Complex Clause Analysis Worksheet with Answers

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GCSE · Grammar

Y10.6 Complex Clause Analysis

Calculators not allowed · about 60 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

The Last Ferry

Written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). This short narrative extract was composed specifically for this worksheet as a source for clause-level grammar analysis.

01 When the last coach had rattled away from the harbour car park, Priya

02 locked the ticket office and walked down towards the jetty, listening to

03 the gulls that circled above the fish market roof. The ferry, which had

04 carried passengers across the strait for almost forty years, sat low in

05 the water, its engine idling patiently. Marcus, who had been the skipper

06 since Priya was a child, leaned out of the wheelhouse window and called

07 down that the tide would turn within the hour. Having checked the ropes

08 twice, Priya climbed aboard and settled into the small cabin that smelled

09 of diesel and salt. She knew that the crossing would be rough because

10 the forecast, pinned to the noticeboard since breakfast, had warned of

11 a rising wind. The lighthouse, its beam sweeping steadily across the

12 black water, offered the only light beyond the harbour wall. Although

13 the waves grew steeper beyond the headland, Marcus kept the boat steady,

14 correcting the wheel with small, unhurried movements. Priya, gripping the

15 rail and trying not to think about the crossing that had capsized a

16 smaller boat two winters before, watched the harbour lights shrink behind

17 them. 'We have done this a thousand times,' Marcus shouted over the

18 engine, grinning as though the weather were nothing more than a light

19 drizzle. By the time the ferry reached the far jetty, the wind had

20 dropped and the sky, scrubbed clean by the storm, had begun to clear.

21 Priya, who had spent the whole crossing gripping the rail, stepped onto

22 the harbour steps and breathed out slowly, relieved that the night's last

23 crossing was finally over.

1

Look at the following sentence from lines 1 to 3: 'When the last coach had rattled away from the harbour car park, Priya locked the ticket office and walked down towards the jetty, listening to the gulls that circled above the fish market roof.'

(a)Identify the subordinate clause that opens this sentence.(1)

(b)Identify the main clause of this sentence.(1)

(Total for Question 1 is 2 marks)

2

Look at the following sentence from lines 12 to 14: 'Although the waves grew steeper beyond the headland, Marcus kept the boat steady, correcting the wheel with small, unhurried movements.'

(a)Identify the subordinate clause that opens this sentence.(1)

(b)Identify the main clause of this sentence.(1)

(Total for Question 2 is 2 marks)

3

Which type of sentence is this: 'The ferry, which had carried passengers across the strait for almost forty years, sat low in the water.'?

A) Simple sentence
B) Compound sentence
C) Complex sentence
D) Compound-complex sentence

(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)

4

Look at the following two sentences from the source text.
Sentence 1 (lines 3-5): 'The ferry, which had carried passengers across the strait for almost forty years, sat low in the water.'
Sentence 2 (lines 5-6): 'Marcus, who had been the skipper since Priya was a child, leaned out of the wheelhouse window and called down that the tide would turn within the hour.'

(a)Identify the relative clause in Sentence 1.(1)

(b)Identify the relative pronoun used in Sentence 1.(1)

(c)Identify the relative clause in Sentence 2.(1)

(d)Identify the relative pronoun used in Sentence 2.(1)

(Total for Question 4 is 4 marks)

5

Here are five relative clauses taken from the source text.
A. 'that circled above the fish market roof' (describing the gulls)
B. 'which had carried passengers across the strait for almost forty years' (describing the ferry)
C. 'who had been the skipper since Priya was a child' (describing Marcus)
D. 'that smelled of diesel and salt' (describing the cabin)
E. 'that had capsized a smaller boat two winters before' (describing the crossing)
Which TWO of these relative clauses are non-defining - that is, they add extra information that could be removed without changing which ferry, cabin, gulls, crossing or person is being talked about?

