CHAPTER 3
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
An adjective clause is used to describe a noun:
The car, which was red, belonged to Young-Hee.
A relative pronoun is usually used to introduce an adjective clause:
Young-Hee, who is a Korean student, lives in Victoria.
The car, which was red, belonged to Young-Hee.
A relative pronoun is usually used to introduce an adjective clause:
Young-Hee, who is a Korean student, lives in Victoria.
The main
relative pronouns are:
Who: used for humans in subject position:
Hans, who is an architect, lives in Berlin.
Whom: used for humans in object position::
Marike, whom Hans knows well, is an interior decorator.
Which: used for things and animals in subject or object position::
Marike has a dog which follows her everywhere.
That: used for humans, animals and things, in subject or object position (but see below)::
Marike is decorating a house that Hans designed.
There are two main kinds of adjective clause:
Non-defining clauses: give extra information about the noun, but they are not essential:
The desk in the corner, which is covered in books, is mine.
(We don't need this information in order to understand the sentence. "The desk in the corner is mine" is a good sentence on its own -- we still know which desk is referred to. Note that non-defining clauses are usually separated by commas, and that is not usually used in this kind of context.)
Defining clauses: give essential information about the noun:
The package that arrived this morning is on the desk.
(We need this information in order to understand the sentence. Without the relative clause, we don't know which package is being referred to. Note that that is often used in defining relative clauses, and they are not separated by commas.)
Who: used for humans in subject position:
Hans, who is an architect, lives in Berlin.
Whom: used for humans in object position::
Marike, whom Hans knows well, is an interior decorator.
Which: used for things and animals in subject or object position::
Marike has a dog which follows her everywhere.
That: used for humans, animals and things, in subject or object position (but see below)::
Marike is decorating a house that Hans designed.
There are two main kinds of adjective clause:
Non-defining clauses: give extra information about the noun, but they are not essential:
The desk in the corner, which is covered in books, is mine.
(We don't need this information in order to understand the sentence. "The desk in the corner is mine" is a good sentence on its own -- we still know which desk is referred to. Note that non-defining clauses are usually separated by commas, and that is not usually used in this kind of context.)
Defining clauses: give essential information about the noun:
The package that arrived this morning is on the desk.
(We need this information in order to understand the sentence. Without the relative clause, we don't know which package is being referred to. Note that that is often used in defining relative clauses, and they are not separated by commas.)
Topic:
Adjective Clauses
Adjective clauses are adjectives. However, they look like sentences because they have verbs and nouns. Take a look at the following sentences with adjectives.
I love my new watch.
George gave me a leather wallet.
Elvis Presley was a famous singer.
She just bought a blue car.
All of the words in red are adjectives. They are describing the nouns (the words in blue).
Here are some more examples:
I just bought the you recommended book.
Frank is the taught me how to cook chef.
Snowmobiles are you can ride on the snow cars.
Notice that these adjectives have verbs (recommended, taught, and ride). In fact, these adjectives look like small sentences! In some languages, this grammar is correct. In English, however, the above 3 sentences are INCORRECT! The problem is that when the adjective has a verb (and looks like a small sentence), it canNOT be before the noun. When the adjective has a verb (like the above examples), they are placed AFTER the noun. In addition, these types of adjectives are called adjective clauses.
As we said above, adjective clauses are adjectives, but they look like sentences because they have verbs and nouns. Because they look like sentences, put the adjective clause after the noun. Like these:
I just bought the book you recommended.
Frank is the chef taught me how to cook.
Snowmobiles are cars you can ride on the snow.
THERE IS STILL A PROBLEM. When you use adjective clauses, you often need a word that connects the noun with the adjective clause. The word acts like glue and keeps the noun and the adjective clause together. This word is called the relative pronoun. For our purposes, let’s call it the RP (relative pronoun).
So, here are the rules:
If the NOUN is a then the RP is
person >> who or that
thing >> which or that
Using these rules, we get:
I just bought the book which you recommended.
-OR-
I just bought the book that you recommended.
Frank is the chef who taught me how to cook.
-OR-
Frank is the chef that taught me how to cook.
Snowmobiles are cars which you can ride on the snow.
-OR-
Snowmobiles are cars that you can ride on the snow.
Who, which, and that are just three RPs. There are more RPs (whom, whose), but they will be discussed in a later lesson.
Sometimes, you don’t need the RP. A good rule to remember: If the word after the RP is a verb, you must have the RP there. If the word after the RP is not a verb, you probably don’t need it.
