Review exercise: Identifying clauses

Some of the following passages are clauses (containing a predicate and a subject), while others are simply phrases. See if you can identify which are clauses and which are phrases. Remember that a phrase will not have both a subject and a predicate.

1. I love to eat Montréal bagels

Good work!

Question:
I love to eat Montréal bagels
Answer:
The answer clause is correct.
Explanation:
This is a clause because it contains a subject (I) and a predicate (love to eat Montréal bagels).

Oops!

Question:
I love to eat Montréal bagels
Answer:
The answer phrase is not correct.
Explanation:
This is a clause because it contains a subject (I) and a predicate (love to eat Montréal bagels).

2. the big, bad wolf

Oops!

Question:
the big, bad wolf
Answer:
The answer clause is not correct.
Explanation:
This noun phrase could be a subject but does not have a predicate that tells the reader what the wolf is doing or what state the wolf is in.

Good work!

Question:
the big, bad wolf
Answer:
The answer phrase is correct.
Explanation:
This noun phrase could be a subject but does not have a predicate that tells the reader what the wolf is doing or what state the wolf is in.

3. rode the bus to Halifax

Oops!

Question:
rode the bus to Halifax
Answer:
The answer clause is not correct.
Explanation:
Who rode the bus to Halifax? This phrase has a predicate, but no subject.

Good work!

Question:
rode the bus to Halifax
Answer:
The answer phrase is correct.
Explanation:
Who rode the bus to Halifax? This phrase has a predicate, but no subject.

4. they were thinking about the issue

Good work!

Question:
they were thinking about the issue
Answer:
The answer clause is correct.
Explanation:
This clause expresses a grammatically complete thought. The pronoun they acts as its subject, and the verb phrase were thinking about the issue acts as its predicate.

Oops!

Question:
they were thinking about the issue
Answer:
The answer phrase is not correct.
Explanation:
This clause expresses a grammatically complete thought. The pronoun they acts as its subject, and the verb phrase were thinking about the issue acts as its predicate.

5. the author considering everything written on this subject

Oops!

Question:
the author considering everything written on this subject
Answer:
The answer clause is not correct.
Explanation:
Although the words considering and written are verb participles, they are not acting as verbs, but as adjectives: considering modifies the noun author and written modifies the pronoun everything. Since there is no verb functioning as a predicate, this is a phrase.

Good work!

Question:
the author considering everything written on this subject
Answer:
The answer phrase is correct.
Explanation:
Although the words considering and written are verb participles, they are not acting as verbs, but as adjectives: considering modifies the noun author and written modifies the pronoun everything. Since there is no verb functioning as a predicate, this is a phrase.

6. stay on the highway through British Columbia

Good work!

Question:
stay on the highway through British Columbia
Answer:
The answer clause is correct.
Explanation:
This clause is a direct command that contains an implied subject (you) and a predicate (stay on the highway through British Columbia).

Oops!

Question:
stay on the highway through British Columbia
Answer:
The answer phrase is not correct.
Explanation:
This clause is a direct command that contains an implied subject (you) and a predicate (stay on the highway through British Columbia).

7. after the morning rush hour

Oops!

Question:
after the morning rush hour
Answer:
The answer clause is not correct.
Explanation:
This phrase consists of the preposition after followed by its object the morning rush hour: it has no subject or predicate.

Good work!

Question:
after the morning rush hour
Answer:
The answer phrase is correct.
Explanation:
This phrase consists of the preposition after followed by its object the morning rush hour: it has no subject or predicate.

8. they hate politics

Good work!

Question:
they hate politics
Answer:
The answer clause is correct.
Explanation:
This clause has a subject and a predicate. The subject they tells the reader who hates politics, and the predicate hate politics tells the reader what they do.

Oops!

Question:
they hate politics
Answer:
The answer phrase is not correct.
Explanation:
This clause has a subject and a predicate. The subject they tells the reader who hates politics, and the predicate hate politics tells the reader what they do.

9. because of the coat purchased at West Edmonton Mall

Oops!

Question:
because of the coat purchased at West Edmonton Mall
Answer:
The answer clause is not correct.
Explanation:
You might have thought that this is a clause because it contains the noun coat and the verb form purchased. But this word group actually contains no subject or verb. Here, coat is the object of the preposition because of, and purchased is not a verb but a past participle modifying coat. Thus, the word group consists of a preposition (because of) and its object (the noun coat with its modifiers); and it is therefore a phrase.

Good work!

Question:
because of the coat purchased at West Edmonton Mall
Answer:
The answer phrase is correct.
Explanation:
You might have thought that this is a clause because it contains the noun coat and the verb form purchased. But this word group actually contains no subject or verb. Here, coat is the object of the preposition because of, and purchased is not a verb but a past participle modifying coat. Thus, the word group consists of a preposition (because of) and its object (the noun coat with its modifiers); and it is therefore a phrase.

10. when the train arrived at the station

Good work!

Question:
when the train arrived at the station
Answer:
The answer clause is correct.
Explanation:
You might have thought that this is a phrase because it is not a complete sentence; however, it does contain a subject (the train) and a predicate (arrived at the station). The subordinating conjunction when indicates that this clause is dependent on another clause in the sentence.

Oops!

Question:
when the train arrived at the station
Answer:
The answer phrase is not correct.
Explanation:
You might have thought that this is a phrase because it is not a complete sentence; however, it does contain a subject (the train) and a predicate (arrived at the station). The subordinating conjunction when indicates that this clause is dependent on another clause in the sentence.

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© Department of English, Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa
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