Adjective Clauses

Clause Review

• A clause includes a subject and a verb.• Remember that a clause can be independent

or dependent.– Independent clauses don’t need help.– Dependent clauses need to be with an

independent clause.• Adjective Clauses are dependent clauses.

What’s an adjective clause?

• Just like an adjective, an adjective clause describes a noun.– Adjective clauses can help identify which noun.

(identifying clauses / restrictive clauses)The students who studied for the exam will probably pass.

– Adjective clauses can add more information about a noun.

(non-identifying clauses / nonrestrictive clauses)Sarah, who didn’t study for the exam, did not pass.

Relative Pronouns

• An adjective clause usually begins with a connecting word, known as a relative pronoun.

• Remember that a pronoun REPLACES a noun.

Relative Pronoun

Use

who person – subject

whom person – object

which thing – subject or object

that person or thing – subject or object

whose possessive (belonging to)

Step-by-Step

• Take two simple sentences that talk about the same noun:

The teacher has her own website.

She teaches grammar and writing.

Step-by-Step

• We’re going to make the second sentence the adjective clause, so replace the repeated noun/pronoun with the correct relative pronoun.

The teacher has her own website.

She teaches grammar and writing.who

HINT: “She” is a person and the subject of the second sentence.

Step-by-Step

• Now, the second simple sentence is an adjective clause.

• Place it immediately after the noun you’re describing.

The teacher who teaches grammar and writing has her own website.

HINT: The noun that we’re describing is “the teacher.”

Analysis

The teacher who teaches grammar and writing

has her own website.

main Subject

main Verb

Adjective Clause

subject verb

Step-by-Step 2

• Take two simple sentences that talk about the same noun:

The teacher has her own website.

I have her for Writing and Grammar 5.

Step-by-Step 2

• We’re going to make the second sentence the adjective clause, so replace the repeated noun/pronoun with the correct relative pronoun.

The teacher has her own website.

I have her for Writing and Grammar 5.whom

HINT: “Her” is a person and the object of the second sentence.

Step-by-Step 2

• If the adjective clause requires a connecting word (a relative pronoun), it needs to begin with it, so move it to the front.

The teacher has her own website.

whom I have for Writing and Grammar 5.

Step-by-Step 2

• Now, the second simple sentence is an adjective clause.

• Place it immediately after the noun you’re describing.

The teacher whom I have for Writing and Grammar 5 has her own website.

HINT: The noun that we’re describing is “the teacher.”

Analysis 2

The teacher whom I have for Writing and

Grammar 5 has her own website.

main Subject

main Verb

Adjective Clause

subject verb

Step-by-Step 3

• Take two simple sentences that talk about the same noun:

The teacher has a website.

It helps students practice their English.

Step-by-Step 3

• We’re going to make the second sentence the adjective clause, so replace the repeated noun/pronoun with the correct relative pronoun.

The teacher has a website.

It helps students practice their English.which

HINT: “It” is a thing and the subject of the second sentence.

Step-by-Step 3

• Now, the second simple sentence is an adjective clause.

• Place it immediately after the noun you’re describing.

The teacher has a website which helps students practice their English.

HINT: The noun that we’re describing is “a website.”

Analysis 3

The teacher has a website which helps students

practice their English.

main Subject main Verb

Adjective Clause

subjectverb

Step-by-Step 4

• Take two simple sentences that talk about the same noun:

The teacher has a website.

She often shows it to her students.

Step-by-Step 4

• We’re going to make the second sentence the adjective clause, so replace the repeated noun/pronoun with the correct relative pronoun.

The teacher has a website.

She often shows it to her students.which

HINT: “it” is a thing and the object of the second sentence.

Step-by-Step 4

• If the adjective clause requires a connecting word (a relative pronoun), it needs to begin with it, so move it to the front.

The teacher has a website.

which she often shows to her students.

Step-by-Step 4

• Now, the second simple sentence is an adjective clause.

• Place it immediately after the noun you’re describing.

The teacher has a website which she often shows to her students.

HINT: The noun that we’re describing is “the website.”

Analysis 4

The teacher has a website which she often

shows to her students.

main Subject main Verb

Adjective Clause

subject verb

that

• Note that for all of these examples, you could also use that as the connecting word:– The teacher that teaches grammar and writing has

her own website.– The teacher that I have for Writing and Grammar 5

has her own website.– The teacher has a website that helps students

practice their English.– The teacher has a website that she often shows to

her students.

Step-by-Step (one more time)

• Take two simple sentences that talk about the same noun:

The teacher teaches writing and grammar.

Her website has lots of English practice for all English skills.

Step-by-Step (one more time)

• We’re going to make the second sentence the adjective clause, so replace the repeated noun/pronoun with the correct relative pronoun.

The teacher teaches writing and grammar.

Her website has lots of English practice for all English skills.

whose

HINT: “Her” is a possessive. It shows that the website belongs to the teacher.

Step-by-Step (one more time)

• Now, the second simple sentence is an adjective clause.

• Place it immediately after the noun you’re describing.

The teacher whose website has lots of English practice for all English skillsteaches writing and grammar.

HINT: The noun that we’re describing is “the teacher.”

Analysis (one more time)

The teacher whose website has lots of English

practice for all English skills teaches writing and

grammar.

main Subject

main VerbAdjective Clause

subject verb