5th grade independent and dependent clauses worksheets
Fifth grade clause worksheets add relative clauses, the ones that start with who, which, whose, or that. They hide inside sentences in real reading, so learning to spot one on its own is what makes them visible in context.
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The kind of sentences you'll get
Read each group of words. Circle the letter of the kind of clause.
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“the oven door finally opened” Kind of clause: .
dependent · independent
Answer: independent
- “if the drought cracks the pond bed again” Kind of clause: . dependent · independent
- “although the trail was muddy” Kind of clause: . independent · dependent
Every print pulls a fresh set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Choose the word. Read each group of words. Circle the letter of the kind of clause. 10 questions per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
For relative clauses, try the delete test: in a full sentence like the librarian who repaired the atlas found a map, the who part can lift out and the sentence still stands. Anything that lifts out like that was leaning. Practicing on isolated clauses first makes the in-sentence spotting much easier.
Watch for: Kids judge by length. A dependent clause can be long and detailed and still lean; a four-word independent clause stands fine. The signal word IS the difference: the same words with because in front stop standing alone. Have kids read the clause with and without its first word to feel it.
Common questions about independent and dependent clauses
- What is new at fifth grade?
- Relative clauses: who repaired the atlas, which overlooks the harbor, that Grandma knitted. They have subjects and verbs but lean on a noun, so they label as dependent.
- Do dependent clauses always come first in a sentence?
- No. They open sentences, close them, and hide in the middle. That is why this page practices the clause alone: position stops mattering once your child knows the leaning feel.
Related worksheets
- 4th grade independent and dependent clauses A step easier, same skill
- 6th grade independent and dependent clauses A step harder, same skill
- 5th grade combining sentences Same grade, nearby skill
- 5th grade complex sentences Same grade, nearby skill
- 5th grade run-on sentences Same grade, nearby skill
- Independent and dependent clauses, all grades The full progression
- All 5th grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 5th grade worksheets Everything at this level
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Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 178, updated August 2026.
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