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