ADJECTIVE CLAUSES : INTRODUCTION
Terms :
clause : a clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb.
independent clause : an independent clause is a complete sentence. It contains the main subject and verb of a sentence. (It is also called a main clause.)
dependent clause : a dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be connected to an independent clause.
adjective clause : an adjective clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun. It describes, identifies, or gives further information about a noun. (an adjective clause is also called a relative clause.)
USING SUBJECT PRONOUNS :
WHO, WHICH, THAT
I thanked the woman.
She helped me.
↓
a. I thanked the woman who helped me.
b. I thanked the woman that helped me.
The book is mine.
It is on the table.
↓
c. The book which is on the table is mine.
d. The book that is on the table is mine.
NOTE :
In (a) : I thank the woman = an independent clause.
who helped me = an adjective clause.
The adjective clause modifies the noun woman.
in (a) : who is the subject of the adjective clause.
in (b) : that is the subject of the adjective clause.
Note: (a) and (b) have the same meaning.
who = used for people.
which = used for things.
that = used for both people and things.
TEST : Combine the two sentences. Use the second sentence as an adjective clause.
1. I saw the man. He closed the door. →
I saw the man {who/that} closed the door.
2. The girl is happy. She won the race.
3. The student is from China. He sits next to me.
4. The students are from China. They sit in the front row.
5. We are studying sentences. They contain adjective clauses.
6. I am using a sentence. It contains an adjective clause.
7. Algebra problems contain letters. They stand for unknown numbers.
8. The taxi driver was friendly. He took me to the airport.
USING OBJECT PRONOUNS :
WHO(M), WHICH,THAT
1. PRONOUN USED AS THE OBJECT OF A VERB
The man was Mr. Jones.
I saw Him.
↓
(e) The man who(m) I saw was Mr. Jones.
(f) The man that I saw was Mr. Jones.
(g) Ø I saw was Mr. Jones.
The movie wasn't very good.
We saw it last night.
↓
(h) The movie which we saw last night wasn't very good.
(i) The movie that we saw last night wasn't very good.
(j) The movie Ø we saw last night wasn't very good.
Notice in the examples:
The adjective clause pronouns are placed at the beginning of the clause. (General guideline: Place an adjective clause pronoun as close as possible to the noun it modifies.)
In (e): who is usually used instead of whom, especially in speaking. Whom is generally used only in very formal English.
In (g) and (j) : an object pronoun is often omitted from an adjective clause. (A subject pronoun, however, may not be omitted.)
who(m) = used for people
which = used for things.
that = used for both people and things.
TEST :
Combine the sentences, using the second sentences as an adjective clause. Give all the possible patterns.
1. The book was good. I read it.
2. I like the woman. I met her at the party last night.
3. I liked the composition. You wrote it.
4. The people were very nice. We visited them yesterday.
2. PRONOUN USED AS THE OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION
She is the woman.
I told you about her.
↓
(k) She is the woman about whom I told you.
(l) She is the woman who(m) I told you about.
(m) She is the woman that I told you about.
(n) She is the woman Ø I told you about.
The music was good.
We listened to it last night.
(o) The music to which we listened last night was good.
(p) The music which we listened to last night was good.
(q) The music that we listened to last night was good.
(r) The music Ø we listened to last night was good.
In very formal English, the preposition comes at the beginning of the adjective clause, as in (k) and (o). Usually, however, in everyday usage, the preposition comes after the subject and verb of the adjective clause, as in the other examples.
Note : If the preposition comes at the beginning of the adjective clause, only whom or which may be used. A preposition is never immediately followed by that or who.
TEST :
Combine the sentences, using the second sentence as an adjective clause. Give all the possible patterns.
1. The meeting was interesting. I went to it.
2. The man was very kind. I talked to him yesterday.
3. I must thank the people. I got a present from them.
4. The picture was beautiful. She was looking at it.
5. The man is standing over there. I was telling you about him.
USING WHOSE
I know the man.
