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GW3
Introduction to Adjective Clauses – Chapter 14 (p. 230)
A. What does an adjective do?
I met a talkative person.
What does an adjective clause do?
I met a person who is talkative.
B. Can an adjective clause stand alone as a complete sentence?
who is talkative
NOAn adjective clause is a dependent clause that describes a noun.
C. We use adjective clauses to combine two ideas in one sentence.
1. The woman is friendly. She lives next to me.
The woman who lives next to me is friendly.
2. The river is polluted. It flows through town.
The river which flows through town is polluted.
Sometimes, using an adjective clause can make our writing smoother. For example, which sounds best?
1. Lady Gaga is a popular singer. She wears crazy outfits.
2. Lady Gaga is a popular singer, and she wears crazy outfits.
3. Lady Gaga, who wears crazy outfits, is a popular singer.
Rules to Remember:
RULE: An adjective clause closely follows the noun it modifies.
The river is polluted. It flows through town.
The river which flows through town is polluted.
Incorrect: The river is polluted which flows through town.
GW3
Punctuation of Adjective Clauses (p. 232)
Look at the following sentences. Underline the adjective clauses and draw an arrow to the nouns they modify.
a. I like people who are respectful.
b. I like my GW3 students, who are respectful.
c. I like cities that have a lot of parks.
d. I like Portland, which has a lot of parks.
If we delete the adjective clause in these sentences, do we still know exactly who/what I’m talking about?
a. I like people.
b. I like my GW3 students.
c. I like cities.
d. I like Portland.
Which ones identify a noun? ___ and ___
Which ones give extra information about a noun? ___ and ___
Non-identifying (non-restrictive) clauses add “extra” information. Let’s look at some information about
Katie:
Katie can play the piano.
She also studied the guitar.
She likes many different kinds of music.
The noun, “Katie,” is clear, so the adjective clause just gives more information about her:
Katie, who studied the guitar, can also play the piano.
Katie, who likes many different kinds of music, can play the piano.
Rule: Use commas around the adjective clause that gives EXTRA (unnecessary) information about the noun.
Be careful! Don’t use that in non-identifying adjective clauses; only use which or who(m).
WRONG: Katie, that likes many different kinds of music, can play the piano.
Also! Don’t delete the pronoun in non-identifying adjective clauses.
WRONG: Ahmad, I helped with grammar, got a 100% on his test.
CORRECT: Ahmad, who(m) I helped with grammar, got a 100% on his test.
GW3
Identifying (restrictive) clauses are necessary to identify the noun:
A. I asked Abdullah to sing.
B. We have two Abdullahs in the class. Which one do you mean?
C. I mean the Abdullah who has a sister named Horiyah.
Important! Commas can change the meaning of a sentence:
My sister, who lives in Seattle, is outgoing. (This means I have only one sister)
My sister who lives in Seattle is outgoing. (This means I have more than one sister, but only the one in Seattle
is outgoing)
What does it mean?
1. a. The book which is on the floor is my grammar book.
b. The book, which is on the floor, is my grammar book.
2. a. The children, who love playing soccer, will go to the field after school.
b. The children who love playing soccer will go to the field after school.
There are some different kinds of adjective clauses:
1. Adjective clauses with subject relative pronouns (p. 234)
Look at the sentences. What word in (a) becomes “that” in (b)?
a. Psychology is a subject. Psychology really interests me.
b. Psychology is a subject [that really interests me ].
What relative pronouns can we use for people? ________ or ________
What relative pronouns can we use for things? ________ or ________
Fill in the verb form: I watch TV shows that (be) _________ about crimes.
RULE: the verb of the adjective clause agrees with the noun it modifies.
GW3
2. Adjective clauses with object relative pronouns (p. 236)
Look at the sentences. What word in (a) becomes “that” in (b)?
a. The students are hard-working. I teach them.
b. The students [that I teach ] are hard-working.
For people, use whom, who, or that. Which pronoun is the most formal?
For things, use which or that.
RULE: When the pronoun is an object, you can delete it.
The books were expensive. I bought them.
The books which I bought were expensive.
The books I bought were expensive.
RULE: Don’t repeat the pronoun at the end of the adjective clause.
Incorrect: The man who(m) I saw him was Mr. Jones.
Try it! Combine these two sentences by making the second one an adjective clause (there are many ways):
Eva is the writer. I met the writer. 
GW3
3. Adjective Clause Pronouns Used as the Object of a Preposition (p. 274)
Relative pronouns (who/m, that, which, whose) can be the object of a preposition:
He’s the businessman. I work for him. 
1. He’s the businessman for whom I work.
2. He’s the businessman whom I work for.
3. He’s the businessman who I work for.
4. He’s the businessman that I work for.
5. He’s the businessman I work for.