ADJECTIVE CLAUSES
Introduction
Adjective
clauses (or relative clauses) are a type of subordinate clause that act as
adjectives.
What
the meaning from adjective clause?
Adjectives is modify nouns and pronouns,
giving a description or more information. An adjective
clause is
simply a group of words with a subject and a verb that provide a description.
The clause starts with a pronoun such as who, whom, that, or which or an adverb
such as when, where and why.
Simple Adjectives
What is an adjective? It is a word that describes a noun. The
adjective can describe the color, size, weight, height, texture, etc. of the
noun it is describing.
|
I have a
car.
|
It
is red.
|
|
I have a red car.
My brother has two red cars.
|
1. Notice that adjectives describe nouns.
2. Notice that adjectives come before the noun--not after the noun.
3. Notice that adjectives do not change form. Do not add an
"s" if the noun is plural.
My brother has two reds cars.
Adjective Clauses
You know that a clause has a subject and a verb. When you have a
clause that is describing a noun, it is called an adjective clause.
Unlike the simple adjective, adjective clauses come after the noun they describe.
The boy who is crying doesn't want his mother to leave.
1. Notice that "who is crying" is describing the noun
"boy." It is an adjective clause.
2. The sentence is made up of two clauses:
The main clause = The boy doesn't want his mother to
leave.
The adjective clause = "who is crying"
(The boy is crying.)
There are several kinds of adjective clauses. The first kind we will study
is where the relative pronoun is the subject of the adjective clause. (The
relative pronouns = who, that, which, whose)
Adjective Clause: Subject (Person)
Let's look at pairs of sentences. The second sentence will be used to
describe a noun in the first sentence.
|
The man is
my father.
|
The man
has a red beard.
|
Ask yourself the following questions when you are trying to combine two
sentences.
- Which
two nouns are the same in each of the sentences?
|
The
man
|
The man
|
- Is
the noun in the second sentence in the subject or object position of the
sentence?
|
The noun
(the man) is in the subject
position of the second sentence.
|
|
- Is
the noun or pronoun a person, thing, possessive, place, or time?
|
The man is
a person.
|
|
- If
the noun is a person in subject position, use who or that.
|
who is
my father.
that is my father.
|
|
- Put
the adjective clause directly after the noun (or noun phrase) that you
are describing.
|
The
man who has a red beard is my
father.
The man that has a red beard is
my father.
|
2 possibilities
to give the same meaning.
|
Adjective Clause: Subject (Thing)
|
I live in
a house.
|
The house
is located on Beacon Hill.
|
- Which
two nouns are the same in each of the sentences?
|
a house
|
the house
|
- Is
the noun in the second sentence in the subject or object position of the
sentence?
|
The noun
(the house) is in the subject
position of the second sentence.
|
|
- Is
the noun or pronoun a person, thing, possessive, place, or time?
|
The house is a thing.
|
|
- If
the noun is a "thing" in subject position, use that or which.
|
that is
located on Beacon Hill.
which is located on Beacon Hill..
|
|
- Put
the adjective clause directly after the noun (or noun phrase) that you
are describing.
|
I live in
a house that is located on Beacon Hill.
I live in a house which is located
on Beacon Hill.
|
2 possibilities
to give the same meaning.
|
Adjective Clause: Object (Person)
|
I saw a
woman.
|
You met
her in Paris.
|
- Which
two nouns are the same in each of the sentences?
|
a
woman
|
her
|
- Is
the noun in the second sentence in the subject or object position of the
sentence?
|
The noun
( her) is in the object
position of the second sentence.
|
|
- Is
the noun or pronoun a person, thing, possessive, place, or time?
|
"Her" is a person.
|
|
- If
the noun is a person in object position, use whom, who
(informal), that, or nothing.
|
you
met whom in Paris
you met who in Paris
you met that in Paris
you met in Paris.
|
|
- Move
the relative pronoun (whom, who, that) to the beginning of the adjective
clause.
|
whom you
met in Paris
who you met in Paris
that you met in Paris
you met in Paris
|
|
- Put
the adjective clause directly after the noun (or noun phrase) that you are
describing.
|
I saw the
woman whom you met in Paris.
I saw the woman who you met in Paris.
(Informal)
I saw the woman that you met in Paris.
I saw the woman you met in Paris.
|
4 possibilities
to give the same meaning
|
Adjective Clause: Object (Thing)
|
The
building burned down.
|
We visited
it yesterday.
|
- Which
two nouns are the same in each of the sentences?
|
the
building
|
it
|
- Is
the noun in the second sentence in the subject or object position of the
sentence?
|
The noun
( it) is in the object
position of the second sentence.
|
|
- Is
the noun or pronoun a person, thing, possessive, place, or time?
|
"it" is a thing
|
|
- If
the noun is a thing in object position, use that, which,
ornothing.
|
we
visited that yesterday
we visited which in yesterday
we visited yesterday
|
|
- Move
the relative pronoun (whom, who, that) to the beginning of the adjective
clause.
|
that we
visited yesterday
which we visited yesterday
we visited yesterday
|
|
- Put
the adjective clause directly after the noun (or noun phrase) that you
are describing.
|
The
building that we visited yesterday burned
down.
