Standard 5: Language

Students will apply knowledge of grammar and rhetorical style to reading and writing.

7.5.W.3 Students will use prepositional phrases and clauses (e.g., dependent and independent) in writing.

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

• Students will include prepositional phrases (a group of words that begin with a preposition and do not contain a subject of predicate and also functions as a unit) in their writing.

• Students will include clauses (a group of words that contain a subject and a predicate and that function as a unit)in their writing.

• Students will include dependent clause (does not make sense by itself) and a independent clause (makes sense by itself) in their writing.

• Students learn the function of prepositional phrases and of clause (e.g., independent and dependent clauses).

• Students distinguish between dependent and independent clause by reading the clause out loud to see if it make sense by itself.  If the clause makes sense, it is an independent clause. 

• Teachers explain and provide examples of prepositional phrases and clauses.
• Teachers model how to create prepositional phrases and clauses in their writing.
• Teacher provide opportunities to create and improve their prepositional phrases and clauses.
• Dependent clause (does not make sense by itself)
• Independent clause (stands by itself)
• Teachers monitor and provide feedback as students use prepositional phrases and clauses (e.g., dependent and independent) in writing.
• Teachers model and explain that understanding sentence parts help writers build correct, effective, and varied sentences.
• Teachers explain to student that a phrase is a group of words that does not contain a subject and predicate and that functions as a unit.
• Teachers help students distinguish between prepositional phrases that begin with to and infinitive phrase
• Teachers model and explain that a clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate and that functions as a unit.
• Teachers explain and model that all clauses include a subject and a predicate. 

Supporting Resources 

Teacher Insights 

• Grammar Companion Guide (pgs. 11-12 for prepositions and pg. 15 for clauses)
• List of Prepositions (website)
• Preposition Rules (website) 

• Students must go beyond labeling and locating prepositional phrases and clauses; this standard involves incorporating prepositional phrases and clauses into their writing..  

• Prepositions and prepositional phrases link a noun or verb to describe direction or condition. A preposition relates the noun or pronoun that follows it to some other word in the sentence.

• Ex: The deer ran across the road. We stopped at the store down the street.

• It is important to explicitly teach prepositions that do not show spatial or time relationships

• Ex: of, like, among

• Distinguish an adverb from a preposition. Adverbs are used alone in sentences, prepositions must be followed by a noun or pronoun that answers the question to what or whom.

• Adverb:  He walked around.

• Preposition:  He walked around the store.

• Clause—a group of related words that contains a subject and a verb.

• Independent clauses can stand alone as complete sentences.

• Ex: Her colleagues admire her even though they worry that she is too dedicated.

• Dependent clauses cannot stand alone and must be in the sentence with an independent clause. A dependent clause contains a subordinating conjunction. Dependent clauses are also called subordinate clauses.

• Ex:  Her colleagues admire her even though they worry that she is too dedicated.

• Giving students a short, concise list of subordinating conjunctions, words that commonly start dependent clauses, will help them readily identify those in a sentence.

• Subordinating conjunctions to show time: after,​ ​before,​ ​when,​ ​while,​ ​as​ ​,​ ​whenever,​ ​since,​ ​until,​ ​as​ ​soon​ ​as,​ ​as​ ​long​ ​as,​ ​once

• Subordinating conjunctions to show cause and effect: because,​ ​since,​ ​now​ ​that,​ ​as,​ ​so,​ ​in​ ​order​ ​that

• Subordinating conjunctions to show condition: if,​ ​unless,​ ​whether,​ ​providing

•  Subordinating conjunctions to show contrast: although,​ ​even​ ​though,​ ​though,​ ​whereas,​ ​while 

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.