A
B
C
D
E

(Total for Question 5 is 2 marks)

6

Here are three non-finite clauses from the source text.
A. 'Having checked the ropes twice' (line 7)
B. 'scrubbed clean by the storm' (line 20)
C. 'gripping the rail and trying not to think about the crossing that had capsized a smaller boat two winters before' (lines 14-16)

(a)State the type of non-finite clause used in A.(1)

(b)State the type of non-finite clause used in B.(1)

(c)State the type of non-finite clause used in C.(1)

(Total for Question 6 is 3 marks)

7

Explain one effect of opening the passage with the fronted subordinate clause 'When the last coach had rattled away from the harbour car park' (lines 1-2).

(Total for Question 7 is 2 marks)

8

Which underlined clause below is a noun clause acting as the direct object of a verb?

A) '...called down that the tide would turn within the hour' (the clause 'that the tide would turn within the hour')
B) '...the gulls that circled above the fish market roof' (the clause 'that circled above the fish market roof')
C) 'Although the waves grew steeper beyond the headland...' (the clause 'Although the waves grew steeper beyond the headland')
D) '...Marcus kept the boat steady, correcting the wheel with small, unhurried movements' (the clause 'correcting the wheel with small, unhurried movements')

(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)

9

Look at line 9: 'She knew that the crossing would be rough because the forecast... had warned of a rising wind.' Explain how you can tell that 'that the crossing would be rough' is a noun clause rather than a relative clause.

(Total for Question 9 is 2 marks)

10

Combine these two simple sentences into one complex sentence using a subordinating conjunction of your choice: 'The tide turned. Marcus steered the ferry back towards the harbour.'

(Total for Question 10 is 2 marks)

11

Combine these two simple sentences into one sentence using a defining relative clause: 'The rope had frayed badly. The rope was holding the smaller boat.'

(Total for Question 11 is 2 marks)

12

Combine these two simple sentences into one sentence using a non-defining relative clause, punctuated correctly: 'The harbour master waved from the quay. The harbour master had known Marcus for twenty years.'

(Total for Question 12 is 2 marks)

13

Combine these two simple sentences into one sentence, opening with a present participle (-ing) non-finite clause: 'Priya checked her watch. She hurried along the jetty.'

(Total for Question 13 is 2 marks)

14

Combine these two simple sentences into one sentence so that the relative clause interrupts the main clause, sitting between its subject and its verb: 'The lighthouse keeper switched on the beam. The lighthouse keeper had watched over the harbour for decades.'

(Total for Question 14 is 2 marks)

15

Look at this sentence: 'Marcus kept the boat steady although the waves grew rough.'

(a)Rewrite the sentence with the subordinate clause fronted (moved to the start), punctuated correctly.(1)

(b)Explain one effect this reordering has on the reader.(2)

(Total for Question 15 is 3 marks)

16

Identify and correct the punctuation error in this sentence: 'The wind was rising fast, Marcus checked the ropes one more time.'

(Total for Question 16 is 2 marks)

17

Identify and correct the punctuation error in this sentence: 'Because the tide was turning. Marcus called the crew back aboard.'

(Total for Question 17 is 2 marks)

18

Add the missing commas to this sentence: 'The ferry which was over forty years old rarely broke down.'

(Total for Question 18 is 2 marks)

19

Below is a paragraph with several errors of capitalisation and clause punctuation. Rewrite it correctly, correcting every error you can find.

'the harbour master who had worked there for thirty years never trusted a calm sea, he always checked the forecast twice before any boat left, although the sky looked clear this morning something did not feel right.'

(Total for Question 19 is 6 marks)

20

Focusing on lines 12 to 19 (from 'Although the waves grew steeper' to 'a light drizzle'), analyse how the writer's use of a range of clause types creates a shift in mood from danger to reassurance.

