ADJECTIVE CLAUSE OR RELATIVE CLAUSE

ADJECTIVE CLAUSE OR RELATIVE CLAUSE

I: What is a clause?

A: Claue: A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb.

For Examples

She goes to school…

Mike is a teacher…

Jane and Joe work in an office…

B: 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.

For Examples

I have a good book.

She has a beautiful dress.

There is a lot of pictures on the wall.

C: Dependent Clause: A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be connected to an independent clause to make a complete sense.

For Examples

…that we need

…where you work

…who they are

D: 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.

For Examples

…that Mike is wearing

…which Mary bought

…whom we love very much

E: Adjective Clause Pronoun: An adjective clause uses pronouns to connect the dependent clause to the independent clause. The adjective clause pronouns are: who, whom, which, that, and whose. Adjective clause pronouns are also called relative pronouns.

Ii: How To Use The Relative Pronouns

+Who: it is used to replace a noun which is a person. It can be used as subject or object.

+Whom: it is used to replace a noun which is a person. It can only be used as an object.

+Whose: it is used to replace a possessive adjective that stands before a noun. It can be used as subject or object.

+That: it is used to replace a noun which is a person or a thing. It can be used as subject or object.

+Which: it is used to replace a noun which is a thing or an animal. It can be used as subject or object.

III: Functions Of The Relative Clause Pronouns:

1: Adjective clause pronouns used as the subject:

Definition: When a relative pronoun used as the subject of the verb, it stands before the verb.

...noun + relative pronoun + verb + (object)

For Examples

-That is a man. He is speaking English to an old lady.

That is a man who is speaking English to an old lady.

-I need the book. It is on the table.

I need the book which is on the table.

-John is a teacher. He can speak four languages.

John is a teacher that can speak four languages.

-That is a man. His son lives abroad.

That is a man whose son lives abroad.

2: Adjective clause pronouns used as the object of the verb:

Definition: When a relative pronoun used as the object of the verb, there is a subject + verb form after that relative pronoun.

…..noun + relative pronoun + subject + verb + (object)

For Examples

-Mike is an English teacher. We like him very much.

Mike is an English teacher who we like very much. or

Mike is an English teacher whom we like very much.

-That is the pencil. I need it.

That is the pencil which I need.

-Those are the shoes. Everybody wants them.

Those are the shoes that everybody wants.

-This is an old lady. I love her daughter.

This is an old lady whose daughter I love.

3: Adjective clause pronouns used as the object of the prepositions:

Definition: When the adjective clause pronoun used as the object of the preposition, there are two ways:

1: In the informal style, we put the preposition at the end of the sentence of the adjective clause.

…..noun + relative pronoun + subject + verb + (object) + prep

For Examples

-She is the woman. I told you about her.

She is the woman who/whom I told you about.

She is the woman that I told you about.

She is the woman I told you about.

-The music was good. We listened to it last night.

The music which I listened to last night was good.

The music that I listened to last night was good.

The music I listened to last night was good.

2: In the formal style, we put the preposition before the relative pronoun.

…..noun + prep + relative pronoun + subject + verb + (object)

For Examples

-She is the woman. I told you about her.

She is the woman about whom I told you.

-The music was good. I listened to it last night.

The music to which I listened last night was good.

-The meeting was interesting. I went to it.

The meeting to which I went was interesting.

-The man was very kind. I talked to him yesterday.

The man to whom I talked yesterday was very kind.

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.

4: Using whose in the adjective clause:

Definition: Whose is used to show possession. It carries the same meaning as other possessive adjectives used as adjectives: his, her, its, and their. Like his, her, its and their, whose is connected to a noun. Both whose and the noun it is connected to are placed at the beginning of the adjective clause. Whose cannot be omitted. This relative pronoun can be used as subject and object.

A: As subject

…..noun + relative pronoun whose + noun + verb + (object)

For Examples

-I know the man. His bicycle was stolen.

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.

Mr. Catt has a painting whose value is inestimable.

B: As object of a verb

...noun + relative pronoun whose + noun + sub + verb

For Examples

-The people are nice. We visited their house.

The people whose house we visited are nice.

-The professor is excellent. I am taking her course.

The professor whose course I am taking is excellent.

5:Using where in adjective clause

Definition: 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.

…..noun (place) + where + sub + verb + (object)

For Examples

-The building is very old. He lives there (in that building).

The building where he lives is very old.

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 he lives in is very old.

6: Using when in adjective clause

Definition: When is used in an adjective clause to modify a noun of time (year, day, time,

century,…etc.).

…..noun (time) + when + sub + verb + (object)

For Examples

-I’ll never forget the day. I met then (on that day).

I’ll never forget the day when I met you.

I’ll never forget the day on which I met you.

I’ll never forget the day that I met you.

I’ll never forget the day I met you.

7: Using why in adjective clause

Definition: Why is used in an adjective clause to modify a noun of reason.

…..noun (reason) + why + sub + verb + (object)

For Examples

-That is the reason. The reason is that you hate me.

That is the reason why you hate me.

-Mike knows the reason. The reason is that his friends like him very much.

Mike knows the reason why his friends like him very much.

-Mary wants to find out the reason. The reason is that she has a lot of enemies.

Mary wants to find out the reason why she has a lot of enemies.