Example:
I just bought the book that you recommended.
The word after the RP is you. You is not a verb. Therefore, the following sentence is also correct.
I just bought the book you recommended.
When the noun is a proper name (and begins with a capital letter), do NOT use that.
CORRECT Winston Churchill, who was the prime minister of England, is considered one of the greatest leaders of the 20th Century.
INCORRECT Winston Churchill, that was the prime minister of England, is considered one of the greatest leaders of the 20th Century.
Some adjective clauses are necessary in the sentence; some adjective clauses are not necessary, but they are used just to give extra information. When the adjective clause is NOT necessary, use commas. When the adjective clause IS necessary, don’t use commas.
Example:
Wine that is made in southern Italy is very expensive.
Here, the adjective clause (that is made in southern Italy) is necessary because if you take it out, the meaning of the sentence completely changes. Take a look:
Wine is very expensive.
You can see that the first sentence is specifically saying that wine from southern Italy is expensive. However, when you take out the adjective clause, the meaning becomes ALL wine is expensive. The meaning of these two sentences is very different. The difference is completely dependent on the adjective clause. Therefore, the adjective clause is NECESSARY. As a result, do not use commas.
In addition, when the adjective clause is not necessary at all (it just adds extra information), that is usually not used.
CORRECT The president of the company, who is a Harvard graduate, plans on retiring at the end of the month.
INCORRECT The president of the company, that is a Harvard graduate, plans on retiring at the end of the month.
Lastly, do not include the noun or use a pronoun that refers to the noun you are describing.
Example:
The concert was loud. I went to it.
CORRECT The concert that I went to was loud.
INCORRECT The concert that I went to it was loud.
The noun being described is concert. It refers to concert. Therefore, it is not used in the adjective clause (I went to).
Adjective clauses are adjectives. However, they look like sentences because they have verbs and nouns. Take a look at the following sentences with adjectives.
I love my new watch.
George gave me a leather wallet.
Elvis Presley was a famous singer.
She just bought a blue car.
All of the words in red are adjectives. They are describing the nouns (the words in blue).
Here are some more examples:
I just bought the you recommended book.
Frank is the taught me how to cook chef.
Snowmobiles are you can ride on the snow cars.
Notice that these adjectives have verbs (recommended, taught, and ride). In fact, these adjectives look like small sentences! In some languages, this grammar is correct. In English, however, the above 3 sentences are INCORRECT! The problem is that when the adjective has a verb (and looks like a small sentence), it canNOT be before the noun. When the adjective has a verb (like the above examples), they are placed AFTER the noun. In addition, these types of adjectives are called adjective clauses.
As we said above, adjective clauses are adjectives, but they look like sentences because they have verbs and nouns. Because they look like sentences, put the adjective clause after the noun. Like these:
I just bought the book you recommended.
Frank is the chef taught me how to cook.
Snowmobiles are cars you can ride on the snow.
THERE IS STILL A PROBLEM. When you use adjective clauses, you often need a word that connects the noun with the adjective clause. The word acts like glue and keeps the noun and the adjective clause together. This word is called the relative pronoun. For our purposes, let’s call it the RP (relative pronoun).
So, here are the rules:
If the NOUN is a then the RP is
person >> who or that
thing >> which or that
Using these rules, we get:
I just bought the book which you recommended.
-OR-
I just bought the book that you recommended.
Frank is the chef who taught me how to cook.
-OR-
Frank is the chef that taught me how to cook.
Snowmobiles are cars which you can ride on the snow.
-OR-
Snowmobiles are cars that you can ride on the snow.
Who, which, and that are just three RPs. There are more RPs (whom, whose), but they will be discussed in a later lesson.
Sometimes, you don’t need the RP. A good rule to remember: If the word after the RP is a verb, you must have the RP there. If the word after the RP is not a verb, you probably don’t need it.
Example:
I just bought the book that you recommended.
The word after the RP is you. You is not a verb. Therefore, the following sentence is also correct.
I just bought the book you recommended.
When the noun is a proper name (and begins with a capital letter), do NOT use that.
CORRECT Winston Churchill, who was the prime minister of England, is considered one of the greatest leaders of the 20th Century.
INCORRECT Winston Churchill, that was the prime minister of England, is considered one of the greatest leaders of the 20th Century.
Some adjective clauses are necessary in the sentence; some adjective clauses are not necessary, but they are used just to give extra information. When the adjective clause is NOT necessary, use commas. When the adjective clause IS necessary, don’t use commas.
Example:
Wine that is made in southern Italy is very expensive.
