UCI Extension

Paper-Based TOEFL Workshop

Reduced Clauses
Structure and Written Expression Skills 13-14
Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL Test
Tutorial prepared by Marla Yoshida

Review: Adjective clauses and adverb clauses

These sentences contain adjective clauses. They give more
information about a noun.
The students [who are waiting for the bus] are impatient.
The cheesecake [that my sister baked] wasnt very good.
These sentences contain adverb clauses. They answer the
questions: When? Why? How? Where?
Please wash your hands [before you eat].
Ann became a doctor [because she wanted to help people].
[If its all right with you], Ill sit in this chair.

Reduced adjective clauses

Both of these types of clauses can sometimes be reduced, or
shortened. We can take some words out, and the remaining
words still have the same meaning.
Lets look at adjective clauses first. For example:
The students [who are waiting for the bus] are impatient.
adjective clause

The students [who are waiting for the bus] are impatient.
The students [waiting for the bus] are impatient.
reduced adjective clause

Both of these sentences have the same meaning.

3

How do we reduce an adverb clause?

If the adjective clause has a be verb in it (either just be or be
as a helping verb), then we take out the subject and the be
verb. We keep the connector word (the conjunction).
[While they were at the mall], they bought some shoes.
While at the mall, they bought some shoes.
If the adjective clause does not have a be verb in it, then we
take out the subject and change the verb to the ing form.
We keep the connector word.
[After I had finished my work], I took a nap.
After finishing my work, I took a nap.

When can we reduce an adjective clause?

We cannot reduce all adjective clausesonly some of them. How do we
know if we can reduce an adjective clause or not?
1.

If who, which, or that is the subject of the clausethat is, if the

adjective clause connector is followed directly by its verb
The students [who are waiting for the bus] are impatient.
S
V

2. And if who, which, or that refers to the same person or thing as the
subject of the main clause
Same people
The students [who are waiting for the bus] are impatient.
Then we can reduce the clause:
The students [waiting for the bus] are impatient.

How do we reduce an adjective clause?

If the adjective clause has a be verb in it (either just be or be
as a helping verb), then we take out the adjective clause
connector and the be verb.
All the food [which was eaten by the king] was delicious.
All the food [eaten by the king] was delicious.
If the adjective clause does not have a be verb in it, then we
take out the adjective clause connector and change the verb
to the ing form.
The tenants [who live in this apartment] are mostly quiet.
The tenants [living in this apartment] are mostly quiet.

Reducing restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses

Review: An adjective clause with no commas is called a
restrictive adjective clause. We need the information to
understand what the whole sentence is about. The adjective
clause restricts, or limits, the number of things that the sentence
is talking about.
#1. Cities [that have many parks] are good places to live.
(Not all citiesjust the ones that have many parks)

Reducing restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses

Review: An adjective clause with commas is called a
nonrestrictive adjective clause. We dont need the information in
the clause to understand which thing the sentence is talking
about. The adjective clause just gives us extra information.
#2. Irvine, [which has many parks] , is a good place to live.
(Theres only one Irvinethats the one we mean.)

Sometimes you can move the reduced clause.

When we reduce a nonrestrictive adjective clause (the kind
that has commas), we can move the clause to the beginning of
the sentence. (It takes its comma with it.)
Irvine, [which is a very safe city] , is a good place to live.
Irvine, [which is a very safe city] , is a good place to live.
Irvine, a very safe city , is a good place to live.
OR
A very safe city, Irvine is a good place to live.

And sometimes you cant move it.

When we reduce a restrictive adjective clause (the kind that
has no commas), the reduced clause has to stay in its
original position.
Cities [that have many parks] are good places to live.
Cities having many parks are good places to live.
BUT NOT
Having many parks cities are good places to live

Dont make this mistake!

Remember that the reduced clause must describe the subject of the main
clause. Sometimes we hear mistakes like this:
Walking down Main Street, the trees were beautiful.
This is a problem because it implies that the trees were walking. (Trees
is the subject of the main clause.)
Covered with ice cream, we thought the pie was delicious.
This implies that we were covered with ice cream. (We is the subject of
the main clause.) (If we actually were covered with ice cream this
sentence would be OK. You never know.)
In real life, people sometimes say sentences like these, but theyre not
accepted on the TOEFL or by careful writers or teachers. In real life,
people are not always careful. On the other hand, the people who write
TOEFL questions are very, very careful.

Reduced adverb clauses

We can also reduce adverb clauses. For example:
[When you are waiting for a bus], you need to be patient.
adverb clause

When waiting for a bus, you need to be patient.

reduced adverb clause

Both of these sentences have the same meaning.

When can we reduce an adverb clause?

We cannot reduce all adverb clausesonly some of them.
How do we know if we can reduce an adverb clause or not?
If the subject of the adverb clause refers to the same person or
thing as the subject of the main clause
[When you are waiting for a bus], you need to be patient.
Same
people

Then we can reduce the clause:

When waiting for a bus, you need to be patient.

When can we reduce an adverb clause?

Before we decide if we can reduce an adverb clause, we also need
to know if its verb is active or passive.
These adverb clauses have verbs in the active voice:
[While they were at the mall], they bought some shoes.
You should be careful [when you drive in the rain].
These have verbs in the passive voice:
[Although the painting was damaged], it was still beautiful.
Please show your passport [when you are asked to do so].
Why do we need to know this? Its because different adverb clause
connectors work in different ways, depending on whether the verb in
the clause is active or passive.

When can we reduce an adverb clause?

With some connectors, we can reduce the clause only if the verb
is active:
Active:
Before they went to the mall, they put on comfortable shoes.
Before going to the mall, they put on comfortable shoes.
Passive:
Before they were driven to the mall, they drank some coffee.
Before driven to the mall, they drank some coffee.

When can we reduce an adverb clause?

With other connectors, we can reduce the clause only if the
verb is passive:
Passive:
Keep the food in the refrigerator [until it is eaten].
Keep the food in the refrigerator until eaten.
Active:
Keep the food in the refrigerator [until we eat it].
Keep the food in the refrigerator until eating it.

When can we reduce an adverb clause?

For still other connectors, we can reduce the clause for both
active and passive verbs.
Active:
[Although he lived in a big city], he grew his own
vegetables.
Although living in a big city, he grew his own vegetables.
Passive:
[Although it was damaged], the painting was still beautiful.
Although damaged, the painting was still beautiful.

Which connectors are in which group?

Only active. Clauses with these connectors can be reduced
only when the verb is active:
after
before
since
while
Only passive. Clauses with these connectors can be reduced
only when the verb is passive:
as
until
where
once
whenever
wherever
Both. Clauses with these connectors can be reduced with
both active and passive verbs.
although
though
when
if
unless
whether

Summary
In this section, you have learned about these things:
We can reduce an adjective clause, but not always.
With a be verb: Take out the connector and the be
verb.
With other verbs: Take out the connector and change
the verb to ing.
We can reduce an adverb clause, but not always.
With a be verb: Take out the subject and the be verb.
With other verbs: Take out the subject and change
the verb to ing.