Note: The relative pronouns such as where, when, and why are sometimes called the relative adverbs because they don’t have functions as subject, or object like who, whom, that, whose, and which. Instead, they modify a noun such as place, time and reason like adverbs.

8: Using adjective clause to modify pronouns

Definition: Adjective clause can be used to modify indefinite pronouns such as someone, somebody, something, somewhere, anyone, anybody, anything, anywhere, no one, nobody, nothing, nowhere, this, these, that, those, the one, and the ones.

For Examples

-There is someone. I want to meet him.

There is someone who(m) I want to meet.

-Everything was pure nonsense. He said.

Everything (that) he said was pure nonsense.

Anybody is welcome. Anybody wants to come.

Anybody who wants to come is welcome.

Note: Object pronouns such as who, whom, that, and which are usually omitted in the adjective clause.

-Paula is the only one. She knows the answer.

Paula is the only one who knows the answer.

-Scholarships are available for those. They want financial assistance.

Scholarships are available for those who want financial assistance.

Note: In a very formal and uncommon style, we can also use an adjective clause to modify personal pronouns.

For Examples

-It is I who am responsible.

-He who laughs last laughs best.

-It is she who works in that company.

9: Using adjective clause to modify expressions of quantity

Definition: Adjective clause may contain an expression of quantity with of: some of, many of, most of, none of, two of, half of, both of, neither of, each of,  all of, several of, a few of, a little of, a number of, …etc.

For Examples

- In the class there are twenty students. Most of them are from the Far East.

In the class there are twenty students, most of whom are from the Far East.

 -He gave several reasons. Only a few of them were valid.

He gave several reasons, only a few of which were valid.

-The teachers discussed Jim. One of his problems was poor study habits.

The teachers discussed Jim, one of whose problems was poor study habits.

Note: Adjective clauses that begin with an expressions of quantity are more common in writing than speaking. Commas are used.

10: Using noun +  of which in adjective clause

For Examples

-We have an antique table. The top of it has jade inlay.

We have an antique table, the top of which has jade inlay.

-We bought a pair of shoes yesterday. The price of them are far from cheap.

We bought a pair of shoes yesterday, the price of which is far from cheap.

-I have an old desk. The legs of it are broken.

I have an old desk, the legs of which are broken.

11: Using which to modify whole sentence in adjective clause

Definition: Using which to modify the whole sentence is informal and occurs most frequently in spoken English. This structure is generally not appropriate in formal writing. The pronouns that and this can refer to the whole sentence which comes before.

For Examples

-Tom was late. That surprised me.

Tom was late, which surprised me.

-The elevator is out of order. This is too bad.

The elevator is out of order, which is too bad.

-Mrs. Anderson responded to my letter right away. I appreciated that very much.

Mrs. Anderson responded to my letter right away, which I appreciated very much.

12: Punctuating adjective clauses

A: Defining Adjective Clause: A kind of an adjective clause that is necessary to identify the nouns. Do not use a comma, if it is a defining adjective clause. The defining adjective clause can also be called “Essential Adjective clause, or Restrictive Adjective clause.

For Examples

-The professor is an excellent lecturer. He teaches chemistry 101.

The professor who teaches chemistry 101 is an excellent lecturer.

-That is a man. He can speak four languages very well. 

That is a man who can speak four languages very well.

-This is a boy. He goes to school every weekday.

This is a boy who goes to school every weekday.

-Mary is a beautiful girl. I love her very much indeed.

Mary is a beautiful girl whom I love very much.

B: Non-defining Adjective Clause: A kind of an adjective clause which simply gives additional information and is not necessary to identify the noun. We use a comma, if it is a non-defining adjective. A non-defining adjective clause is also called a nonessential adjective clause, or non-restrictive adjective clause.

Note: Non-defining adjective clauses are more common in writing than speaking.

For Examples

-Professor Wilson is an excellent lecturer. He teaches Chemistry 101.

Professor Wilson, who teaches Chemistry 101, is an excellent lecturer.

-That is Mrs. Wang. She comes from China.

That is Mrs. Wang, who comes from China.

-I know Mr. John. His son has a job in the United States.

I know Mr. John, whose son has a job in the United States.

Note:

1: We use commas, if the adjective clause add more information to a proper noun.

For example:

-Hawaii is a favorite vacation spot. It consists of eight principal islands.

Hawii, which consists of eight principal islands, is a favorite vacation spot.

-Mrs. Smith does volunteer work at the hospital. She is a retired teacher.

Mrs. Smith, who is a retired teacher, does volunteer work at the hospital.

2: We use commas, when we talk about things, people or animals as a whole.

For example:

We took some children on a picnic. The children ran to an open field as soon as we arrived at the park. They wanted to play soccer.

We took some children on a picnic. The children, who wanted to play soccer, ran to an open field as soon as we arrived at the park.

3: We use commas, when we talk about something that there is only one.

For example:

-He gave me the letter, which was in a blue envelope. (Non-defining clause: There was only one letter, it happened to be blue. You must use which).

Non-defining clauses can be introduced by expressions like all of or many of followed by the relative pronoun.

Person, we use “whom”	Thing, we use “which”
all of, any of, some of, a few of, both of, each of, either of, half of, many of, most of, much of, none of, one of, two of, etc.

For examples

-There were a lot of people at the party, many of whom I had known for years.

-There are 14 girls in my class, a few of whom are my friends.

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