Here, the adjective clause (that is made in southern Italy) is necessary because if you take it out, the meaning of the sentence completely changes. Take a look:
Wine is very expensive.
You can see that the first sentence is specifically saying that wine from southern Italy is expensive. However, when you take out the adjective clause, the meaning becomes ALL wine is expensive. The meaning of these two sentences is very different. The difference is completely dependent on the adjective clause. Therefore, the adjective clause is NECESSARY. As a result, do not use commas.
In addition, when the adjective clause is not necessary at all (it just adds extra information), that is usually not used.
CORRECT The president of the company, who is a Harvard graduate, plans on retiring at the end of the month.
INCORRECT The president of the company, that is a Harvard graduate, plans on retiring at the end of the month.
Lastly, do not include the noun or use a pronoun that refers to the noun you are describing.
Example:
The concert was loud. I went to it.
CORRECT The concert that I went to was loud.
INCORRECT The concert that I went to it was loud.
The noun being described is concert. It refers to concert. Therefore, it is not used in the adjective clause (I went to).
Rules to Remember!
1. Adjective clauses are adjectives. However, they look like sentences because they have verbs and nouns. Adjective clauses are placed AFTER the noun they are describing.
Example:
The music that I listen to is rock and roll.
2. When you use adjective clauses, you often need a word that connects the noun with the adjective clause. The word acts like glue and keeps the noun and the adjective clause together. This word is called the relative pronoun.
When the noun is a person, use that or who.
When the noun is a thing, use that or which.
Example:
Cars which run on electricity are very efficient.
3. Sometimes, you don’t need the RP. A good rule to remember: If the word after the RP is a verb, you must have the RP there. If the word after the RP is not a verb, you probably don’t need it.
Example:
I just bought the book that you recommended.
The word after the RP is you. You is not a verb. Therefore, the following sentence is also correct.
I just bought the book you recommended.
4. When the noun is a proper name (and begins with a capital letter), do NOT use that.
Example:
Mount Everest, which is the highest mountain in the world, is very dangerous to climb.
5. Some adjective clauses are necessary in the sentence; some adjective clauses are not necessary, but they are used just to give extra information. When the adjective clause is NOT necessary, use commas. When the adjective clause IS necessary, don’t use commas.
6. In addition, when the adjective clause is not necessary at all (it just adds extra information), that is usually not used.
Example:
New York's Long Island, which is shaped like a fish, has a booming real estate market.
7. Do not include the noun or use a pronoun that refers to the noun you are describing.
Example:
The speech was too long. My friend gave it.
The speech which my friend gave was too long. (no it.)
1. Adjective clauses are adjectives. However, they look like sentences because they have verbs and nouns. Adjective clauses are placed AFTER the noun they are describing.
Example:
The music that I listen to is rock and roll.
2. When you use adjective clauses, you often need a word that connects the noun with the adjective clause. The word acts like glue and keeps the noun and the adjective clause together. This word is called the relative pronoun.
When the noun is a person, use that or who.
When the noun is a thing, use that or which.
Example:
Cars which run on electricity are very efficient.
3. Sometimes, you don’t need the RP. A good rule to remember: If the word after the RP is a verb, you must have the RP there. If the word after the RP is not a verb, you probably don’t need it.
Example:
I just bought the book that you recommended.
The word after the RP is you. You is not a verb. Therefore, the following sentence is also correct.
I just bought the book you recommended.
4. When the noun is a proper name (and begins with a capital letter), do NOT use that.
Example:
Mount Everest, which is the highest mountain in the world, is very dangerous to climb.
5. Some adjective clauses are necessary in the sentence; some adjective clauses are not necessary, but they are used just to give extra information. When the adjective clause is NOT necessary, use commas. When the adjective clause IS necessary, don’t use commas.
6. In addition, when the adjective clause is not necessary at all (it just adds extra information), that is usually not used.
Example:
New York's Long Island, which is shaped like a fish, has a booming real estate market.
7. Do not include the noun or use a pronoun that refers to the noun you are describing.
Example:
The speech was too long. My friend gave it.
The speech which my friend gave was too long. (no it.)
The Adjective Clause
Recognize an adjective clause when you see one.
An adjective clause—also called an adjectival or relative clause—will meet three requirements:
• First, it will contain a subject and verb.
• Next, it will begin with a relative pronoun [who, whom, whose, that, or which] or a relative adverb [when, where, or why].
• Finally, it will function as an adjective, answering the questions What kind? How many? or Which one?
