Free Phrases and Clauses MCQs with Answers

1. In the sentence "Running quickly, he caught the bus", the underlined phrase Running quickly is

• A. a noun clause
• B. a participial phrase modifying he
• C. an independent clause
• D. a prepositional phrase

Explanation: A present participle introducing a phrase that describes the subject of the main clause is a participial phrase, and it must attach to the right subject or it becomes a dangling modifier. Here he is doing the running, so the sentence is correct. Writing Running quickly, the bus was caught would be faulty.

2. Identify the clause type: I will call you when I reach home.

• A. noun clause
• B. adjective clause
• C. adverb clause of time
• D. independent clause

Explanation: When I reach home tells us when the calling will happen, so it modifies the verb and functions as an adverb clause of time. Note that a future time clause takes the present tense, which is why reach rather than will reach is correct. An adjective clause would describe a noun instead.

3. Identify the type of clause in bold: I know that he is honest.

• A. noun clause acting as the object of know
• B. adjective clause describing he
• C. adverb clause of reason
• D. independent clause

Explanation: The clause that he is honest answers the question what do I know, so it functions as a noun and is the object of the verb. An adjective clause would describe a noun and an adverb clause would modify the verb by telling how, when or why. Testing what question the clause answers identifies its type reliably.

4. There were many students ______ all the answers.

• A. those knew
• B. that knows
• C. who knowing
• D. who knew

Explanation: “Who knew all the answers” is a relative clause describing “students,” and “who” correctly introduces it. The past-tense verb “knew” also agrees with the past context of “were.”

5. Our new digital photo-print machine, the manual ________is lost awaits to be set up properly.

• A. of what
• B. where
• C. by whom
• D. of which

Explanation: “The manual of which” refers back to the machine and means that the machine’s manual is lost. “Which” alone would not express this possessive relationship.

6. The confusion __________ the discovery of the body made everybody lose track of time.

• A. had caused
• B. was caused by
• C. had been caused by
• D. caused by

Explanation: “Caused by the discovery of the body” is a reduced passive phrase modifying “confusion.” The full form would be “the confusion that was caused by the discovery.”