(Total for Question 20 is 8 marks)

21

Write a short paragraph (approximately 80-100 words) describing a moment when sudden bad weather affects a journey. Your writing must include: one fronted subordinate (adverbial) clause, one relative clause (defining or non-defining, correctly punctuated), one non-finite (participle) clause, and one embedded/parenthetical clause. Underline and label each of these four features in your answer.

(Total for Question 21 is 10 marks)

22

Write the opening (approximately 150-200 words) of a short story in which the weather changes suddenly, deliberately varying your sentence and clause structures for effect. You should use a range of fronted subordinate clauses, relative clauses and non-finite clauses to control pace and build atmosphere.
(10 marks are available for the content and organisation of your answer, and 6 marks for the technical accuracy of your writing.)

(Total for Question 22 is 16 marks)

Mark scheme · Y10.6 Complex Clause Analysis

Question 1

(a) B1 When the last coach had rattled away from the harbour car park (cao)
(a) Answer: When the last coach had rattled away from the harbour car park
(b) B1 Priya locked the ticket office and walked down towards the jetty (oe, accept up to 'jetty'; the trailing participle phrase 'listening to...' need not be included)
(b) Answer: Priya locked the ticket office and walked down towards the jetty

Question 2

(a) B1 Although the waves grew steeper beyond the headland (cao)
(a) Answer: Although the waves grew steeper beyond the headland
(b) B1 Marcus kept the boat steady (cao)
(b) Answer: Marcus kept the boat steady

Question 3

B1 C) Complex sentence
Answer: C

Question 4

(a) B1 which had carried passengers across the strait for almost forty years (cao)
(a) Answer: which had carried passengers across the strait for almost forty years
(b) B1 which (cao)
(b) Answer: which
(c) B1 who had been the skipper since Priya was a child (cao)
(c) Answer: who had been the skipper since Priya was a child
(d) B1 who (cao)
(d) Answer: who

Question 5

B1 B selected (non-defining relative clause giving extra information about the one ferry, marked off by commas in the source)
B1 C selected (non-defining relative clause giving extra information about Marcus, a named individual, marked off by commas in the source)
Answer: B and C are non-defining. A, D and E are defining relative clauses: they identify which gulls, which cabin and which crossing are meant, so removing them would leave the reference unclear, and none of them is marked off by commas in the source text.

Question 6

(a) B1 present participle clause (oe: -ing clause, perfect participle clause)
(a) Answer: present participle clause
(b) B1 past participle clause (oe: -ed clause)
(b) Answer: past participle clause
(c) B1 present participle clause (oe: -ing clause)
(c) Answer: present participle clause

Question 7

B1 identifies a straightforward effect, e.g. it establishes that the harbour has emptied of everyday visitors and it is now late/quiet (oe)
B1 develops this with reference to language/structure, e.g. the verb 'rattled' suggests noise fading into silence, marking the shift from the ordinary daytime world into Priya's solitary night shift before her name is even mentioned (oe)
Answer: Opening with this fronted clause establishes that the harbour has emptied of ordinary visitors and that it is now late and quiet; the verb 'rattled' suggests noise fading into silence, marking a shift from the everyday world into Priya's solitary night shift before she is introduced.

Question 8

B1 A
Answer: A

Question 9

B1 identifies that the clause functions as the direct object of 'knew' (it answers 'what did she know?'), occupying a noun's role in the sentence
B1 identifies that there is no specific noun directly before 'that' for the clause to describe, unlike a relative clause, which always modifies a preceding noun (oe)
Answer: The clause functions as the direct object of 'knew' (it answers 'what did she know?'), taking the place of a noun rather than describing one, and there is no specific noun immediately before 'that' for it to modify, which is what a relative clause would need to do.

Question 10

B1 an appropriate subordinating conjunction is used to join the two clauses (e.g. once, when, after, as soon as), oe
B1 resulting sentence is grammatically correct and correctly punctuated (comma after a fronted subordinate clause, or no comma if the subordinate clause is placed at the end), cao
Answer: Once the tide had turned, Marcus steered the ferry back towards the harbour.

