Year 4 - English
Three sentence types
Simple, compound, adverbial and relative complex sentences
Study Hub
Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils learn a new sentence structure: the relative complex sentence. In so doing, they learn a new comma rule for how to embed a relative clause within a main clause. Pupils revise main and adverbial clauses and phrases as well as simple, compound and adverbial complex sentences.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to say and write three different sentence structures.
Key Notes
- A sentence composed of one main clause is a simple sentence.
- There are four types of simple sentence: statement, question, command and exclamation.
- A sentence composed of at least two main clauses joined by a co-ordinating conjunction is a compound sentence.
- A sentence composed of at least one main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause is an adverbial complex sentence.
Vocabulary To Learn
- main clause: a group of words that contains a verb and makes complete sense
- simple sentence: a sentence about one idea that makes complete sense
- compound sentence: a sentence formed of two main clauses and a co-ordinating conjunction
- adverbial complex sentence: a sentence formed of a main clause and an adverbial subordinate clause
- subordinate clause: a group of words that contains a verb and does not make complete sense
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may believe using a co-ordinating conjunction always creates a compound sentence.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
A sentence composed of one main clause is a simple sentence. There are four types of simple sentence: statement, question, command and exclamation.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'main clause'
a group of words that contains a verb and makes complete sense.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may believe using a co-ordinating conjunction always creates a compound sentence. Correction: Using a co-ordinating conjunction only creates a compound sentence if the conjunction is joining main clauses.
More Lessons In This Unit
- A new sentence structure: the relative complex sentence Study Guide
- A new subordinate clause: the relative clause Study Guide
- Comma rules in three sentence types Study Guide
- Two types of clause, including subordinate clauses Study Guide
- Two types of conjunction Study Guide
- Using the comma rules with relative complex sentences Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 4 English guide library.