ICSE Class 8 Phrases and Clauses: Types, Functions and Solved Exercises

What Phrases and Clauses is about

Weightage: CISCE publishes no question paper or weightage for Class VIII English; your school sets and marks grammar questions. Phrases and clauses underpin sentence transformation, which is tested in ICSE Classes IX and X.Source: CISCE Curriculum for Upper Primary Classes (VI-VIII), RDCD 2016, English (Class VIII)

Key concepts

Phrase or clause? The finite-verb test

Look for a subject and a finite verb (a verb that shows tense and agrees with its subject: 'runs', 'ran', 'was singing', 'will go').

• Phrase: no finite verb with its own subject. It may contain a non-finite form ('to win', 'singing loudly', 'broken by the storm').
• Clause: has a subject and a finite verb ('she won', 'which the storm broke').

'Running to the station' is a phrase; 'as I ran to the station' is a clause.

Worked example

Phrase or clause? (a) after the match (b) after the match ended (c) to finish the project (d) that she had finished

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (a) no verb: phrase. (b) 'match ended': subject + finite verb: clause.
2. (c) 'to finish' is non-finite: phrase. (d) 'she had finished': clause.

Answer: (a) phrase; (b) clause; (c) phrase; (d) clause.

Noun, adjective and adverb phrases

• A noun phrase does the work of a noun (subject, object or complement): 'To win the trophy was her dream.' / 'I enjoy playing the flute.'
• An adjective phrase describes a noun, answering 'which one?' or 'what kind?': 'The boy with the red cap is my cousin.' / 'a house built of stone'.
• An adverb phrase modifies a verb, answering 'how?', 'when?', 'where?' or 'why?': 'She spoke in a low voice.' / 'We met at the station.'

The same preposition phrase can change job: 'The book on the table is mine' (adjective: which book?) versus 'Put it on the table' (adverb: where?).

Worked example

Name the underlined phrases: (a) 'The man in the blue shirt is our coach.' [in the blue shirt] (b) 'He finished the work with great care.' [with great care] (c) 'Learning a language takes patience.' [Learning a language]

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (a) Which man? adjective.
2. (b) How did he finish? adverb.
3. (c) What takes patience? subject: noun.

Answer: (a) adjective phrase; (b) adverb phrase (of manner); (c) noun phrase (subject).

Main and subordinate clauses

A main (independent) clause makes complete sense on its own: 'The match was cancelled, because it rained.' A subordinate (dependent) clause cannot stand alone; it depends on the main clause and begins with a subordinating word:

• noun clauses: that, what, whether, if, who, how, why, when, where;
• adjective (relative) clauses: who, whom, whose, which, that, where, when;
• adverb clauses: when, while, before, after, until, because, since, as, if, unless, although, though, so that, than, as...as, wherever.

'Because it rained' is a clause, but not a sentence.

Worked example

Identify the main clause and the subordinate clause: 'Although she was tired, Meera finished her painting.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Which part makes sense alone? 'Meera finished her painting.'
2. The 'although' part depends on it.

Answer: Main clause: 'Meera finished her painting'. Subordinate clause: 'Although she was tired' (adverb clause of concession).

Noun clauses

A noun clause does the work of a noun. Its main functions:

• Subject of a verb: 'What he said surprised everyone.'
• Object of a verb: 'I know that you are right.'
• Object of a preposition: 'Listen to what the teacher says.'
• Complement: 'The problem is that we have no time.'
• In apposition to a noun: 'The news that he had won spread fast.' (it explains which news)

Test: you can replace it with 'it' or 'this': 'I know it.'

Worked example

Identify the noun clause and its function: 'Whether we go depends on the weather.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. What depends on the weather? 'Whether we go'.
2. It is the subject of 'depends'.

Answer: 'Whether we go': noun clause, subject of the verb 'depends'.

Adjective (relative) clauses

An adjective clause describes a noun or pronoun (its antecedent) and usually begins with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that) or relative adverb (where, when, why).

• 'The girl who won the race is my sister.' (which girl?)
• 'This is the village where my father was born.' (which village?)
• 'I remember the day when we first met.'

Put the clause right after the noun it describes. Do not confuse with a noun clause: in 'I know where he lives' there is no noun before 'where' that it describes, so it is a noun clause (object of 'know').

Worked example

Noun clause or adjective clause? (a) 'I visited the house where Tagore lived.' (b) 'Nobody knows where the treasure is hidden.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (a) 'where Tagore lived' describes 'the house': adjective.
2. (b) 'where the treasure is hidden' is what nobody knows: object of 'knows': noun.

Answer: (a) adjective clause qualifying 'house'; (b) noun clause, object of 'knows'.

Adverb clauses and their kinds

An adverb clause modifies the verb of the main clause. Name its kind from the conjunction and the question it answers:

• Time (when?): when, while, before, after, until, as soon as, since.
• Place (where?): where, wherever.
• Reason/cause (why?): because, since, as.
• Purpose: so that, in order that, lest.
• Result: so...that, such...that.
• Condition: if, unless, provided that.
• Concession/contrast: although, though, even if.
• Comparison: than, as...as.
• Manner: as, as if.

Watch 'since': time in 'I have lived here since I was five'; reason in 'Since you are late, you will wait.'

Worked example

Name the kind of adverb clause: (a) 'He spoke so softly that no one heard him.' (b) 'Unless you hurry, you will miss the bus.' (c) 'She is taller than her brother is.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (a) so...that: result.
2. (b) unless: condition.
3. (c) than: comparison.

