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Understanding the difference between a phrase and a clause is one of the foundations of English grammar. But reading about the rules is not enough—you need to practice! That’s why we’ve prepared this phrase or clause quiz with answers, including matching, multiple-choice, identification, and fill-in-the-blank exercises.
Phrase or Clause Quiz with Answers
Try these interactive online quizzes to practice the difference between phrases and clauses:
Part A: Matching
Match each example with the correct label: Phrase or Clause.
Column A
- Because she was late
- Singing loudly in the shower
- The dog barked at the stranger
- After the rain stopped
- Walking to school every morning
- He loves chocolate
- Before the party started
Column B
- a) _ can be very annoying.
- b) _, she missed the bus.
- C) We had decorated the room __.
- d) My brother always says that _.
- e) _ is good exercise.
- f) We went outside _.
- g) Suddenly, _ and everyone was scared.
2. a) → Singing loudly in the shower can be very annoying.
3. g) → Suddenly, the dog barked at the stranger and everyone was scared.
4. f) → We went outside after the rain stopped.
5. e) → Walking to school every morning is good exercise.
6. d) → My brother always says that he loves chocolate.
7. c) → We had decorated the room before the party started.
Part B: Identify if it’s a Phrase or Clause
Write “Phrase” or “Clause.”
- On the table → _____
- She can sing beautifully → _____
- Because he was tired → _____
- To swim in the sea → _____
- Before the sun sets → _____
- The boy ran away → _____
- During the holidays → _____
2. She can sing beautifully → Clause
3. Because he was tired → Clause
4. To swim in the sea → Phrase
5. Before the sun sets → Phrase
6. The boy ran away → Clause
7. During the holidays → Phrase
Part C: Multiple-choice Quiz
Choose the correct answer.
- Which of the following is a clause?
- a) Running fast
- b) The tall building
- c) She smiled
- d) In the garden
- Identify the phrase:
- a) I went to the store
- b) After she left
- c) In the morning
- d) He plays football
- Which option contains a subject and a verb?
- a) To read a book
- b) They danced
- c) Sitting quietly
- d) Across the street
- Which is NOT a phrase?
- a) Before dinner
- b) She is reading
- c) The yellow car
- d) Jumping over the wall
- Which is an independent clause?
- a) Although it was raining
- b) He opened the door
- c) Walking quickly
- d) In the classroom
- Which example is a noun phrase?
- a) The little red ball
- b) When he arrived
- c) She runs
- d) Because she was tired
- Which is a dependent clause?
- a) Since you asked
- b) They are cooking
- c) A large crowd
- d) Eating a sandwich
- Which of the following is a phrase?
- a) I am hungry
- b) He runs every day
- c) Under the bed
- d) When she arrived
- Identify the clause:
- a) With a smile
- b) The shining stars
- c) He worked hard
- d) To the station
- Which is a verb phrase?
- a) Will be going
- b) The old house
- c) Because it rained
- d) On the table
2. c) In the morning
3. b) They danced
4. b) She is reading
5. b) He opened the door
6. a) The little red ball
7. a) Since you asked
8. c) Under the bed
9. c) He worked hard
10. a) Will be going
Part D: Fill in the Blanks
Choose the correct option: phrase or clause.
- I was happy when __________.
a) hearing the news
b) I heard the news - __________ made me laugh.
a) His silly jokes
b) He told silly jokes - They left the room because __________.
a) of the noise
b) the noise was loud - __________ is important for success.
a) Working hard
b) He works hard - She cried because __________.
a) she was sad
b) of sadness - __________ can be fun.
a) Playing football
b) He plays football
2. a) His silly jokes
3. b) the noise was loud
4. a) Working hard
5. a) she was sad
6. a) Playing football
Bonus: Practice with Types of Phrases and Clauses
A. Identify the Type of Phrase
Choose whether the example is a noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, adjective phrase, or adverb phrase.
- Was running quickly → ____
- The tall man → ____
- Very tired → ____
- On the desk → ____
- With great care → ____
B. Identify the Type of Clause
Choose whether the example is an independent clause, dependent clause, noun clause, adjective clause, or adverb clause.
- Although he was tired, he finished his homework. → ____
- She enjoys reading novels. → ____
- What you said made me happy. → ____
- If you study hard, you will succeed. → ____
- The book that I borrowed was interesting. → ____
2. The tall man → Noun phrase
3. Very tired → Adjective phrase
4. On the desk → Prepositional phrase
5. With great care → Adverb phrasef Clause
B. Identify the Type of Clause 1. Although he was tired, he finished his homework. → Dependent (adverb) clause
2. She enjoys reading novels. → Independent clause
3. What you said made me happy. → Noun clause
4. If you study hard, you will succeed. → Conditional clause (adverb clause)
5. The book that I borrowed was interesting. → Adjective (relative) clause
FAQs
How do you identify a phrase or clause?
A phrase is a group of words without a subject-verb unit. A clause always contains a subject and a verb.
What is the difference between a phrase and a clause quiz?
A phrase quiz tests if you can identify word groups without verbs. A clause quiz checks whether you can recognize subject + verb structures.
What are the 7 types of clauses?
Independent, dependent, noun, adjective, adverb, relative, and conditional clauses.
What are 5 examples of clauses and phrases?
Phrases: in the park, a beautiful day, running fast, the big house, very tall
Clauses: She runs daily, He was late, Because it rained, They are studying, When I arrived
Conclusion
Quizzes are one of the best ways to reinforce grammar concepts. By practicing with this phrase or clause quiz with answers, you’ve strengthened your ability to identify and use phrases and clauses correctly.
