Let’s go through each sentence one by one and figure out what the underlined part is doing.
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1. Rebecca found *some delicious sweets* in the jar.
The underlined words are “some delicious sweets”.
This group of words is acting as the
thing that was found — it’s the object of the verb “found”.
It doesn’t have a subject + verb, so it’s not a clause.
It’s just a group of words centered around the noun “sweets”, with describing words (“some”, “delicious”).
→ That makes it a
noun phrase.
✔ Tick:
as a noun phrase
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2. *Leaning against the wall* was a ladder.
The underlined part is “Leaning against the wall”.
This describes
what the ladder was doing — but notice: there’s no subject here (like “The ladder was leaning…”). Instead, this whole phrase is acting like the
subject of the sentence!
“Leaning against the wall” = the thing that “was a ladder”.
Even though it starts with a verb form (“leaning”), it’s being used as a noun here — telling us WHAT was a ladder.
→ So again, it’s functioning as a
noun phrase (specifically, a gerund phrase acting as a noun).
✔ Tick:
as a noun phrase
*(Note: Some might think it’s a preposition phrase because of “against the wall”, but the whole underlined part includes “Leaning”, which changes its function.)*
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3. If the party goes ahead, *you can wear your new shoes*.
Underlined: “you can wear your new shoes”
This has a subject (“you”) and a verb (“can wear”) → so it’s a
clause.
Is it the main idea? Yes — even though it comes after “if...”, this part tells you what will happen if the condition is met. The first part (“If the party goes ahead”) is the condition; this part is the result — the main point.
→ So it’s a
main clause.
✔ Tick:
as a main clause
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4. Taj has to clean up the mess *which his friends had left*.
Underlined: “which his friends had left”
This starts with “which” — that’s a relative pronoun.
It gives more info about “the mess” — specifically, WHICH mess? The one his friends left.
It has a subject (“his friends”) and a verb (“had left”) → so it’s a
clause, and since it starts with “which” and modifies a noun, it’s a
relative clause.
✔ Tick:
as a relative clause
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Final Answer:
- Rebecca found some delicious sweets in the jar. →
as a noun phrase
- Leaning against the wall was a ladder. →
as a noun phrase
- If the party goes ahead, you can wear your new shoes. →
as a main clause
- Taj has to clean up the mess which his friends had left. →
as a relative clause
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of phrase and clause worksheets.
