Which group of words is used in the following sentence?

Since he didn't study, George failed the test.

Responses

gerund phrase
dependent clause
participial phrase
infinitive phrase

dependent clause

dependent clause

To identify the group of words used in the sentence "Since he didn't study, George failed the test," we should break down the sentence and analyze each option:

1. Gerund phrase: A gerund phrase contains a gerund, which is a verb form that functions as a noun. However, there is no gerund phrase present in the given sentence.

2. Dependent clause: A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. The sentence "Since he didn't study" could be considered a dependent clause, as it contains the subject "he" and the verb "didn't study" but does not express a complete thought.

3. Participial phrase: A participial phrase consists of a participle (a verb form that functions as an adjective) and its modifiers or complements. There is no participial phrase in the given sentence.

4. Infinitive phrase: An infinitive phrase is formed by an infinitive verb (to + base form of the verb) along with any modifiers or complements. In this sentence, there is no infinitive phrase.

Therefore, the correct answer is: dependent clause.