< Adjective Clauses

Adjective Clauses: Adjective Clauses (#4)

Dennis Oliver

Using Adjective Clauses (#4):
Types of Adjective Clauses

Object Pattern Clauses

In addition to subject-pattern adjective clauses, there are
also object-pattern ones. They have that name because
in them, the relative pronoun replaces the object of
the clause.

Examples

1.	The person called me. We met the person at Jack's party. ---> The person who(m) (that) we met at Jack's party called me. The sentence with who(m)* has an adjective clause: who(m) we met at Jack's party. In the clause, who(m) is the object, but the clause modifies (describes, explains, specifies) the subject of the sentence: the person.

2.	I enjoyed talking to the person. We met the person at Jack's party. ---> I enjoyed talking to the person who(m) (that) we met at Jack's party. Again, the sentence with who(m)* has an adjective clause: who(m) we met at Jack's party. Who(m) is still the object of the clause, but here, the clause modifies the object of the main sentence: the person.

3.	The trip was quite interesting. I took the trip last week. ---> The trip that (which) I took last week was quite interesting. The sentence with that* has an adjective clause: that I took last week. In the clause, that is the object and modifies the subject of the sentence: the trip.

4.	I enjoyed the trip. I took the trip last week. ---> I enjoyed the trip that (which) I took last week. The sentence with that* has an adjective clause: that I took last week. In the clause, that is still the object. The clause modifies the object of the sentence: the trip.

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Special Notes:

1.	Adjective clauses come after the nouns that they modify: wrong: The person called me who(m) we met at Jack's party. right:* The person who(m) we met at Jack's party called me. wrong: The trip was quite interesting that I took last week. right:* The trip that I took last week was quite interesting.

2.	Do not use both an object pronoun and a relative pronoun in an adjective clause: wrong: The person who(m) we met him at Jack's party called me. right:* The person who(m) we met at Jack's party called me. wrong: I enjoyed the trip that I took it last week. right:* I enjoyed the trip that I took last week.

3.	The relative pronouns whom and that are used to refer to people, but whom is more common. Also, whom is used mostly in writing and very formal speech, but who is used for both subjects and objects in everyday conversation and casual speech. The relative pronouns that and which are used to refer to things, but that is more common.

Adjective Clauses: Adjective Clauses (#4)

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