Question 11

B1 correct relative pronoun used to replace the repeated noun (that/which)
B1 no commas used, since the clause is defining (it identifies which rope), and the sentence is grammatically correct, cao
Answer: The rope that was holding the smaller boat had frayed badly.

Question 12

B1 correct relative pronoun 'who' used to replace the repeated noun phrase
B1 correct comma placed before 'who' and after 'years' to mark the non-defining clause as extra information, cao
Answer: The harbour master, who had known Marcus for twenty years, waved from the quay.

Question 13

B1 correctly formed -ing non-finite clause replacing the first simple sentence (e.g. 'Checking her watch')
B1 correct comma placed after the fronted non-finite clause, with the subject of the main clause matching the implied subject of the participle, cao
Answer: Checking her watch, Priya hurried along the jetty.

Question 14

B1 relative clause 'who had watched over the harbour for decades' correctly embedded between the subject 'The lighthouse keeper' and the verb 'switched'
B1 correct pair of commas placed immediately before and after the embedded clause, cao
Answer: The lighthouse keeper, who had watched over the harbour for decades, switched on the beam.

Question 15

(a) B1 Although the waves grew rough, Marcus kept the boat steady (comma after the fronted clause), cao
(a) Answer: Although the waves grew rough, Marcus kept the boat steady.
(b) 1 mark identifies a straightforward effect, e.g. fronting the danger builds tension or suspense before the reader learns the outcome (oe)
(b) 1 mark develops this, e.g. delaying the reassurance of Marcus's control until after the threat is stated sharpens the contrast between danger and his calm competence (oe)
(b) Answer: Fronting the danger creates tension by making the reader confront the rough waves before learning that Marcus stays in control, sharpening the contrast between threat and his calm competence once the main clause arrives.

Question 16

B1 identifies the error as a comma splice: two main clauses are joined only by a comma
B1 gives a correctly punctuated rewrite, e.g. a full stop and capital letter, a semicolon, or a comma plus coordinating conjunction, oe/cao
Answer: The wind was rising fast, so Marcus checked the ropes one more time. (Also accept: 'The wind was rising fast; Marcus checked the ropes one more time.' or 'The wind was rising fast. Marcus checked the ropes one more time.')

Question 17

B1 identifies that 'Because the tide was turning' is a subordinate clause wrongly punctuated as a complete sentence (a sentence fragment)
B1 gives a correctly punctuated rewrite joining it to the main clause with a comma, cao
Answer: Because the tide was turning, Marcus called the crew back aboard.

Question 18

B1 identifies that 'which was over forty years old' is non-defining (there is only one ferry, so the clause only adds extra information) and so needs commas
B1 both commas correctly inserted, immediately before 'which' and immediately after 'old', cao
Answer: The ferry, which was over forty years old, rarely broke down.

Question 19

Level 0 (0): No accurate corrections made; errors remain uncorrected or new errors are introduced.
Level 1 (1-2): One or two errors corrected (e.g. the opening capital letter or one comma splice), with limited overall accuracy.
Level 2 (3-4): Most errors corrected, including at least one sentence-boundary fix and an attempt at the relative-clause commas, with generally secure punctuation.
Level 3 (5-6): All errors corrected accurately, demonstrating secure control of clause boundaries, embedded relative clauses and fronted subordinate clauses throughout.
Indicative content:
- Capital letter added for 'The' at the start of the sentence
- A pair of commas correctly added around the non-defining relative clause 'who had worked there for thirty years'
- The comma splice between 'calm sea' and 'he always checked' corrected with a full stop and capital 'He' (or a semicolon)
- The run-on between 'any boat left' and 'although the sky looked clear' corrected with a full stop and capital 'Although'
- A comma correctly added after the fronted subordinate clause 'Although the sky looked clear this morning', before 'something'
- Overall rewrite is fluent, grammatically accurate Standard English with correct clause boundaries throughout

