Identify the Adjective Clause in the following sentence:
He met a boy who had a broken leg.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → who had a broken leg
An adjective is a word that describes a noun or a pronoun, for example a tall tree, the food is tasty.
Adjective clause:
- An adjective clause is a group of words with its own subject and verb that describes a noun, just as an adjective does.
- It usually begins with a relative pronoun: who, whom, whose, which, that.
- This sentence:
- "who had a broken leg" has a subject (who) and a verb (had).
- It tells us which boy he met, so it describes the noun boy.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: a broken leg — Incorrect. It is a noun phrase with no verb, the object inside the clause.
Option 2: met a boy — Incorrect. It is part of the main clause (the verb and its object), not a describing clause.
Option 3: he met — Incorrect. It is the subject and verb of the main clause. It describes no noun.
Contrast: an adjective clause has its own subject and verb and describes a noun. "A broken leg" is a noun phrase with no verb.