STRUCTURE II ( ADJECTIVE CLAUSE)

ADJECTIVE CLAUSES

Introduction

Clause                                   : A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb

Independent clause       : An indepedent clause is a complete sentence. It contains the main subject and verb of sentece.(it also called “a main clause”)

Dependent clause           : A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must be connected to an independent clause.

Adjective clause               :An adjective clause is a depedent clause that modifies a noun. It describes,identifies,or gives further information about a noun.(an adjective clause is also called “a relative clause”)

Adjective clause

Pronouns                            : An adjective clause uses pronouns to connect the dependent clause to the independent clause. The adjective clause pronouns are use who,whom,which,that,whose.(adjcetive clause pronouns are also called”relative pronouns”)

Adjective clause pronouns used as the subject

a.       I thanked the woman who helped me(i thanked the woman. She helped me.)

In (a) : i thanked the woman =an independent clause; who helped me= an adjective clause.

The adjective clause modifies the noun woman.

b.      I thanked the woman that helped me

In (a): who is the subject of the adjective clause.

In (b): that is the subject of the adjective clause.

Note: (a) and (b) have the same meaning.

c.       The book which is on the table.(the book is mine. It is on the table.)

d.      The book that is on the table is mine.

Who = used for people

Which = used for things

That = used for both people and things

Note: (c) and (d) have the same meaning.

e.      INCORRECT: the book is mine that is on the table

An adjective clause closely follows the noun it modifies.

Adjective clause pronouns used as the object of a verb

a.      The man who(m) i saw was Mr.Jones.(the man was Mr.Jones. i saw him)

In(a): who is usually used instead of whom, especially in speaking. Whom is generally used only formal english.

b.      The man that i saw was Mr.Jones

c.       The man Ø i saw was Mr.Jones.

In(c) and (f) : an object pronoun is often omitted from an adjective clause. (a subject pronoun,however, may not be omitted.)

d.      The movie which we saw last night wasn’t very good.(the movie wasn’t very good. We saw it last night.)

e.      The movie that we saw last night wasn’t very good.

f.        The movie Ø we saw last night wasn’t very good.

Who(m) = used for people

Which = used for things

That = used for both people and things

g.       INCORRECT: the man who(m) i saw him was Mr.Jones.

The man that i saw him was Mr.Jones.

The man i saw him was Mr.Jones.

In(g): the pronoun him must be removed . it is unnecesarry because who(m),that,or Ø functions as the object of the verb saw.

Adjective clause pronouns used as the object of a proposition

(a)   She is the woman about whom i told you.(she is the woman. I told you about her.

(b)   She is the woman who(m) i told you about

(c)    She is the woman that i told you about

(d)   She is the woman Ø i told you about

(e)    The music to which we listened last night was good.

(f)     The music which we listened to last night was good.

(g)   The music that we listened to last night was good.

(h)   The music Ø we listened to last night was good.

In very formal english,the preposition comes at the beginning of the adjective clause,as in(a) and(e). Usually,however,in everyday usage,the preposition comes after the subject and verb of the adjective clause, as in the other examples.

Note: if the preposition comes at the beginning of the adjective clause,only whom or which may be used. A preposition is never immediately followed by that or who.

Usual patterns of adjective clauses

(a)    USUAL  : i like the people who live next to me

LESS USUAL        : I like the people that live next to me

In everyday informal usage,often one adjective clause pattern is used more commonly than another. In(a): as a subject pronoun, who is more common than that

(b)   USUAL   : I like books plots

LESS USUAL        : I like bookswhich have good plots

In(b): as a subject pronoun that is more common than which

(c)    USUAL    : I like the people Ø i met last night

(d)   USUAL    : I liked the people the book Ø i read last week

In (c) and (d): object pronouns are commonly omittec especially in speaking.