Has it got a verb? clauses and phrases
The Short Answer
A group of words is a phrase if it contains no verb. If it does contain a verb, ask whether it would make sense standing on its own: if it would, it is a main clause; if it would not, it is a subordinate clause. Those two questions, asked in that order, sort every group of words the paper can show your child.
What is a clause question?
Your child is shown a group of words — usually underlined inside a sentence — and asked what it is. Phrase, main clause, or subordinate clause.
It is worth treating this as its own skill rather than as part of grammar generally, because everything about sentence types rests on it. Get this right and the harder questions become bookkeeping.
Two questions, in this order
Does this group of words contain a verb? If it does not, it is a phrase, and you are finished.
Only if there is a verb: would it make sense standing on its own? If yes, it is a main clause. If no, it is a subordinate clause.
That is the whole method. Two questions, in that order, and the order matters — asking whether a phrase would stand alone is a question that does not apply.
Can you show me a worked example?
The opening words worth knowing
These nearly always introduce a subordinate clause:
although · because · until · when · if · while · since · unless · after · before
That is a shortcut rather than a rule, so it should be checked against the standing-alone test. But it points your child at the answer in about a second, and on a timed paper that is worth having.
Where do pupils lose marks?
Judging by length. Long groups of words feel like clauses and often are not.
Assuming the first half of a sentence is the main clause. Although the storm had started, Nadia repaired the engine opens with the subordinate one. Position tells you nothing.
Missing a verb that is not obviously an action. Was, is, seemed, had are all verbs, and children hunting for something being done skip straight past them.
Try it yourself
For each group of words, ask the two questions in order: is there a verb, and would it stand alone?
- beside the harbour wall
- Nadia repaired the engine
- although the storm had started
- until her fingers ached
- the exhausted climbers on the ridge
- Phrase. No verb anywhere in it, so the second question never gets asked.
- Main clause. It has a verb — repaired — and it makes perfect sense on its own.
- Subordinate clause. It has a verb — had started — but it cannot stand alone. Saying it and stopping leaves the listener waiting.
- Subordinate clause. Verb present — ached — and it leaves you hanging. Note the opening word: until, like although, because and while, is a reliable signal.
- Phrase. It looks substantial and contains no verb at all. Length is not the test; a verb is.
How much practice does this type need at home?
Five minutes a couple of times a week, out loud. Say a group of words and ask the two questions. Beside the harbour wall. Nadia repaired the engine. Although the storm had started.
Then do the useful variation: give your child a subordinate clause and ask them to finish the sentence. Although the storm had started... Completing it forces them to feel why it could not stand alone — which is a much better teacher than being told.
Free: an English workbook
Questions across the English question types, with the method printed at the top and full answers at the back. One workbook for the whole strand, not a sheet per question type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the order of the two questions matter?
Because the second question only makes sense once the first is answered. Asking whether 'beside the harbour wall' would stand alone leads nowhere useful — it is not a clause at all, so the question does not apply. Find the verb first. If there is no verb, you have a phrase and you are finished.
How does my child spot a subordinate clause quickly?
Look at the word it opens with. Although, because, until, when, if, while, since, unless and after nearly always introduce one. That is a shortcut rather than a rule, so it should be confirmed with the standing-alone test — but it points your child at the answer in about a second, which matters under time pressure.
Can a subordinate clause come first in a sentence?
Yes, and it often does. 'Although the storm had started, Nadia repaired the engine' puts it at the front, with a comma marking where it ends. Children who have only seen subordinate clauses at the end of sentences sometimes decide the first half of that sentence is the main clause because it comes first. Position tells you nothing; standing alone tells you everything.
Why is this worth learning as its own thing?
Because sentence types fall out of it for free. A simple sentence is one main clause. A compound sentence is two main clauses joined. A complex sentence is a main clause plus a subordinate one. A child who can sort clauses can classify sentences without learning anything further, and a child who cannot will find sentence type questions almost impossible.
Sources
- GL Assessment — 11+ familiarisation materials and question type descriptions Published 2025.
- Clever Clogs Academy — our own Year 4 and Year 5 lesson records, Winslow Published September 2025 to July 2026.
We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to GL Assessment or Buckinghamshire Council. Test arrangements change; always check the council's own pages for the current year's dates.
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