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Using Adjective Clauses
(#2):
Types of Adjective Clauses
Subject Pattern
Clauses
There are several types of
adjective (relative)
clauses, each
with its own
rules for form. One type is often referred to
as subject pattern
clauses
because
in them,
the relative
pronoun (the words introducing
the
clauses) are the
grammatical subjects
of
the clauses.
Examples:
| 1. |
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A man spoke to us. The man
was
wearing
a green suit. --->
A man who (that*) was wearing a green suit
spoke to us.
The sentence with
who has an adjective clause:
who
was wearing a green suit. In the clause,
who is the subject. The clause modifies
(describes,
explains, specifies)
the subject of
the sentence: a
man.
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| 2. |
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We
hadn't met the man. The
man was
wearing a green suit. --->
We hadn't met the man
who (that*) was
wearing a green suit.
Again, the sentence with
who
has an adjective
clause:
who was wearing
a green suit.
In
the clause,
who is again the
subject,
but the
clause modifies the
object of the main sentence:
the man.
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| 3. |
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The
new car is parked outside.
The new car
belongs to Bob. --->
The new car that (which*) is parked outside
belongs to
Bob.
The sentence with that
has an adjective clause:
that is parked outside. In the
clause, that
is the subject., and the clause
modifies the
subject of
the main
sentence: the new
car.
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| 4. |
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I
don't like the new car.
The new car is
parked outside. --->
I don't like the new car
that (which*) is
parked outside.
The sentence with that
has an adjective clause:
that is parked outside. In the
clause, that
is the subject, but the clause
modifies the object
of the main sentence: the new car.
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Special Notes:
| 1. |
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Adjective clauses come after the nouns that
they modify:
wrong: A man was wearing a green
suit
who spoke to us.
right: A man who was wearing a green
suit
spoke to us.
wrong: The new car belongs to Bob that
is
parked outside.
right: The new car that is
parked outside
belongs to Bob.
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| 2. |
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Do
not use both a subject
pronoun
and
a relative pronoun:
wrong: A man who he was wearing a
green
suit spoke to us.
right: A man who was wearing a green
suit
spoke to us.
wrong: The new car that it is parked
outside
belongs to Bob.
right: The new car that is
parked outside
belongs to Bob.
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| 3. |
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The
relative pronouns who and that
are used
to refer to people, but who is more
common. |
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| 4. |
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The
relative pronouns that and
which
are
used to refer to things, but
that is more
common. |
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| 5. |
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The
relative pronoun that cannot be
used
in nonrestrictive clauses (which will be
explained later). |
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| 6. |
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Adjective
clauses are sometimes described
as
dependent clauses because they make no
sense by
themselves:
they need the words of
the main
sentences to which they
are attached
in order to show complete thoughts. |
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