Year 3 · SPaG · Conjunctions and clauses
Year 3 subordinating conjunctions worksheet and PowerPoint
To recognise and use subordinating conjunctions.
Conjunctions and clauses
A clause is a group of words with a verb. A conjunction joins two clauses. And, but, or and so join clauses of equal weight. Because, when, if, before, after, while and until add a clause that cannot stand alone. Some conjunctions tell you about time (when, before, after, while, until), place (where, wherever) or cause (because, so, in case).
| and, but, or, so | I was tired but I kept going. |
|---|---|
| because, when, if | I kept going because I wanted to win. |
| time | We left before it got dark. |
| place | Sit where you can see. |
| cause | Take a coat in case it rains. |
Examples
- When the bell rang, we lined up.
- We stayed in because it was raining.
Key words
- clause
- a group of words with a verb
- conjunction
- a word that joins clauses
- main clause
- makes sense on its own
- subordinate clause
- cannot stand alone
What is on the worksheet
Every sheet for this lesson has a short teaching box and 12 questions that get gradually harder: 8 fluency questions, then 4 reasoning questions that ask pupils to explain or choose. A writing challenge follows. The questions use the same styles as the key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test (circle, underline, tick, fill the gap, add punctuation, rewrite, explain). They are written for this website, not copied from past papers.
All the answers are on the last page of the same editable Word file. New questions are made every time, so you can print a different sheet for every group or for homework. The same sheet code always gives the same sheet.
Writing challenge: Write six sentences that each have a subordinating conjunction. Move the conjunction clause to the front in two of them.
Pupil target: I can use subordinating conjunctions.
The PowerPoint
A 20-slide lesson deck for the same lesson: a starter that revisits earlier learning, key words, an I do and a You do question on each slide with a countdown timer, answers that appear one click at a time, and a challenge. Download the subordinating conjunctions PowerPoint.
Where this lesson fits
This is lesson 15 of 53 in the Year 3 SPaG scheme, in the block “Conjunctions and clauses”.
Other lessons in this block
- What is a clause?
- Expanding sentences (and, but, or, so)
- Expanding sentences (when, if, that, because)
- Coordinating conjunctions
- Conjunctions for time
- Conjunctions for place
- Conjunctions for cause
- Conjunctions for time, place and cause
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