Clauses MCQ With Answers: Noun, Adjective and Adverb Clauses

A clause is a group of words with its own subject and verb. Clauses appear in the English section of JKSSB Junior Assistant, Constable, Stenographer and many other papers. Learn the three types of subordinate clause and you can answer most questions in seconds.

Main and subordinate clauses

In 'I know that he is honest', 'I know' is the main clause and 'that he is honest' is the subordinate clause. The subordinate clause depends on the main clause for its meaning.

The three subordinate clauses

• Noun clause: does the work of a noun. It answers 'what?'. It begins with that, what, who, whether, why, how. Example: 'I know what you want.'
• Adjective (relative) clause: describes a noun. It begins with who, whom, whose, which, that. Example: 'The man who called is my uncle.'
• Adverb clause: does the work of an adverb. It shows time, place, reason, condition, purpose, result, comparison or concession. It begins with when, where, because, if, so that, although, than. Example: 'We stayed home because it rained.'

A quick test

Replace the clause with 'it', 'something' or 'the thing'. If the sentence still works, it is a noun clause. If the clause tells you which noun is meant, it is an adjective clause. If it tells you when, why or how, it is an adverb clause.

How to recognise a clause

A clause has a subject and a verb. A principal (main) clause can stand alone as a sentence. A subordinate (dependent) clause cannot, because it depends on the main clause for its meaning. Look for the joining word: that, who, which, because, although, if, when, where and so on.

Noun clauses

A noun clause does the work of a noun. It can be the subject, the object or the complement of a verb, or follow a preposition. It usually begins with that, what, whether, who, why, how or when.

• Object: 'I know that he is honest.'
• Subject: 'What he said surprised everyone.'
• After a preposition: 'She was worried about what might happen.'
• Test: replace the clause with 'it' or 'something'. If the sentence still makes sense, it is a noun clause

Adjective clauses

An adjective clause describes a noun or pronoun and usually begins with who, whom, whose, which or that. It comes straight after the noun it describes.

• 'The book that you gave me is excellent.'
• 'The girl who won the prize is my cousin.'
• 'This is the house where I was born.'

Adverb clauses

An adverb clause modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb. It is named by the idea it expresses.

• Time: 'I will call you when I reach home.'
• Place: 'He stood where the road ended.'
• Reason: 'She was absent because she was ill.'
• Purpose: 'He ran fast so that he could catch the train.'
• Result: 'He was so tired that he fell asleep.'
• Condition: 'If you work hard, you will succeed.'
• Concession: 'Although he was tired, he continued.'
• Comparison: 'She runs faster than her brother does.'

A three-step method for exam questions

• Find the verb groups and mark each clause
• Find the joining word and note what it introduces
• Ask what job the clause does in the sentence: naming something, describing a noun, or giving a reason, time or condition

Common mistakes

• Treating 'that' as always a relative pronoun. In 'I think that he is right', 'that' introduces a noun clause
• Confusing an adjective clause with a noun clause when both start with 'that'. Check whether the clause follows a noun and describes it
• Missing the concession clause: although, though and even if show contrast
• Using 'because' and 'so' together in one sentence

Questions candidates ask

How do I tell a noun clause from an adjective clause? A noun clause does the work of a noun and cannot be removed. An adjective clause describes a noun and follows it.

Is 'that' always a relative pronoun? No. In 'I think that he is right', it introduces a noun clause.

What clause is 'because he was ill'? An adverb clause of reason.

Practise

Try the 20 MCQs below. Then continue with the English topic sets and a Junior Assistant mock.