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Grade 9 · Reading

9th grade Use phrases and clauses to say it better worksheet

6 printable versionsChallenge Me10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

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Use phrases and clauses to say it better

Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Sentences

    [1] Dr. Alvarez studied the glacier for a decade. [2] She mapped its retreat. [3] The retreat exposed the lake that now supplies the town's water.

  2. Ari combines three sentences into one with a participial phrase and a relative clause. Which sentence is correct and keeps every detail?

    • Having studied the glacier for a decade, Dr. Alvarez mapped its retreat, which exposed the lake that now supplies the town's water.
    • Having studied the glacier for a decade, Dr. Alvarez mapped its retreat that now supplies the town's water, which exposed the lake.
    • Having studied the glacier for a decade, its retreat was mapped by Dr. Alvarez, which exposed the lake that now supplies the town's water.
    • Having studied the glacier for a decade, Dr. Alvarez mapped its retreat, which exposed the lake that once supplied the town's water.

  3. [1] Mr. Abernathy leads the harbor tour. [2] He is a retired ship captain. Bo edits a program for a harbor tour. The writer wants Mr. Abernathy's job in a short noun phrase beside his name. Which sentence does that?

    • Mr. Abernathy, who is a retired ship captain, leads the harbor tour.
    • Mr. Abernathy is a retired ship captain, he leads the harbor tour.
    • A retired ship captain, the harbor tour is led by Mr. Abernathy.
    • Mr. Abernathy, a retired ship captain, leads the harbor tour.

  4. Sentences

    [1] The Harlow lighthouse was built in 1884. [2] It is a stone tower. [3] Its beam still guides the evening ferries.

  5. Jun combines three sentences into one with an appositive and a participial phrase. Which sentence is correct and keeps every detail?

    • The Harlow lighthouse is a stone tower built in 1884, its beam still guides the evening ferries.
    • The Harlow lighthouse, a stone tower built in 1884, still guides the evening ferries with its beam.
    • Built in 1884, the evening ferries are still guided by the Harlow lighthouse, a stone tower.
    • The Harlow lighthouse still guides the evening ferries, a stone tower built in 1884, with its beam.

  6. [1] The drummer kept the beat. [2] His sticks blurred in the lights. Kira edits a concert review. The writer wants a vivid detail after the main clause, with no conjunction and no who or which. Which sentence does that?

    • The drummer kept the beat, his sticks were blurring in the lights.
    • The drummer kept the beat, his sticks blurring in the lights.
    • The drummer kept the beat. His sticks blurring in the lights.
    • The drummer, whose sticks blurred in the lights, kept the beat.

  7. Having read the instructions once, the experiment was started by the students, which were new to the lab. Luz edits a lab report. The draft has two modifier slips. Which revision fixes both and keeps every detail?

    • Having read the instructions twice, the students, who were new to the lab, started the experiment.
    • Having read the instructions once, the experiment was started by the students, who were new to the lab.
    • Having read the instructions once, the students, which were new to the lab, started the experiment.
    • Having read the instructions once, the students, who were new to the lab, started the experiment.

  8. Sentences

    [1] The relay team ran drills on the frozen track all winter. [2] The relay team gained speed. [3] The relay team qualified for the state meet in March.

  9. Milo combines three sentences into one with a participial phrase. Which sentence is correct and keeps every detail?

    • Running drills on the frozen track all winter, the relay team gained speed and qualified for the state meet in March.
    • Running drills on the frozen track all winter, the relay team gained speed and qualified for the state meet in April.
    • The relay team ran drills on the frozen track all winter, it gained speed and qualified for the state meet in March.
    • Running drills on the frozen track all winter, the state meet in March was qualified for by a faster relay team.

  10. [1] The late bus delayed the track team. [2] The bus runs to the airport. Noah edits a school notice. The writer wants the words that say which bus inside the noun phrase, with no commas. Which sentence does that?

    • The bus, running to the airport, delayed the track team.
    • Running to the airport, the track team was delayed by the bus.
    • The bus that runs to the airport. It delayed the track team.
    • The bus that runs to the airport delayed the track team.

  11. Walking through the gallery, a painting caught Ms. Ito's eye, she paused to read the label. Pia edits a museum blog post. The draft has two slips. Which revision fixes both and keeps every detail?

    • Walking through the gallery, Ms. Ito noticed a painting, she paused to read the label.
    • Walking through the gallery, a painting caught Ms. Ito's eye and she paused to read the label.
    • Walking through the gallery, Ms. Ito noticed a painting and paused to read the label.
    • Walking through the gallery, Ms. Ito noticed a statue and paused to read the label.

  12. Sentences

    [1] Mr. Haddad repairs vintage clocks. [2] He works in a shop on Maple Street. [3] The shop smells of oil and cedar.

  13. Ren combines three sentences into one with a relative clause. Which sentence is correct and keeps every detail?

    • Mr. Haddad works in a shop on Maple Street, which repairs vintage clocks and smells of oil and cedar.
    • Mr. Haddad repairs vintage clocks in a shop on Maple Street, the shop smells of oil and cedar.
    • Mr. Haddad, who repairs vintage clocks, works in a shop on Maple Street that smells of oil and cedar.
    • Mr. Haddad, who repairs vintage clocks, works in a shop on Maple Street that smells of oil and varnish.

  14. Draft

    To prepare for the audit, every receipt was sorted by the clerk, who handed the folder to the manager that was stamped urgent.

  15. Zee edits a school-office memo. The draft has two modifier slips. Which revision fixes both and keeps every detail?

    • To prepare for the audit, the clerk sorted every receipt and handed the manager the folder that was stamped urgent.
    • To prepare for the audit, the clerk sorted every receipt and handed the folder to the manager that was stamped urgent.
    • To prepare for the audit, every receipt was sorted by the clerk, who handed the manager the folder that was stamped urgent.
    • To prepare for the audit, the clerk sorted every receipt and handed the manager the folder that was stamped confidential.
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9th grade Use phrases and clauses to say it better worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Use phrases and clauses to say it better. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can bracket an appositive, a participial phrase, an absolute phrase or a relative clause and draw its arrow to the word or clause it tells about.
  • I can combine sentences with a named phrase or clause so the opening phrase points at the right noun and nothing is a comma splice or a fragment.
  • I can choose where an idea goes (main clause or phrase) and which group to use, so the sentence stresses what the writer wants.

Words to know

appositive: A noun phrase beside a noun that renames it (Dr. Patel, *an astronomer*, …)

participial phrase: A group built on an -ing or -ed word that describes a noun (*Stacked by the door*, the coats …)

absolute phrase: A noun plus an -ing or -ed word that tells about the whole clause (*Its sail hanging loose*, the boat …)

relative clause: A clause starting with who, whose, which or that that describes a noun

main clause: The part of the sentence that could stand alone; it carries the idea the sentence stresses

dangling modifier: An opening phrase whose noun after the comma is not the one doing the action

comma splice / fragment: Two full sentences joined by a comma alone / a group that cannot stand alone but ends with a period

Common mistakes

Your child called a group of words an appositive, a noun phrase that renames, when it was built another way; try asking: is this group built on a noun that renames the word beside it?

Your child called a group of words an absolute phrase when it did not have its own noun in front of the -ing or -ed word; try asking: does the group have a noun of its own?

Your child called a group of words a participial phrase when it had its own noun in front of the -ing or -ed word, or was built another way; try asking: which noun does the -ing or -ed word describe?

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with use phrases and clauses to say it better?

Your child called a group of words an appositive, a noun phrase that renames, when it was built another way; try asking: is this group built on a noun that renames the word beside it?

Are these 9th grade reading worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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