Spring Math & Reading — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A sentence that contains two independent clauses joined by a conjunction is called a compound sentence.
A compound sentence joins two independent clauses — each one a complete thought — with a conjunction like "and," "but," or "so."
2. In the sentence "After the rain stopped, the children ran outside," the phrase "After the rain stopped" is a dependent clause.
"After the rain stopped" cannot stand alone as a sentence because it begins with the subordinating conjunction "after," making it a dependent clause.
3. The words "and," "but," "or," "so," and "yet" are called coordinating conjunctions.
Coordinating conjunctions (remembered by the acronym FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) connect words, phrases, or independent clauses of equal importance.
4. A clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb.
A clause must contain both a subject (who or what) and a verb (what happens), unlike a phrase which lacks one or both.
5. The word "thaw" means to change from frozen to liquid as temperatures rise in spring.
Thawing is the process of ice or frozen ground melting into liquid form as warmer spring temperatures arrive.
6. A sentence fragment is missing either a subject or a verb and cannot stand alone.
A complete sentence needs both a subject and a verb, so a fragment missing the verb leaves the reader without knowing what action occurred.
7. Words like "although," "because," and "when" introduce dependent clauses in complex sentences.
Subordinating conjunctions like "although," "because," and "when" make a clause dependent because it can no longer stand alone as a complete thought.
8. The prefix "re-" in "renew" means to do something again, just as nature renews in spring.
The prefix "re-" means "again," so "renew" literally means to make new again, just as nature refreshes itself each spring.
9. A sentence with one independent clause and one dependent clause is called a complex sentence.
A complex sentence pairs one independent clause that can stand alone with one dependent clause that cannot, creating a richer sentence structure.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
"The flowers bloomed, and the bees arrived."
→ Compound sentence joined by a conjunction
Definition of a spring vocabulary word
"Because it rained all morning"
→ Dependent clause — cannot stand alone
Compound sentence joined by a conjunction
"Migrate" means to move from one region to another
→ Definition of a spring vocabulary word
Compound sentence joined by a semicolon
"Spring arrived; however, frost returned overnight."
→ Compound sentence joined by a semicolon
Dependent clause — cannot stand alone
Correct matches: "The flowers bloomed, and the bees arrived." → Compound sentence joined by a conjunction; "Because it rained all morning" → Dependent clause — cannot stand alone; "Migrate" means to move from one region to another → Definition of a spring vocabulary word; "Spring arrived; however, frost returned overnight." → Compound sentence joined by a semicolon.