Lesson video

Hi, everyone, my name is Miss van Vliet, and today I'm going to teach you a lesson on complex sentences.

It's a grammar lesson, so make sure that you switch your grammar brain on and try and remember some of the previous learning from previous lessons.

So let's get learning, let's go.

So our learning objective for today is to revise complex sentences.

Okay, this is our agenda, so we're going to start with warm up, then we'll recap complex sentences, and then you've got an independent task.

For this lesson, like all the other lessons, you need exercise book and paper, a pen or a pencil, and, of course, it's a picture of your brain, so make sure that that is switched on.

It's also good to be in a calm, quiet space if you can.

So if you need to pause the video and get those things, do that now.

So you should have everything ready to go.

So let's start our learning.

Okay, what type of sentences are these? Can you think and remember what a simple sentence is and what a compound sentence is? The Vikings ran for their life.

Is it a simple sentence or is it a compound sentence? Show me simple sentence or a compound sentence.

The Vikings ran for their life and screamed at the top of their lungs.

What do you think, is it a simple sentence or a compound sentence? Show me simple sentence or compound sentence.

Show me which one do you think it is, simple or compound? And then the last one, Hiccup and Toothless played together.

Is that a simple sentence or a compound? Hands on your head if you think simple, hands on your shoulders if you think compound.

Hmm, okay, let's check and see if you got those right.

So the Vikings ran for their lives.

It's a simple sentence.

It's a simple sentence because it has one main clause, and a clause needs to have a verb, and I can see the verb, ran, so well done if you got that.

The second one, the Vikings ran for their lives and screamed at the top of their lungs.

So what do you think that is? I've got two main clauses joined with a coordinating conjunction, and, so it has to be a compound sentence.

Well done, and the next one, I had Hiccup and Toothless played together.

Hmm, there's an and in there, and I know that and is a coordinating conjunction, so is it a compound sentence? Show me thumbs up or show me thumbs down.

What do you think? Can you give a reason why? Can you explain? You can tell me through the screen.

It is a simple sentence and it's a simple sentence because the and is used to join the two subjects.

So it's Hiccup and Toothless, and so they are a compound subject, two things in the subject.

So the sentence is about Hiccup and Toothless, but it's still one main clause because there's only one verb, and that's played, so it's still a simple sentence.

Okay, let's recap some of our complex sentences.

We have a main clause and a subordinate clause.

The villagers ran to safety as the dragon was flying and spewing flames.

Remember our main clause makes sense on its own, has a verb.

Subordinate clause doesn't make sense on its own.

And we can swap it around and we can have a subordinate clause, then a comma, and then our main clause.

So we could have as the dragon was flying and spewing flames, comma, the villagers ran to safety.

So remember with those complex sentences, we can swap the clauses around.

So just a quick recap, we've got a main clause, which is equal to a simple sentence.

We've got a main clause joined with a coordinating conjunction and another main clause to make a compound sentence.

And then we've got a main clause and a subordinate clause to make a complex sentence.

We can swap that around and have a subordinate clause, comma, and then a main clause to also make a complex sentence.

Oh, let's think of some subordinating conjunctions.

So we can use as, we can use when, because, if, since, although, while, whilst, even though.

As, when, because, if, since.

Although, while, whilst, even though.

Okay, well done, just try and take a snapshot of those.

It's good to have those and absorb them into your brain.

Let's have a look.

What do you notice about these sentences? While the dragon was spewing fire, the frightened villagers searched for a safe hiding place.

Or the frightened villagers searched for a safe hiding place while the dragon was spewing fire.

Can you pause the video and just have a think, what do you notice about these two sentences? Do that now.

Hmm, what did you notice? What is going on in these two sentences? While the dragon was spewing fire, comma, the frightened villagers searched for a safe hiding place.

Well, I've started my sentence with my subordinating conjunction.

I've got while the dragon was spewing fire, comma, because my subordinating clause comes first.

Then I've got the frightened villagers searched for a safe hiding place, which is my main clause.

So do you see, I've got Mr. Subordinate, plus I need my comma, and then my Mr. Main.

What about this one, then? The frightened villagers searched for a safe hiding place while the dragon was spewing fire.

Well, now I've got the frightened villagers searched for a safe hiding place while the dragon was spewing fire, but there's no comma there, and that is because my main clause is first, and then I have my subordinate clause.

So I only need a comma if my subordinate clause comes first.

I'd like you now to write a complex sentence for this image.

This image was taken from "How to Train Your Dragon", at the opening scene.

But if you haven't seen it or you haven't done the rest of this unit, don't worry, just think about what you can see.

And there are some sheep grazing.

It's a dark, gloomy night.

And remember if you have a main clause and then your subordinate clause, you don't need a comma.

If you have a subordinate clause start, then you need your comma before your main clause.

Here are some subordinating conjunctions for you to use whilst you are writing, so as, when, if, while, whilst, because.

