Main and Subordinate Clauses: Year 6 SPaG

Year 6 SPaG worksheet on main and subordinate clauses: 12 SATs-style questions with answers. Free printable PDF.

3-page A4 PDF from the Tiger Shark Education question bank (Sentences and clauses): two pages of questions (circle or underline, tick one) and an answer page. Example questions: Underline the subordinate clause. She read until the candle burned out. / Which type of sentence is this? Tick one. The dog barked. (compound-complex, compound, complex, simple)

What are main and subordinate clauses? A clause contains a verb. A main clause makes sense on its own as a sentence (The bell rang). A subordinate clause adds information but doesn’t make sense on its own (when the lesson ended), and it is often introduced by a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. Combining them makes complex sentences: The bell rang when the lesson ended.

Common mistakes and tips: Children often confuse clauses with phrases, which have no verb. Others think the subordinate clause must come second. Teach them to check each clause: if it would make sense as a sentence on its own, it is a main clause. When the subordinate clause comes first, it is usually followed by a comma.

Questions on this topic appear often in the SATs. The skill also counts in teacher assessment of writing at the end of Year 6, so children benefit from both practice in test style and from using it in their own writing.

Ways to use this worksheet: as a lesson starter or plenary, as a quick assessment before teaching a topic, for intervention groups, or as SATs revision homework. The answer page lets children self-mark. After marking, ask pupils to write two of their own sentences using the skill, so they apply it rather than just recognise it.

Using the correct terminology: the SATs use the terms in the National Curriculum glossary, and children need to recognise them quickly. Display the key term for this topic with a clear definition and an example, and use it consistently in lessons and feedback. When children explain their answers, encourage them to use the term in a full sentence. Short, regular retrieval practice, such as a two-minute quiz on terms from previous weeks, keeps knowledge fresh across the year. Because grammar topics build on one another, gaps from earlier years cause difficulties later, so this sheet is also useful for checking that Year 6 pupils have secure foundations from Years 3 to 5.