Know Your Phrases and Clauses Trivia Quiz

Answer: when he spilled the tray

"When he spilled the tray" is an adverb clause because it has a finite verb (spilled). It also begins with a subordinating conjunction (when). The others were prepositional phrases. Phrases have no finite verbs. "As if nothing had happened" is also an adverb clause. It has a finite verb (had happened) and begins with a subordinating conjunction (as if).

Answer: she smiled at the dog

An independent clause can stand alone. It makes sense and sounds complete. Also, it has a subject and predicate. "As the cat slinked" is an adverb clause, a type of subordinate clause, and cannot stand alone. "At the dog," "across the backyard" and "with fervor" are prepositional phrases. "Who barked with fervor" is an adjective clause.

These are subordinate clauses that describe nouns-in this case, "dog"- and begin with a relative pronoun-in this case, "who."

Answer: compound

A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses and no subordinate clauses. The two independent clauses are "Lucille donated hundreds" and "Marty gave hundreds." Everything else is a prepositional phrase. A simple sentence has one independent clause and no subordinate clause.

A complex sentence has one independent clause and one or more subordinate clause. A compound-complex sentence has two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate clause.

Answer: with blond hair

An adjective phrase is a type of prepositional phrase which acts like-what else-an adjective. "With blond hair" describes "girl" just like an adjective would. "In ecstasy" and "about the girl" are adverb phrases, another type of prepositional phrase, which act like adverbs. "Who kissed him last night" is an adjective clause.

Answer: what Mike said

A noun clause begins with a relative pronoun-in this case, "what"-and acts like a noun. Like all clauses, a noun clause has a subject-"Mike"- and a predicate-"said."

Answer: to beat her opponent in tennis

An infinitive consists of the preposition "to" and a verb. In this case the infinitive is "to beat." An infinitive phrase has an infinitive and all the words that go with it.

Answer: trembling with fear

A participle is a word which acts like both a verb and an adjective. A present participle ends in "-ing." A participial phrase includes a participle and all the words which go with it.

Answer: complex

This sentence is complex because it has one independent clause (Sheri fixed the food) and one subordinate clause (who is an excellent cook). "For the banquet" is an adjective phrase.

Answer: otherwise known as "The Derby City"

An appositive is a noun or pronoun that renames another noun or pronoun. "City" is an appositive that renames "Louisville." An appositive phrase includes an appositive and all of its modifiers.

Answer: subordinate clause

A subordinate clause usually begins with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. It can't stand alone like an independent clause. The others can be considered independent clauses which can stand alone; they can sometimes even be used interchangeably with the term "independent clause."