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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can join two simple sentences with 'but'.

      Key learning points

      1. 'But' is a type of joining word.
      2. Joining two simple sentences with 'but' forms a compound sentence.
      3. The two ideas in a compound sentence joined with 'but' oppose each other.
      4. The 'but' joining word has a different meaning to the 'and' joining word.
      5. Each of the two ideas holds equal grammatical weight in the sentence.

      Keywords

      • Joining word - a word that joins words or ideas

      • Compound sentence - a sentence formed of two simple sentences and a joining word

      • Oppose - disagree or compete with

      Common misconception

      Pupils may think that 'but' can be used in any sentence and may not recognise where it is suitable.

      Show compound sentence examples that use the same first idea and let pupils hear the different joining words in action with the second idea.

      Teacher tip

      Use intonation when reading the two ideas in a sentence joined by 'but'. Make sure that one of the simple sentences is spoken in a more negative tone of voice to highlight the fact the two ideas oppose one another.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the following:

      Correct Answer:noun,dinosaur
      Correct Answer:phrase,gigantic dinosaur
      Correct Answer:simple sentence,The gigantic dinosaur stomped its feet.
      Correct Answer:compound sentence,The gigantic dinosaur stomped its feet and the ground shook.

      Q2.
      Tick the common nouns.

      sprint
      Correct answer: playground
      happy
      Correct answer: ball

      Q3.
      Identify the verb in this sentence: The little baby giggled happily.

      little
      baby
      Correct answer: giggled
      happily

      Q4.
      Match the simple sentence type to the punctuation mark it most often ends with.

      Correct Answer:statement,.
      Correct Answer:question,?
      Correct Answer:exclamation,!

      Q5.
      A simple sentence must...

      Correct answer: include a verb.
      include two ideas.
      Correct answer: begin with a capital letter.
      Correct answer: make complete sense.

      Q6.
      How many ideas are there in a compound sentence?

      Correct Answer: two, 2

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Tick the joining words.

      the
      Correct answer: and
      Correct answer: but
      dig

      Q2.
      Match the sentence type to its definition.

      Correct Answer:compound sentence,formed of two ideas and a joining word
      Correct Answer:simple sentence,one idea that makes complete sense

      Q3.
      Match the joining word to its purpose.

      Correct Answer:and,for building on an idea
      Correct Answer:but,for two opposing ideas

      Q4.
      Tick the compound sentences.

      Correct answer: The dog barked and the cat woke up.
      The fluffy rabbit munched a carrot.
      Mum was tired.
      Correct answer: Sofia got caught in the rain but she got to school on time.

      Q5.
      Which joining word would best fill the gap in this sentence? I like to play outside _____ my favourite game is Tag.

      Correct Answer: and, And

      Q6.
      Which joining word would best fill the gap in this sentence? She wanted an ice cream ________the shop was closed.

      Correct Answer: but, But

      To help you plan your 2 English lesson on: Joining with 'but', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...