Sentence structure & clauses

Senior High 6 questions

What sentence structure & clauses means

You learn how words form phrases, clauses and full sentences. This helps you read carefully and write clear, correct English in exams and classwork.

What you will practise

Spot phrases that do not have both subject and verb
Identify clauses with a subject and a verb
Tell main clauses from subordinate clauses
Recognise simple, compound and complex sentences
Use punctuation clues to support your answers

Before you start

You should already know basic parts of speech, especially nouns, verbs and conjunctions. It also helps if you can read short sentences with understanding.

Not confident yet? Work through Word formation & register first.

Worked example

One question from this skill's own question bank, shown with its full working.

Question

A group of words with a subject and a verb is a:

phrase
clause
prefix
syllable

Answer: clause

Working: A clause contains a subject and a verb; a phrase does not.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating every group of words as a clause. Check for both a subject and a verb first.
Calling a dependent group a complete sentence. See whether it can stand alone before naming it.
Mixing up phrases and clauses. A phrase has no subject-verb pair, but a clause does.
Missing the joining word in compound sentences. Look for two main clauses linked by a coordinator.

Curriculum and exam alignment

Ghana GES SHS syllabusWASSCE

In SHS 1-3, this area normally appears under syntax or sentence construction in English language work. It also supports WASSCE preparation, where you are often expected to recognise clause types and sentence patterns accurately.

Curriculum notes are a general guide to where this work normally sits. Always check the syllabus your school or examination body is currently using.