Question 20

Level 1 (1-2): Simple, limited identification of clause types, with little or no use of subject terminology. Comments on effect, if present, are undeveloped.
Level 2 (3-4): Some relevant identification of clause types, with some use of subject terminology. Some attempt to comment on effect on the reader, with limited textual support.
Level 3 (5-6): Clear explanation of the writer's use of clause types, using relevant terminology accurately. Clear explanation of effect on the reader, supported by well-chosen textual detail.
Level 4 (7-8): Detailed and perceptive analysis of the writer's use of clause types, using sophisticated terminology precisely. Explores subtlety and the shift in mood in depth, with sustained textual support.
Indicative content:
- The fronted adverbial clause 'Although the waves grew steeper beyond the headland' opens with concession and danger, delaying the reassurance that follows and building tension before the main clause arrives.
- The short, simple main clause 'Marcus kept the boat steady' provides a controlled, confident contrast to the longer, more complex clauses surrounding it, mirroring his composure.
- The present participle clause 'correcting the wheel with small, unhurried movements' adds a calm, ongoing action alongside the main clause, reinforcing his quiet competence without a second full sentence.
- The long chain of non-finite and relative clauses describing Priya ('gripping the rail and trying not to think about the crossing that had capsized a smaller boat two winters before') interrupts the main action, structurally embodying her spiralling anxiety through its length and complexity.
- The shift to direct speech and the participle clause 'grinning as though the weather were nothing more than a light drizzle' deflates the built-up tension with humour, the casual comparison ('a light drizzle') undercutting the danger just described.
- Overall, the contrast between short, simple main clauses and long, subordinated or non-finite clause chains maps directly onto the shift from danger to reassurance across this section.

Question 21

AO5: Content and organisation (AO5)
- Level 1 (1-2): Simple description of the journey and weather; little sense of a controlled narrative voice or organisation.
- Level 2 (3-4): Some relevant, engaged description of the sudden weather; an attempt at a consistent narrative voice; ideas are mostly sequenced clearly.
- Level 3 (5-6): Clear, engaging and convincing description of the journey and weather in a consistent, well-judged narrative voice; well organised with a genuine sense of atmosphere.
AO6: Technical accuracy (range of clause types) (AO6)
- Level 1 (1): Limited accuracy; the four required clause types are mostly missing or used incorrectly.
- Level 2 (2-3): Most of the four required clause types are present and mostly accurate, with occasional errors.
- Level 3 (4): All four required clause types are present, clearly identified and used accurately and effectively, alongside a controlled range of other sentence forms.

Question 22

Content and organisation (AO5)
- Level 1 (1-3): Simple, limited vocabulary. Simple structure, sometimes unclear. Little or no deliberate variation of clause structure for effect.
- Level 2 (4-6): Some attempt to vary sentence and clause structure for effect, with some success. Some evidence of organisation and control of atmosphere.
- Level 3 (7-8): Clear, controlled variation of clause structure to build atmosphere and control pace. Generally effective organisation across the response, with increasingly sophisticated vocabulary.
- Level 4 (9-10): Convincing and inventive variation of clause structure, deliberately shifting between short main clauses and longer, subordinated or non-finite clause chains to shape pace, tension and atmosphere throughout.
Technical accuracy (range and control of clause types) (AO6)
- Level 1 (1-2): Occasional accurate use of subordinate, relative or non-finite clauses. Simple sentence structures attempted, with limited variety.
- Level 2 (3-4): A reasonable range of fronted subordinate, relative and non-finite clauses used, mostly accurately punctuated, with some errors.
- Level 3 (5-6): A wide, controlled range of fronted subordinate, relative and non-finite clauses used accurately and precisely for effect, with consistently accurate punctuation of clause boundaries.

Complex Clause Analysis - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

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Y10.6 Complex Clause Analysis

The Last Ferry

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

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Question 9

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Question 12

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Question 22

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