The adjective clause will follow one of these two patterns:
relative pronoun or adverb + subject + verb
relative pronoun as subject + verb
Here are some examples:
Whose big, brown eyes pleaded for another cookie
Whose = relative pronoun; eyes = subject; pleaded = verb.
Why Fred cannot stand sitting across from his sister Melanie
Why = relative adverb; Fred = subject; can stand = verb [not, an adverb, is not officially part of the verb].
That bounced across the kitchen floor
That = relative pronoun functioning as subject; bounced = verb.
Who hiccupped for seven hours afterward
Who = relative pronoun functioning as subject; hiccupped = verb.
Avoid writing a sentence fragment.
An adjective clause does not express a complete thought, so it cannot stand alone as a sentence. To avoid writing a fragment, you must connect each adjective clause to a main clause. Read the examples below. Notice that the adjective clause follows the word that it describes.
- Diane felt manipulated by her beagle Santana, whose big, brown eyes pleaded for another cookie.
- Chewing with her mouth open is one reason why Fred cannot stand sitting across from his sister Melanie.
- Growling ferociously, Oreo and Skeeter, Madison's two dogs, competed for the hardboiled egg that bounced across the kitchen floor.
- Laughter erupted from Annamarie, who hiccupped for seven hours afterward.
Punctuate an adjective clause correctly.
Punctuating adjective clauses can be tricky. For each sentence, you will have to decide if the adjective clause is essential or nonessential and then use commas accordingly.
Essential clauses do not require commas. An adjective clause is essential when you need the information it provides. Look at this example:
- The vegetables that people leave uneaten are often the most nutritious.
Vegetables is nonspecific. To know which ones we are talking about, we must have the information in the adjective clause. Thus, the adjective clause is essential and requires no commas.
If, however, we eliminate vegetables and choose a more specific noun instead, the adjective clause becomes nonessential and does require commas to separate it from the rest of the sentence. Read this revision:
- Broccoli, which people often leave uneaten, is very nutritious.
Using Relative Pronouns
In each sentence, choose the correct relative pronoun to introduce the adjective clause.
Recognize an adjective clause when you see one.
An adjective clause—also called an adjectival or relative clause—will meet three requirements:
• First, it will contain a subject and verb.
• Next, it will begin with a relative pronoun [who, whom, whose, that, or which] or a relative adverb [when, where, or why].
• Finally, it will function as an adjective, answering the questions What kind? How many? or Which one?
The adjective clause will follow one of these two patterns:
relative pronoun or adverb + subject + verb
relative pronoun as subject + verb
Here are some examples:
Whose big, brown eyes pleaded for another cookie
Whose = relative pronoun; eyes = subject; pleaded = verb.
Why Fred cannot stand sitting across from his sister Melanie
Why = relative adverb; Fred = subject; can stand = verb [not, an adverb, is not officially part of the verb].
That bounced across the kitchen floor
That = relative pronoun functioning as subject; bounced = verb.
Who hiccupped for seven hours afterward
Who = relative pronoun functioning as subject; hiccupped = verb.
Avoid writing a sentence fragment.
An adjective clause does not express a complete thought, so it cannot stand alone as a sentence. To avoid writing a fragment, you must connect each adjective clause to a main clause. Read the examples below. Notice that the adjective clause follows the word that it describes.
- Diane felt manipulated by her beagle Santana, whose big, brown eyes pleaded for another cookie.
- Chewing with her mouth open is one reason why Fred cannot stand sitting across from his sister Melanie.
- Growling ferociously, Oreo and Skeeter, Madison's two dogs, competed for the hardboiled egg that bounced across the kitchen floor.
- Laughter erupted from Annamarie, who hiccupped for seven hours afterward.
Punctuate an adjective clause correctly.
Punctuating adjective clauses can be tricky. For each sentence, you will have to decide if the adjective clause is essential or nonessential and then use commas accordingly.
Essential clauses do not require commas. An adjective clause is essential when you need the information it provides. Look at this example:
- The vegetables that people leave uneaten are often the most nutritious.
Vegetables is nonspecific. To know which ones we are talking about, we must have the information in the adjective clause. Thus, the adjective clause is essential and requires no commas.
If, however, we eliminate vegetables and choose a more specific noun instead, the adjective clause becomes nonessential and does require commas to separate it from the rest of the sentence. Read this revision:
- Broccoli, which people often leave uneaten, is very nutritious.
Using Relative Pronouns
In each sentence, choose the correct relative pronoun to introduce the adjective clause.
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