Building complex sentences

Complex sentence resources

Building complex sentences is an important skill to teach students. We recommend explicitly teaching the sentence structure, subordinating conjunctions, and building complex sentences in Mini-lessons (short skill lessons). Link the sentence building to the topic for writing and then add the skill to your success criteria in writing.

Resources to support teaching complex sentences

1. Building complex sentences -Slide presentation mini-lesson
2. Subordinating conjunction card
3. Wall display of the two complex sentences with subordinating conjunctions (at the beginning and in the middle of the sentence)

Thanks to Melissa Bedford at Bairds Mainfreight School for the wall display idea.

Other resources:

Subordinating conjunction card – extension https://www.theliteracyplace.com/resource/subordinating-conjunction-card-extension

Coordinating conjunction card to build compound sentences: https://www.theliteracyplace.com/resource/coordinating-conjunction-card-to-build-compound-sentences

Check out our ‘Sentences poster pack’.

 Check out The Poetry Book for more great sentence activities.