Year 2 Adverbial complex sentences worksheet

“Stretching with because” is free to print, with no account. It is the first sheet in the Year 2 English unit “Adverbial complex sentences”, for children aged 6 to 7, and takes about 21 minutes.

Print it on A4. The child's pages come first; the answers, and what each wrong answer tells you, are on the grown-up page that follows. Weeks 2 to 3 of the year, 5 sheets in the unit.

Free sample · answers on the last page

Stretching with because

Name: ____________ · Date: ____________
Year 2 · English · about 21 minutes
Answers are on the grown-up page

Today I can join a reason to a first idea using 'because'.

A Look back3 min

1.
Circle the one that is a whole sentence.
Ran to the parkThe big red bus stopped.the big red bus
2.
Circle the joining word in: Sam ate lunch and he went out.
Samandlunchout
3.
Join each part of a sentence to the mark it needs.
a sentence starts witha sentence ends with
a full stopa capital letter

B Watch me, then you4 min

Mia's puppy hid under the bed. Here is the reason.

Watch me

The puppy hid under the bed. This idea stands alone.

because it heard thunder. This is the reason.

Joined with 'because', it is a complex sentence.

Now you

1.
Sam felt tired because

C Your turn7 min

Read each row. Then do what it asks.

1.
Write each card in the right column.
The bell rangbecause the lunch was readyWe went outsidebecause it was raining
Makes sense alone Needs another idea
2.
Circle the sentence that joins the two ideas with 'because'.
We stayed in because it rained.We because stayed in it rained.Because it rained.
3.
Ali fell over because
4.
Write your own complex sentence about a rainy walk. Use 'because'.

Say it out loud: Which idea could stand alone? Which idea needs the other one to make sense?

D Spot the mistake3 min

A rainy street with puddles and closed umbrellas, no people

Kit says: “‘Because it was cold outside’ is a whole sentence.”

1.
Is Kit right? Write why or why not.

E Think deeper4 min

A fox's den under tree roots with fallen leaves on the ground

1.
Write two complex sentences about the fox's den. Use 'because' in each. Tell your grown-up which idea stands alone.

How did it feel?

I can do it Nearly Not yet

For the grown-up

Stretching with because · 2 minutes to read

Answers, and what a wrong one tells you

A

1. The big red bus stopped. If your child picks 'the big red bus', ask: what did it do? A whole sentence needs a who or what, and what happens.

2. and If your child circles 'lunch', ask which word joins the two ideas. Point to 'and' and read both halves aloud.

3. a sentence starts with → a capital letter; a sentence ends with → a full stop If your child joins 'starts with' to 'a full stop', ask where the first word of a sentence goes. Read the sentence aloud and listen for the stop.

B

1. Look for: A reason after 'because' that completes the sentence, e.g. because he stayed up late.

C

1. Makes sense alone: The bell rang, We went outside · Needs another idea: because the lunch was ready, because it was raining If your child puts a 'because' card in the first column, ask: can you read it alone and understand it? Ask what it is because of.

2. We stayed in because it rained. If your child picks 'Because it rained.', ask: is that a whole idea? Ask which part is the first idea and where 'because' should go.

3. Look for: A reason after 'because' that makes sense with Ali fell over, e.g. because the path was icy. If your child writes only 'because', ask: because of what? Say the reason out loud, then write it after 'because'.

4. Look for: One sentence with a first idea, then because and a reason, starting with a capital letter and ending with a full stop.

D

1. Look for: Says no, and explains that because it was cold outside needs a first idea, such as we stayed inside, to make sense. If your child says yes, ask: what was the cold outside making happen? Ask your child to add the first idea in front and read it aloud.

E

1. Look for: Two sentences, each with a first idea and a because reason, and the child names which idea stands alone.

Words to use

Say“Read me the first idea. Can it stand alone? Now read the 'because' part. Can it stand alone?”

Instead of“Say 'just add a because bit' and move on without checking whether the second part still needs the first.”

After the sheet

Say two short sentences about the kitchen, such as 'The tap dripped' and 'The kettle clicked'. Add 'because' and a reason to each. Then ask which part could stand alone.

Tick what your child got right in StudyDen. Anything missed comes back in a later Look back box, so there's no need to redo the sheet.

The rest of this unit

4 more sheets come with a StudyDen plan, in teaching order:

Stretch sentences with when and if(with a plan)
Stretch with so and that(with a plan)
Five joining words(with a plan)
Compound or complex?(with a plan)

Every Year 2 English worksheet

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