ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

A dependent clause used as an adjective within a sentence. Also known as an adjectival

clause or a relative clause.
An adjective clause usually begins with a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom, whose),
a relative adverb (where, when, why), or a zero relative.

An adjective clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun. It is possible to combine the
following two sentences to form one sentence containing an adjective clause:
The children are going to visit the museum.
They are on the bus.
The children who are on the bus are going to visit the museum.
| adjective clause |
In the sentence above, there are two other ways to write the sentence correctly using the
second sentence as the adjective clause.
The children that are on the bus are going to visit the museum.
The children
on the bus
are going to visit the museum.
Some other sentences can be combined into a sentence using adjective clauses in a variety of
ways, and they are all correct. Note the variety of ways in which the following two sentences
can be combined.

The church is old.

My grandparents were married there.
The church where my grandparents were married is old.
The church in which my grandparents were married is old.
The church which my grandparents were married in is old.
The church that my grandparents were married in is old.
The church my grandparents were married in is old.

There are two main kinds of adjective clause:

1. Non-defining clauses

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.
2. Defining clauses

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.
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.
You can combine two independent clauses to make one sentence containing an adjective
clause by following these steps:
1. You must have two clauses which contain a repeated noun (or pronoun, or noun and
pronoun which refer to the same thing). Here are two examples:
The book is on the table. + I like the book.
The man is here. + The man wants the book.
2. Delete the repeated noun and replace it with a relative pronoun in the clause you want to
make dependent. See C. below for information on relative pronouns.
The book is on the table. + I like which
The man is here. + who wants the book
3. Move the relative pronoun to the beginning of its clause (if it is not already there). The
clause is now an adjective clause.
The book is on the table. + which I like
The man is here. + who wants the book
4. Put the adjective clause immediately after the noun phrase it modifies (the repeated noun):
The book which I like is on the table.
The man who wants the book is here.

THE MAIN RELATIVE PRONOUN ARE:

Pronoun
Who

Use
used for humans in subject position

Example
Hans, who is an architect, lives in

Pronoun

Use

Example
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 Marike is decorating a house that
object position (but see below)
Hans designed.

Adjective clauses can often be reduced to phrases

The relative pronoun (RP) must be the subject of the verb in the adjective clause. Adjective
clauses can be reduced to phrases in two different ways depending on the verb in the
adjective clause.
1. RP + BE = 0
People who are living in glass houses should not throw stones. (clause)
People living in glass houses should not throw stones. (phrase)
Mary applied for a job that was advertised in the paper. (clause)
Mary applied for a job advertised in the paper. (phrase)
2. RP + OTHER VERB (not BE) = OTHER VERB + ing
People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.(clause)
People living in glass houses should not throw stones. (phrase)
Students who sit in the front row usually participate more. (clause)
Students sitting in the front row usually participate more. (phrase)
THE ADJECTIVE CLAUSE IN ENGLISH WILL FOLLOW:

Relative Pronoun [Functioning as Object of Verb] + Subject + Verb

This is the ball that I was bouncing.

Relative Adverb + Subject + Verb (possibly + Object of Verb)

That is the house where I grew up.
That is the house where I met her.

Relative Pronoun [Functioning as Subject] + Verb (possibly + Object of Verb)

That is the person who hiccuped.

That is the person who saw me.

Relative Pronoun [Functioning as Object of Preposition] + Subject + Verb (possibly + Object

of Verb) + Preposition
That is the person who(m) I was talking about.
That is the person who(m) I was telling you about.

Preposition + Relative Pronoun [Functioning as Object of Preposition] + Subject + Verb

(possibly + Object of Verb)
That is the person about whom I was talking.
That is the person about whom I was telling you.

Possessive Relative Pronoun + Noun [Functioning as Subject] + Verb (possibly + Object of

Verb)
That is the dog whose big brown eyes pleaded for another cookie.
That is the dog whose big brown eyes begged me for another cookie.

Possessive Relative Pronoun + Noun [Functioning as Object of Verb] + Subject + Verb

That is the person whose car I saw.