The building which we visited yesterday burned
down.
The building we visited yesterday burned
down.
|
3 possibilities
to give the same meaning
|
Adjective Clause: Objects with Prepositions
|
The pen
ran out of ink.
|
I signed
the document with the pen.
|
- Which
two nouns are the same in each of the sentences?
|
the pen
|
the pen
|
- Is
the noun in the second sentence in the subject or object position of the
sentence?
|
The noun
( pen) is in the object position of
the second sentence.
|
|
- Is
the noun or pronoun a person, thing, possessive, place, or time?
|
"Pen" is a thing.
|
|
- Is
the noun in the second sentence after a preposition?
|
Yes, the
noun in the second sentence is after the preposition with .
|
Remember
prepositions are small words such as: to, in, at, by, for, to, of,
with, etc.
|
- Decide
if you want to move the preposition with the relative pronoun. If
you move the preposition, use preposition + which. Move the
preposition + which to the beginning of the adjective clause.
|
with which I signed the document
|
You can't
use "that" with a preposition.
Wrong: that which I signed
the document
|
- Put
the adjective clause directly after the noun (or noun phrase) that you
are describing.
|
1. The
pen with which I signed the document ran
out of ink.
|
When you
move the preposition to the beginning of the adjective clause, this is
usually more formal.
|
- If
you don't move the preposition, then use that, which,
ornothing. Leave the preposition at the end of the adjective
clause.
|
2. The
pen which I signed the document with ran
out of ink.
3. The pen that I signed the document with ran
out of ink.
4. The pen I signed the document with ran
out of ink.
|
4 possibilities
to give the same meaning
|
Adjective Clause: Object (Preposition + Person) - 5 possibilities
|
The person
is a liar.
|
You are
speaking about him/her.
|
- Which
two nouns are the same in each of the sentences?
|
the person
|
him/her
|
- Is
the noun in the second sentence in the subject or object position of the
sentence?
|
The
pronoun ( him/her) is in the object
position of the second sentence.
|
|
- Is
the noun or pronoun a person, thing, possessive, place, or time?
|
"him/her" is a person.
|
|
- Is
the noun in the second sentence after a preposition?
|
Yes, the
noun in the second sentence is after the preposition about.
|
Remember
prepositions are small words such as: to, in, at, by, for, to, of,
with, etc.
|
- Decide
if you want to move the preposition with the relative pronoun. If
you move the preposition, use preposition + whom. Move the
preposition + whom to the beginning of the adjective clause.
|
about whom you are speaking
|
You can't
use "that" with a preposition and you can't use "who"
after a preposition.
Wrong: that whom you are
speaking
Wrong: about who you are speaking
|
- Put
the adjective clause directly after the noun (or noun phrase) that you
are describing.
|
1. The
person about whom you are speaking is
a liar.
|
When you
move the preposition to the beginning of the adjective clause, this is
usually more formal.
|
- If
you don't move the preposition, then use whom, who, that, ornothing..
Leave the preposition at the end of the adjective clause.
|
2. The
person whom you are speaking about is
a liar.
3. The person who you are speaking about is
a liar. (less formal)
4. The person that you are speaking about is
a liar.
5. The person you are speaking about is
a liar.
|
5 possibilities
to give the same meaning
|
Adjective Clause: Possessive
Possessives: Dan's class, the people's choice, the boy's parents, the boys' parents, my, his, her, its, our, your, their
Remember: "It's" is not a possessive. It's = it is.
Its = possessive adjective
What are the school's requirements?
What are its requirements?
|
The woman
is crying.
|
Her dog is
dying.
|
- What
does "her" mean in the second sentence?
|
the woman's
|
|
- What
two nouns are the same?
|
the woman
|
the woman's
(her)
|
- Is
the second noun in subject or object position?
|
It is in
subject position.
|
|
- Is
the noun person, thing, or possessive?
|
It is
possessive.
|
|
- If
possessive, use whose + noun
|
The
woman whose dog is dying is
crying.
|
1
possibility
There is
no other possibility. You must always keep the "whose."
|
|
The girl
fainted.
|
The
photographer took her picture.
|
- What
does "her" mean in the second sentence?
|
the woman's
|
|
- What
two nouns are the same?
|
the girl's
|
the girl's
(her)
|
- Is
the second noun in subject or object position?
|
It is in
object position.
|
|
- Is
the noun person, thing, or possessive?
|
It is
possessive.
|
|
- If possessive,
use whose + noun
Put the adjective clause next to the noun it describes.
|
The
girl whose picture the photographer took fainted.
|
1
possibility
There is
no other possibility. You must always keep the "whose."
|
Example with "its"
|
Get me the
book.
|
Its title
is Gone with the Wind.
(The book's title)
|
|
Get me the book whose
title is Gone with the Wind.
|
Adjective Clause: Time
|
The day
was dark and rainy.
|
I left my
country then.
|
What does the "then" mean in the second sentence? It means on that day.
I left my country on that day.