His bicycle was stolen.
↓
(s) I know the man whose bicycle was stolen.
The student writes well.
I read her composition.
↓
The student whose composition I read writes well.
Mr. Catt has a painting. Its value is inestimable.
(u) Mr. Catt has a painting whose value is inestimable.
Whose is used to show possession. It carries the same meaning as other possessive pronouns used as adjectives : his, her, its, and their. Like his, her, its, and their, whose is connected to a noun:
his bicycle → whose bicycle.
her composition → whose composition.
Both whose and the noun it is connected to are placed at the beginning of the adjective clause. Whose cannot be omitted.
Whose usually modifies "People", but it may also be used to modify "things," as in (u).
TEST :
Combine the two sentences, using the second sentence as an adjective clause.
1. I apologized to the woman. I spilled her coffee.
2. The man called the police. His wallet was stolen.
3. I met the woman. Her husband is the president of the corporation.
4. The professor is excellent. I am taking her course.
5. Mr. North teaches a class for students. Their native language is not English.
6. I come from a Country. Its history goes back thousands of years.
7. The people were nice. We visited their house.
8. I live in a dormitory. Its residents come from many countries.
9. I have to call the man. I accidentally picked up his umbrella after the meeting.
10. The man poured a glass of water on his face. His beard caught on fire when he lit a cigarette.
USING WHERE
The building is very old.
He lives there (in that building).
(a) The building where he lives is very old.
(b) The building in which he lives is very old.
The building which he lives in is very old.
The building that he lives in is very old.
The building Ø he lives in is very old.
Where is used in an adjective clause to modify a place (city, country, room, house, etc).
If where is used, a preposition is not included in the adjective clause. If where is not used, the preposition must be included.
TEST :
Combine the sentences, using the second sentence as an adjective clause.
1. The city was beautiful. We spent our vacation there (in that city).
2. That is the restaurant. I will meet you there (at that restaurant).
3. The town is small. I grew up there (in that town).
4. That is the drawer. I keep my jewelry there (in that drawer).
USING WHEN
I'll never forget the day.
I met you then (on that day)
(c) I'll never forget the day when I met you.
(d) I'll never forget the day on which I met you.
(e) I'll never forget the day that I met you.
(f) I'll never forget the day Ø I met you.
When is used in an adjective clause to modify a noun of time (year,day, time, century,etc).
The use of a preposition in an adjective clause that modifies a noun of time is somewhat different from that in other adjective clauses: A preposition is used preceding which, as in (d). Otherwise, the preposition is omitted.
TEST :
Combine the sentences, using the second sentences as an adjective clause.
1. Monday is the day. We will come then (on that day).
2. 7:05 is the time. My plane arrives then (at that time).
3. 1960 is the year. The revolution took place then (in that year).
4. July is the month. The weather is usually the hottest then (in that month).
The movie wasn't very good.
We saw it last night.
↓
(h) The movie which we saw last night wasn't very good.
(i) The movie that we saw last night wasn't very good.
(j) The movie Ø we saw last night wasn't very good.
Notice in the examples:
The adjective clause pronouns are placed at the beginning of the clause. (General guideline: Place an adjective clause pronoun as close as possible to the noun it modifies.)
In (e): who is usually used instead of whom, especially in speaking. Whom is generally used only in very formal English.
In (g) and (j) : an object pronoun is often omitted from an adjective clause. (A subject pronoun, however, may not be omitted.)
who(m) = used for people
which = used for things.
that = used for both people and things.
TEST :
Combine the sentences, using the second sentences as an adjective clause. Give all the possible patterns.
1. The book was good. I read it.
2. I like the woman. I met her at the party last night.
3. I liked the composition. You wrote it.
4. The people were very nice. We visited them yesterday.
2. PRONOUN USED AS THE OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION
She is the woman.
I told you about her.
