Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn two comma rules within different sentence structures: compound and adverbial complex sentences. Pupils revise simple, compound and adverbial complex sentences and extend their knowledge by learning that an adverbial clause can come first or second in a complex sentence.

Lesson Summary

You can recognise the difference between compound sentences and adverbial complex sentences.

Key Notes

• A comma is a punctuation mark with more than one purpose.
• Commas are often used to demarcate clauses in a range of sentence types.
• If the adverbial clause starts an adverbial complex sentence, it is followed by a comma then the main clause.
• A comma is used before "but" and "or" co-ordinating conjunctions when they join two main clauses in a compound sentence.
• Grammatically accurate sentences start with capital letters and most often end with full stops.

Vocabulary To Learn

• comma: a punctuation mark used before "but" or "or" co-ordinating conjunctions in a compound sentence
• comma: a punctuation mark used to separate the first adverbial clause from the second main clause in an adverbial complex sentence
• adverbial complex sentence: a sentence formed of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause
• adverbial clause: a type of subordinate clause that starts with a subordinating conjunction
• preposition: word or words that can tell the reader where a noun is

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Pupils are confused with when to use a comma and when not to use a comma.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Adverbial complex sentences Study Guide
• Four types of simple sentence Study Guide
• Subordination with 'as' in adverbial complex sentences Study Guide
• Three ways for co-ordination in compound sentences Study Guide
• Understanding the comma rule in adverbial complex sentences Study Guide
• Using the comma rule in adverbial complex sentences Study Guide
• Using the comma rule in compound sentences Study Guide