- Which
two nouns are the same in each of the sentences?
|
the day
|
that day
|
- Is
there a preposition in front of the noun?
|
Yes, on that
day.
|
The word
"on" is a preposition.
|
- Is
the noun or pronoun a person, thing, possessive, place, or time?
|
"Day"
is a thing.
|
Use
"which" for things.
|
- Move
the preposition + which in front of the adjective
clause.
|
1. The
day on which I left my country was
dark and rainy.
|
|
- Notice
that you do not keep the preposition in these
other possibilities.
|
2.
The day which I left my country was
dark and rainy.
3. The day that I left my country was
dark and rainy.
4. The day I left my country was
dark and rainy.
5. The day when I left my country was
dark and rainy.
|
|
|
Prepositions
of time: at, in, on
Try to
memorize these preposition + which combinations:
The day on which...
The year in which...
The month in which...
The time at which... (clock time)
|
Adjective Clause: Place
|
The city
is beautiful.
|
I live
there.
|
What does "there" mean? It means in the city.
Prepositions of Place: at, in, on, under, below, above, around, from,
by, next to,
- Which
two nouns are the same in each of the sentences?
|
the city
|
the city
|
- Is
there a preposition in front of the noun in the second sentence?
|
Yes, in the
city
|
|
- Is
the noun or pronoun a person, thing, possessive?
|
It is a
thing.
A city is a thing.
|
|
- What
relative pronoun do you use for things?
|
which
|
|
- If
you move the preposition, use preposition + which. Move the
preposition + which to the beginning of the adjective clause and place
the adjective clause next to the noun that you are describing..
|
1. The
city in which I live is
beautiful.
|
|
- Notice
that with place, you must keep the preposition of place at the end of
the adjective clause.
|
2.
The city which I live in is
beautiful.
3. The city that I live in is
beautiful.
4. The city I live in is
beautiful.
|
When you
move the preposition to the beginning of the adjective clause, this is
usually more formal.
|
- However,
if you do not keep the preposition, the only choice is to use where.
|
5. The
city where I live is
beautiful.
The city where I live in is
beautiful.
|
5 possibilities
with place
Do not use
a preposition with where.
|
Another Example of Adjective Clause of Place
|
The street
is very narrow.
|
I
live there.
|
5 Possibilities
1. The street on which I live is very narrow.
2. The street which I live on is very narrow.
3. The street that I live on is very narrow.
4. The street I live on is very narrow.
5. The street where I live is very narrow.
Adjective Clauses
Take
a look at this sentence:
The happy woman danced
across the street.
Happy is an adjective modifying the noun woman.
It
is telling us which woman.
Which
woman? The happy woman.
Now,
look at this sentence.
The woman who looks happy danced
across the street.
This
time, a whole clause is modifying the noun woman!
The
clause is still telling us which woman.
Which
woman? The woman who
looks happy.
This
clause is an adjective clause. It is a group of words with a subject and a
verb, and it is acting as one part of speech - an adjective.
There
are only five relative pronouns.
who, whom, whose, that, which
Here
are examples using these relative pronouns:
·
The person who made the
mess needs to clean it. (modifyingperson)
·
The girl whom you teach is
my sister. (modifying girl)
·
People whose cats shed need
to vacuum often. (modifying people)
·
This is the house that Jack
built. (modifying house)
·
The book which I had not read fell
on my head. (modifying book)
Relative
pronouns link the clause with the word that the clause is modifying.
Did
you notice that the noun that comes directly before the clause is the noun that
the clause is modifying?
The
cool thing about relative pronouns is that they also act as the subject,
object, or some kind of modifier within the adjective clause.
Let's
use this sentence as an example.
This is the house that Jack
built.
The
independent clause is This is the house. The relative clause is that Jack built. Notice that both clauses have a subject and a verb.
That is introducing the realtive clause. It is linking the
word house with
the whole clause.
That is also acting as the direct object within the clause.
Jack =
subject built =
verb that =
direct object
Look
at the sentence diagram, and it will help you see what I mean.
No Relative Pronoun?
Sometimes
the relative pronoun is missing from the relative clause.
Don't
fret!
You
can still have an adjective clause without the relative pronoun.
Here
is an example of a sentence with the relative pronoun that.
·
The instrument that I love is
the piano.
The
adjective clause is that I love.
Can
you think of how you could express that same idea without the relative pronoun?
·
The instrument I love is
the piano.
Now
the adjective clause is just the words I
love, but the word that is
implied. It's as if the sentence says:
·
The instrument (that) I
love is the piano.
Whenever
words are implied in a sentence, it is called an elliptical.
The
technical name for a missing relative pronoun is an elliptical relative pronoun.
If
you want to diagram the sentence, diagram the implied relative pronoun in
parenthesis.
Relative Adverbs
While
most of the time relative clauses are introduced by relative pronouns,
sometimes they are introduced by relative adverbs (where, when, why).
Here
are some examples. Notice that the clause is still modifying a noun.
·
This is the park where we
played.
·
Tuesday is the day when we
have pizza for dinner.
·
Our teacher told us the reason why we
study grammar.