Answer: (a) adverb clause of result; (b) adverb clause of condition; (c) adverb clause of comparison.

Phrases and Clauses in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• Phrases and Clauses: The Finite-Verb Test and Functions

How the school exam asks Phrases and Clauses

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Phrases and Clauses

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• S + FV = Clause

  Subject plus Finite Verb makes a clause; no finite verb, just a phrase.

  Use it when: Phrase or clause?

• The three questions

  What? = noun. Which one? = adjective. How/when/where/why? = adverb.

  Use it when: Naming any phrase or clause.

• Replace with 'it'

  If 'it' or 'this' can replace the clause, it is a noun clause.

  Use it when: Telling noun clauses from others.

Phrases and Clauses: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.

Where students lose marks in Phrases and Clauses

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Calling a non-finite group a clause

  Pupils see a verb form and assume a clause.

  Wrong working

  'to win the match' is a noun clause.

  Right working

  'to win the match' is a noun phrase (no finite verb).

  ✓Do this: A clause needs a subject and a finite verb; '-ing', 'to' and past-participle forms alone make phrases.

  Usually costs: The identification mark.

• ✗Mistake: Naming the clause by its first word only

  Pupils think 'where' or 'when' always begins an adverb clause.

  ✓Do this: Ask what the clause does: describes a noun (adjective), is the thing itself (noun), or modifies the verb (adverb).

  Usually costs: The kind mark.

• ✗Mistake: Picking out an incomplete clause

  Pupils stop underlining too early.

  Wrong working

  who stole

  Right working

  who stole my bag

  ✓Do this: Include everything that belongs to the clause's verb: objects, complements and modifiers.

  Usually costs: The identification mark.

• ✗Mistake: Changing the function when replacing

  Pupils replace an adverb with an adjective clause.

  ✓Do this: Check the job before and after replacing: the new group must answer the same question.

  Usually costs: The transformation mark.

Practice questions on Phrases and Clauses

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   Which of these is a clause? (a) on a rainy day (b) before sunrise (c) after we had eaten (d) with a heavy heart

   Hint

   Look for a subject and finite verb.

   Answer

   (c) after we had eaten ('we had eaten': subject + finite verb).

2. Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Name the kind of phrase: 'The lady in the green sari is our principal.'

   Hint

   Which lady?

   Answer

   'in the green sari': adjective phrase qualifying 'lady'.

3. Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Pick out the subordinate clause and name its kind: 'Work hard so that you may succeed.'

   Hint

   so that = ?

   Answer

   'so that you may succeed': adverb clause of purpose.

4. Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   Pick out and name the clauses: 'If you see the man who stole my bag, tell me where he went.'

   Hint

   There is one main clause and three subordinate clauses.

   Answer

   Main clause: '(you) tell me'. Subordinate: 'If you see the man' (adverb clause of condition); 'who stole my bag' (adjective clause qualifying 'man'); 'where he went' (noun clause, object of 'tell').

5. Q5 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Replace the bracketed words with a clause: (a) 'He confessed [his guilt].' (b) '[On reaching the station], we found the train had left.'

   Hint

   (a) noun clause; (b) adverb clause of time.

   Answer

   (a) 'He confessed that he was guilty.' (b) 'When we reached the station, we found the train had left.'

6. Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   State whether 'since' introduces time or reason: (a) 'Since it is raining, we will stay in.' (b) 'It has been raining since we arrived.'

   Hint

   Does 'since' mean 'because' or 'from the time that'?

   Answer

   (a) reason (= because); (b) time (= from the time that).

7. Q7 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   Explain why 'I know the place where he lives' contains an adjective clause but 'I know where he lives' contains a noun clause.

   Hint

   Is there a noun for the clause to describe?

   Answer

   In the first, 'where he lives' describes the noun 'place' (which place?), so it is an adjective clause. In the second, there is no noun to describe: 'where he lives' is itself the thing known, the object of 'know', so it is a noun clause.

8. Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Write one sentence each using (a) a noun phrase as subject, (b) an adjective clause beginning with 'whose', (c) an adverb clause of result.

   Hint

   (c) so...that or such...that.

   Answer

   e.g. (a) 'Walking in the rain is fun.' (b) 'The boy whose bicycle was stolen went to the police.' (c) 'The soup was so hot that I burnt my tongue.'

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.What is the difference between a phrase and a clause?Show answer

   A clause has a subject and a finite verb; a phrase does not.

2. 2.Name the three kinds of subordinate clause.Show answer

   Noun, adjective (relative) and adverb clauses.

3. 3.Give five functions of a noun clause.Show answer

   Subject, object of a verb, object of a preposition, complement, in apposition.

4. 4.Which words usually begin adjective clauses?Show answer

   Relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).

5. 5.What kind of adverb clause does 'unless' introduce?Show answer

   Condition.

6. 6.What kind of adverb clause does 'although' introduce?Show answer

   Concession (contrast).

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Can you apply the finite-verb test to tell phrases from clauses?
• ☐Can you name noun, adjective and adverb phrases?
• ☐Can you separate a main clause from a subordinate clause?
• ☐Can you state the function of a noun clause?
• ☐Can you name nine kinds of adverb clause from their conjunctions?
• ☐Can you replace a word with a phrase or clause doing the same job?

Phrases and Clauses: frequently asked questions