clauses

In the sentence, "Although he was tired, he finished his homework," how does the word 'Although' function?

• It introduces a dependent clause showing contrast.

• It connects two independent clauses of equal importance.

• It acts as an adjective modifying 'he'.

• It introduces an independent clause that can stand alone.

Answer explanation

The word 'Although' is a subordinating conjunction. Its job is to begin a dependent (subordinate) clause and show its relationship—in this case, contrast—to the main (independent) clause. Coordinating conjunctions connect equal clauses, and 'Although' is not an adjective.

Read the sentence: *I brought my umbrella, although it looked like rain.* Identify the error in logic and choose the best correction.

• The conjunction 'although' is illogical; it should be 'because' to show cause.

• The comma is used incorrectly; it should be a semicolon.

• The clause 'it looked like rain' is a sentence fragment.

• There is no error in the sentence; the logic is correct.

Answer explanation

The conjunction 'although' indicates contrast, which makes the sentence illogical. Bringing an umbrella is a result of the potential for rain, not a contrast to it. The subordinating conjunction 'because' correctly establishes this cause-and-effect relationship.

Analyze the function of the underlined noun clause in each sentence: 1. *Whatever you decide* is fine with me. 2. I will accept *whatever you decide*. How does the clause's function change from sentence 1 to sentence 2?

• It changes from a subject to a direct object.

• It changes from a direct object to a subject.

• It changes from an adjective clause to a noun clause.

• Its function does not change; it is the subject in both sentences.

Answer explanation

In sentence 1, the entire clause 'Whatever you decide' acts as the subject of the verb 'is'. In sentence 2, the clause receives the action of the verb 'accept', making it the direct object.

The following sentence contains a misplaced adjective clause: *The car is in the garage that has a flat tire.* Which revision correctly places the clause to clarify the meaning?

• The car that has a flat tire is in the garage.

• In the garage is the car that has a flat tire.

• The car is, that has a flat tire, in the garage.

• That has a flat tire, the car is in the garage.

Answer explanation

Adjective clauses must be placed as close as possible to the noun they modify. The clause 'that has a flat tire' describes the 'car', not the 'garage'. Option A correctly places the clause immediately after 'car', making the meaning clear.

Which sentence contains a noun clause, introduced by 'whether,' that functions as a direct object?

• The captain will decide whether we sail today.

• Whether we sail today depends on the weather.

• The question is whether we sail today.

• The sailor, whether he was ready or not, hoisted the sail.

Answer explanation

In this sentence, the noun clause 'whether we sail today' is the direct object of the verb 'will decide' (the captain will decide *what*?). In the other options, the clause functions as a subject (B) or a predicate nominative (C).

Read the paragraph and identify the clause types: (1) The mystery *that I am reading* is full of suspense. (2) I don't know *what the detective will discover next*. (3) I will finish the book *before I go to sleep*. Which option correctly classifies the underlined clauses in order?

• Adjective, Noun, Adverb

• Adverb, Noun, Adjective

• Noun, Adjective, Adverb

• Adjective, Adverb, Noun

Answer explanation

In (1), 'that I am reading' modifies the noun 'mystery,' making it an adjective clause. In (2), 'what the detective will discover next' acts as the direct object of the verb 'know,' making it a noun clause. In (3), 'before I go to sleep' modifies the verb 'will finish' by telling 'when,' making it an adverb clause.

To form a complete sentence, which independent clause best completes the thought? *After the team won the championship, ______.*

• the crowd cheered wildly

• because they had practiced for months

• the coach seemed disappointed

• while the celebration began

Answer explanation

Option A is an independent clause that logically completes the thought begun by the dependent clause. Option C is also an independent clause, but it is less logical in context. Options B and D are dependent clauses, and using them would create a sentence fragment.

Identify the independent clause among the following options. The only independent clause is: ______.

• The scientist, who had worked for years, finally published her findings

• While the experiment was running overnight

• Because the results were inconclusive

• Whichever hypothesis was proven correct

Answer explanation

Option A is a complete sentence with a subject ('scientist') and a verb ('published') that expresses a full thought, even with an interrupting adjective clause. The other options are dependent clauses introduced by subordinating words ('While,' 'Because,' 'Whichever') and cannot stand alone.

From the list below, identify the group of words that is a sentence fragment. The fragment is: ______.

• Although the movie, which won several awards, had a very complex plot

• The director accepted the award

• She thanked the cast and crew; they were all thrilled

• Stop

Answer explanation

Option A is a long dependent clause starting with the subordinator 'Although'. Despite its length and internal adjective clause, it does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence. The other options are complete sentences.

In the sentence, 'The book on the shelf that I borrowed from the library is due today,' the adjective clause 'that I borrowed from the library' modifies the word ______.

• book

• shelf

• library

• today

Answer explanation

The clause 'that I borrowed from the library' answers the question 'Which book?'. It modifies 'book', not the closer nouns 'shelf' or 'library'. An adjective clause should be placed as close as possible to the noun it logically describes.