ADJECTIVE CLAUSE/RELATIVE CLAUSE
ADJECTIVE
CLAUSE/RELATIVE CLAUSE
INTRODUCTION
ADJECTIVE: A kind of word
that can be used to modify, describe or identify a noun.
CLAUSE:
A clause is a group of words containing at least a subject and a verb.
For Examples
-She goes to school…
-Mike is a teacher…
-Jane and Joe work in an office…
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE: An adjective
clause is a dependent clause that can be used to modify a noun. It describes,
identifies, or gives further information about a noun. It is preceded by a
relative pronoun. An adjective clause is also called a relative clause.
For Examples
-…that Mike is wearing
-…which Mary bought
-…whom we love very much
ADJECTIVE CLAUSE PRONOUN: An adjective clause
pronouns to connect the dependent clause to the independent clause. The
adjective clause pronoun are: who, whom, which, that, and whose. Adjective
clause is also called a relative clause.
HOW
TO USE THE RELATIVE PRONOUNS
+Who: Used to replace a noun/pronoun
which is a person. It can be a subject or an object.
+Whom: Used to replace a noun/pronoun
which is a person. It can only be used as an object.
+Whose: Used to replace a possessive
adjective that stands before a noun. It can be used as a subject or an object.
+That: Used to replace a noun which is a
person or a thing. It can be a subject or an object.
+Which: Used to replace a noun/pronoun
which is a thing or an animal. It can be used as a subject or an object.
1-ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
PRONOUNS (RELATIVE PRONOUN) FUNCTION AS A SUBJECT OF A VERB:
Def: When a relative
pronoun is 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.
-That
is John. He works in a bank
+That
is John. He works in a bank.
-John
is very happy. He is very rich.
+John,
who is very rich, is very happy.
-Mike
is from England. He is my uncle.
+Mike,
who is my uncle, is from England.
2-ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
PRONOUNS USED AS AN OBJECT OF A VERB
Def: when a relative
pronoun is 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 a 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 AN OBJECT OF A PREPOSISION
Def: When the
adjective clause pronoun is 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.
T-he man was very kind. I talked to him
yesterday.
+The man to whom I talked was very kind.
Note: If the
preposition comes at the beginning of the adjective clause, only whom or which
may be used. Apreposition is
never immediately followed by that or who.
4-USING WHO’S IN
THE ADJECTIVE CLAUSE?
Def: Whose is used
to show possession? It carries the same meaning as other possessive adjectives:
his, her, its, and there. Like his, her, its and there, 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.
1-As a 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.
2-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
talking her course.
+The professor whose course I am talking
is excellent.
5-USING WHEAR IN ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
Def: Where is used
in an adjective clause to modify a noun of place such as: city, country, room,
house…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
Def: When is used in
an adjective clause to modify a noun of time such as: year, day, time, and
century…etc.)
…..noun (time) + when + sub + verb +
(object)
For Examples
-I’ll never forget the day. I met you
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
Def: 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 about the
reason. The reason is that she has a lot of enemies.
+Mary wants to find out about 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
Def: 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, everyone, everybody,
everything, very where.
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
it.
+Everything (that) he said was pure
nonsense.
-Anybody is welcome. Anybody wants to
come.
+Anybody who wants to come is welcome.
Note: Object pronoun
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 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
Def: 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.
Note: Adjective clause
that begin with an expressions or quantity are more common in writing than
speaking. Commas are use.
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 are far from cheap.
11-USING WHICH TO
MODIFY WHOLE SENTENCE IN ADJECTIVE CLAUSE
Def: 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 CLAUSE
A-Defining
Adjective Clause: A
kind of an adjective clause that is necessary to identity 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 which can speak four
languages very well.
-This is a boy. He goes to school every
weekday.
+This is a boy which goes to school
every weekday.
-Mary is beautiful girl. I love her very
much indeed.
+Mary is 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 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 teachers Chemistry 101.
+Professor Wilson, who teachers
Chemistry 101, Is an excellent lecturer.
-That is Mrs. Wang. She comes from
China.
+That is Mrs. Wang, whose 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 modifies a proper noun.
For Examples
-Hawaii is a favorite vacation spot. It
consists of eight principal islands.
+Hawaii, 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.
Ex: 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 want 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.
Ex: 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 clause can be introduced
by expressions like all of or many of followed by the relative pronoun.
|
Ex: +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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