So pause the video now and write a complex sentence on your paper or in your book.

Okay, so you should have written a complex sentence.

Remember complex sentence is made up of a main clause and a subordinate clause.

So here is my example.

As the carefree, white sheep were grazing noisily, the charcoal-black clouds rolled in.

So let's just check what I've got.

I started the sentence here with as and then I've got the carefree, white sheep, and there is a comma there.

Why do I have a comma between carefree and white? Can you tell me? Oh, it's because it's an ENP.

I've got my expanded or extended noun phrase.

So I've got two adjectives separated by a comma and then my noun.

So carefree, white sheep.

So that is just in my subordinate clause, but I still need my comma there because it's my ENP.

So I've got as at the start of my sentence and I've got a capital letter, so I can tick that, so you can do the same.

Tick your capital letter.

I'm going to give a tick for that comma because I've used my comma for my ENP.

I haven't forgotten all my other rules for a comma.

So that is good.

And then I've got a comma at the end of my subordinate clause because my subordinate clause is at the start of my sentence, comes first.

So as the carefree, white sheep were grazing noisily, comma, the charcoal-black clouds rolled in.

And then I've got a tick for my full stop.

So you can tick along and check that you've got the same.

Here's another example that I did, and you might have an example like this.

The charcoal-black clouds rolled in as the carefree, white sheep were grazing noisily.

Mm, what's happened, can you tell me? Yes, I swapped my clauses around.

So you might have written a complex sentence where your subordinate clause is at the end.

So let's check.

Still give yourself a tick for that capital letter.

Give yourself a tick for using a subordinate conjunction.

And well done for not using a comma here.

But give yourself a tick if you used an ENP and you put a comma in your ENP, because that still needs a comma.

And of course give yourself a tick if you have put a full stop in.

Well done.

Okay, question.

Do I need a comma if my subordinate clause comes first? Yes or no, what do you think? Do I need a comma if my subordinate clause comes first in my sentence? Point to it on the screen.

Point to it in the screen in three, two, one.

Yes, of course I need the comma if my subordinate clause comes first.

Which of these sentences is punctuated correctly? Is it as, comma, I was walking it started raining? Is it it started raining, comma, as I was walking? Or is it as I was walking, comma, it started raining? Which one do you think it is? Can you point to the screen in five, four, three, two, one? Which one is it? Of course, it's as I was walking, comma, it started raining.

The first one is wrong because I don't put it straight after my subordinate conjunction, uh-uh.

The second one is wrong because I don't put it if my subordinate clause comes second, so that's wrong.

The third one is right because my subordinate clause comes first, and I put my comma after my whole clause.

Well done if you got that right.

Okay, let's try another one.

Since he didn't study, comma, he failed his exam.

He failed his exam, comma, since he didn't study.

Since, comma, he didn't study, he failed his exam.

Which of these is punctuated correctly? Can you point to it in five, four, three, two, one? Point to it.

Yes, of course, it's since he didn't study, comma, he failed his exam.

We need the comma because my subordinate clause is at the front of my sentence.

Well done if you got that.

Okay, can you remember some of the subordinating conjunctions? See if you can remember them.

I know these are really hard to remember.

Remember as, when, because, if, since, although, while, whilst, even though.

They're not the only ones.

There are others, but we're just going to focus on these for today's lesson.

So now it's time for your independent task.

And today's task is to write three complex sentences about dragons.

Remember when you write a complex sentence, you need a main clause and a subordinate clause.

Or you can do a subordinate clause, comma, and then a main clause.

Here are some of the subordinating conjunctions to help you.

So you can use as, when, if, while, whilst, because, since, although, even though, before, after, you can use those, as well.

So use some of those conjunctions.

I'm also giving you a really cool word bank to help you with your language choices.

Make sure that your sentences are really ambitious.

So we've got fiery flames, that means that they're like on fire.

Got razor sharp scales, so the scales of the skin are razor-sharp.

Lethal jaws, lethal means that it's deadly, so deadly jaws, rows of sharp teeth, piercing red eyes, when you're piercing at someone, I'm piercing at you now, and you could say bat-like wings.

So you can use some of those vocabulary words, some of those language choices in your complex sentences.

So time for you to pause the video and to complete the task.

Well done, you should have completed that task and have written three complex sentences about dragons.

And that brings us to the end of the lesson.

So we've done our warm up, we've recapped complex sentences, and you've done an independent task.

So well done for all of your hard work.

You now know all about the three sentence types.

Remember simple, one main clause.

Compound, two main clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction which is the BOA, so but, or, and.

And then complex sentences are a main clause and a subordinate clause or a subordinate clause and a main clause, and we join those clauses with a subordinating conjunction.

Whew! Wow! Our grammar brains were really working hard today, so fantastic work on this lesson, and I look forward to teaching you again soon.

Bye, everyone.