:(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 clausesbecause in them, the relative
pronoun (the words introducing the clauses) are the
grammatical subjectsofthe clauses.
:Examples
1A 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
2We 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 theobject of the main sentence
.the man
3The 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 theclause, that
is the subject., and the clausemodifies the
subject ofthe main sentence: the new car.
4I 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 theclause, that
is the subject, but the clausemodifies the object
.of the main sentence: the new car
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:Special Notes
1Adjective 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 isparked outside
.belongs to Bob
2Do 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 isparked outside
.belongs to Bob
3The relative pronouns who and thatare used
.to refer to people, but who is more common
4The relative pronouns that and whichare
.used to refer to things, but that is more common
5The relative pronoun that cannot be used
in nonrestrictive clauses (which will be
.(explained later
6Adjective clauses are sometimes described
as dependent clauses because they make no
sense by themselves: they need the words of
the mainsentences to which they are attached
.in order to show complete thoughts
