Understanding Different Sentence Structures and How to Write Them

This resource looks at the three main types of sentence structure: simple, compound and complex.

Opportunities are given for pupils to:

• Learn the features of each type of sentence structure.
• Use the terms noun and verb and consolidate their understanding of word classes.
• Use the terms main clause and subordinate clause (the idea of adult and child is given as a pictoral representation).
• Identify sentence structures within texts: a newspaper article and an extract from Roald Dahl’s ‘Matilda’.
• Up-level sentences by adding suborindate clauses to simple sentences before, after and in the middle of the main clause.
• Use commas correctly the mark clauses and clarify meaning.

The presentation has little activities throughout, which you could build on to structure a mini unit of work or just dip into for ten minutes at a time. It would work well as an introduction earlier down the school, revision in upper KS2/KS3 or with a guided intervention group who have gaps in their understanding. I found it particularly useful for assessing the pupil’s understanding of the vocabulary associated with sentence level and word level work.