↓
(k) She is the woman about whom I told you.
(l) She is the woman who(m) I told you about.
(m) She is the woman that I told you about.
(n) She is the woman Ø I told you about.
The music was good.
We listened to it last night.
(o) The music to which we listened last night was good.
(p) The music which we listened to last night was good.
(q) The music that we listened to last night was good.
(r) The music Ø we listened to last night was good.
In very formal English, the preposition comes at the beginning of the adjective clause, as in (k) and (o). Usually, however, in everyday usage, the preposition comes after the subject and verb of the adjective clause, as in the other examples.
Note : If the preposition comes at the beginning of the adjective clause, only whom or which may be used. A preposition is never immediately followed by that or who.
TEST :
Combine the sentences, using the second sentence as an adjective clause. Give all the possible patterns.
1. The meeting was interesting. I went to it.
2. The man was very kind. I talked to him yesterday.
3. I must thank the people. I got a present from them.
4. The picture was beautiful. She was looking at it.
5. The man is standing over there. I was telling you about him.
USING WHOSE
I know the man.
His bicycle was stolen.
↓
(s) I know the man whose bicycle was stolen.
The student writes well.
I read her composition.
↓
The student whose composition I read writes well.
Mr. Catt has a painting. Its value is inestimable.
(u) Mr. Catt has a painting whose value is inestimable.
Whose is used to show possession. It carries the same meaning as other possessive pronouns used as adjectives : his, her, its, and their. Like his, her, its, and their, whose is connected to a noun:
his bicycle → whose bicycle.
her composition → whose composition.
Both whose and the noun it is connected to are placed at the beginning of the adjective clause. Whose cannot be omitted.
Whose usually modifies "People", but it may also be used to modify "things," as in (u).
TEST :
Combine the two sentences, using the second sentence as an adjective clause.
1. I apologized to the woman. I spilled her coffee.
2. The man called the police. His wallet was stolen.
3. I met the woman. Her husband is the president of the corporation.
4. The professor is excellent. I am taking her course.
5. Mr. North teaches a class for students. Their native language is not English.
6. I come from a Country. Its history goes back thousands of years.
7. The people were nice. We visited their house.
8. I live in a dormitory. Its residents come from many countries.
9. I have to call the man. I accidentally picked up his umbrella after the meeting.
10. The man poured a glass of water on his face. His beard caught on fire when he lit a cigarette.
USING WHERE
The building is very old.
He lives there (in that building).
(a) The building where he lives is very old.
(b) The building in which he lives is very old.
The building which he lives in is very old.
The building that he lives in is very old.
The building Ø he lives in is very old.
Where is used in an adjective clause to modify a place (city, country, room, house, etc).
If where is used, a preposition is not included in the adjective clause. If where is not used, the preposition must be included.
TEST :
Combine the sentences, using the second sentence as an adjective clause.
1. The city was beautiful. We spent our vacation there (in that city).
2. That is the restaurant. I will meet you there (at that restaurant).
3. The town is small. I grew up there (in that town).
4. That is the drawer. I keep my jewelry there (in that drawer).
USING WHEN
I'll never forget the day.
I met you then (on that day)
(c) I'll never forget the day when I met you.
(d) I'll never forget the day on which I met you.
(e) I'll never forget the day that I met you.
(f) I'll never forget the day Ø I met you.
When is used in an adjective clause to modify a noun of time (year,day, time, century,etc).
The use of a preposition in an adjective clause that modifies a noun of time is somewhat different from that in other adjective clauses: A preposition is used preceding which, as in (d). Otherwise, the preposition is omitted.
TEST :
Combine the sentences, using the second sentences as an adjective clause.
1. Monday is the day. We will come then (on that day).
2. 7:05 is the time. My plane arrives then (at that time).
3. 1960 is the year. The revolution took place then (in that year).
4. July is the month. The weather is usually the hottest then (in that month).