Core English 1.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

Adjectives: An adjective modifiers a noun. Modify means to change
a little. An adjective gives a little different meaning to a noun. An adjective describes or gives information about a noun. An adjective usually comes in front of a noun.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

Adjective Clauses: An adjective clause modifies a noun. An adjective clause
describes or gives information about a noun. An adjective clause follows a noun.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

Grammar Terminology: A clause is a structure that has a subject and a verb.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

There are two kinds of clauses: 1. An independent clause is a main clause. The Independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. 2. A dependent clause must be connected to an independent clause. The dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence. An adjective clause is a dependent clause.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

A Complex Sentence is a sentence containing an Independent Clause and a Dependent Clause. A Relative Clause is also known as a Dependent Relative Clause. A Relative Clause is also known as an Adjective Clause. Relative Clause and Adjective Clause is known as Dependent Clause.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

The woman whom I called gave me some information. The police officer who gave me directions was friendly. The waitress who served us dinner was friendly.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

The people whom I met at the party last night were very nice.
The woman whom I helped thanked me. I helped the woman who thanked me.

Mr. Polanski is a mechanic whom you can trust.

You can trust Mr. Polanski, who is a mechanic.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

A meteorologist is a person who studies weather phenomena. A person who studies weather phenomena is a meteorologist. A pilot is a person who flies an airplane. A person who flies an airplane is a pilot.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

I talked to a woman who was sitting next to me. The woman whom I talked to was sitting next to me.

The woman to whom I talked was sitting next to me.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

Using who, whom, and that in adjective clauses: who and that can be used as the subject of an adjective clause.

whom and that can be used as the object in an adjective

clause.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

Relative Pronouns as subject in the adjective clause: The man that answered the phone was polite. The man who answered the phone was polite. The students that came to class late missed the quiz. The students who came to class late missed the quiz.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

The woman that was feeding the pigeons had a sackful of

bread crumbs. = [bits] The woman who was feeding the pigeons had a sackful of bread crumbs. I like the barber that usually cuts my hair. I like the barber who usually cuts my hair.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

A subject pronoun cannot be omitted.

The man that lives next to me is friendly.

The man who lives next to me is friendly. The boy that is waiting for the bus is brave.

The boy who is waiting for the bus is brave.

A subject pronoun can be omitted when relative clause is written as present participial clause. [Reduced Adjective Clause] The man living next to me is friendly. The boy waiting for the bus is brave.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

An object pronoun can be omitted from an adjective clause. The man that I met was friendly. The man whom I met was friendly.
The man I met was friendly.

I didnt know any of the people that Bill invited to his party.
I didnt know any of the people whom Bill invited to his party. I didnt know any of the people whom Bill invited to his party.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

Using which and that in adjective clauses

Who and Whom refer to people. Which refers to things. That can refer to either people and things.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

The pill which I took made me sleepy. The pill that I took made me sleepy. The pill I took made me sleepy. The soup which I had for lunch was too salty. The soup that I had for lunch was too salty. The soup I had for lunch was too salty.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

Singular and Plural Verbs in Adjective I know the man who is sitting over there. The verb in the adjective clause (is) is singular because who refers to a singular noun, man. I know the people who are sitting over there. The verb in the adjective clause (are) is plural because who refers to a plural noun people.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

Using Prepositions in Adjective Clauses Whom, Which, and That can be used as the object of a preposition in an adjective clause. In very formal English, a preposition often comes at the beginning of an adjective clause. The preposition is followed by either whom or which (not that) and the pronoun cannot be omitted.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

The movie which we went to was interesting. The movie that we went to was interesting. The movie we went to was interesting. The movie to which we went was interesting.

Adjective Clauses: Introduction

Using whose in adjective clauses

Whose shows possession. We can change his car to whose car to make an adjective clause. The man called the police. His car was stolen. The man whose car was stolen called the police. The man called the police whose car was stolen. [difference] We can change her brother to whose brother to make an adjective clause. I know a girl. Her brother is a movie star. I know a girl whose brother is a movie star.

Reference Azar, B. S. (1992). Fundamentals of English Grammar: (2nd Edition). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. pp. 309-318.