was cold.
• Step 1: A main clause makes sense on its own. A subordinate clause adds information and depends on the main clause.
• Step 2: So the answer is: because it was cold
• Answer: because it was cold
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Which part is the SUBORDINATE clause? The dog barked when the postman arrived. (The dog barked / the postman / when the postman arrived) → when the postman arrivedPrompt: A subordinate clause starts with a word like although, because, when, if, until, since, before, as or unless.
2. Which part is the MAIN clause? Since it was late, we took a taxi. (late, we / Since it was late / we took a taxi) → we took a taxiPrompt: Cover each part. Which one could be a sentence by itself?

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. What is this group of words? "she was tired" (main clause / subordinate clause / phrase (no verb)) → main clausePrompt: Does it have a verb? If not, it is a phrase.
2. Which part is the SUBORDINATE clause? When the bell rang, the children lined up. (When the bell rang / the children lined up / the bell) → When the bell rangPrompt: A subordinate clause starts with a word like although, because, when, if, until, since, before, as or unless.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-5.