Adjective clauses, often known as relative clauses, are a sort of dependent clause that describes or modifies nouns, similar to particular person adjectives do. Like all clauses, adjective clauses include a topic and a verb. You can determine adjective clauses as a result of they often start with a relative pronoun like that, which, or who.
Adjective clauses are frequent in English, however their guidelines can get a little bit tough. In this information, we clarify all the pieces you want to know to use adjective clauses appropriately and supply loads of adjective clause examples to present you the way they work.
Adjective clauses definition
All adjectives modify nouns. Sometimes adjectives are single phrases, like huge or lovely, however different instances they’re clauses with their very own topic and verb. Clauses that modify nouns are referred to as adjective clauses.
[ADJECTIVE:] Jabari caught a gigantic fish! [ADJECTIVE CLAUSE:] Jabari caught a fish, which was gigantic!Often referred to as relative clauses, adjective clauses are a sort of dependent clause that describes a noun, simply as a person adjective does. While regular adjectives are often only a single phrase or phrase, adjective clauses all the time include a topic and a verb and often embrace another phrases as nicely.
5 guidelines for creating an adjective clause: Examples
1
Adjective clauses begin with a relative pronoun
The motive adjective clauses are additionally referred to as relative clauses is as a result of they often start with relative pronouns.
The new restaurant, which simply opened final month, has already closed down.
I took my accomplice, who has by no means seen snow, on a ski journey.
Relative pronouns have many makes use of; in case you see one, it doesn’t all the time imply there’s an adjective clause. However, seeing a relative pronoun in a sentence means there is likely to be an adjective clause.
Relative pronouns generally used for adjective clauses embrace the next:
- that
- which
- who
- whom
- whose
- the place
- when
Additionally, the relative pronouns whoever, whomever, wherever, and whichever also can introduce adjective clauses, however these are a lot much less frequent than these within the record above.
We will take both a taxi or bus, whichever comes first.
Likewise, the relative pronoun why can often be used for adjective clauses, though this utilization is uncommon.
The film Annabelle is the rationale why I removed my doll assortment.
2
Adjective clauses want a topic and a verb
The primary trait of clauses is that they include each a topic and a verb. Adjective clauses aren’t any totally different, which means each should have its personal topic and verb.
My coach didn’t imagine that I received my first wrestling match.
In this instance, the topic of the adjective clause is I and the verb is received. Notice how these are totally different from the topic and verb of the impartial clause, that are my coach (topic) and imagine (verb).
Keep in thoughts that generally the topic of an adjective clause is the relative pronoun. All pronouns are a sort of noun, to allow them to act as a topic.
I would like a roommate who will not be afraid of spiders.
3
Adjective clauses are related to impartial clauses
Because adjective clauses are a sort of dependent clause, they should be related to an impartial clause to type an entire sentence. In different phrases, you can’t use adjective clauses alone.
4
Adjective clauses relate to nouns from the impartial clause
Adjective clauses modify nouns, which suggests they should be associated to one other noun outdoors the adjective clause. This noun might be a topic, direct object, prepositional object, or every other function for a noun.
She didn’t wake from the nap till 6 p.m., when the solar was setting.
In this adjective clause instance, the noun 6 p.m., which is the item of the preposition till, is modified by the adjective clause when the solar was setting.
5
Adjective clauses come after the noun
Unlike regular adjectives that often come earlier than the noun they modify, adjective clauses all the time come after it. This makes it pretty straightforward to determine which noun they modify.
The wealthy girl whose home we have been at wasn’t even residence.
This means that you may by no means begin a sentence with an adjective clause. However, you can begin a sentence with a noun clause—which might additionally start with a relative pronoun—so watch out you don’t combine them up.
[NOUN CLAUSE:] Whoever eats probably the most scorching canine will get the trophy. [ADJECTIVE CLAUSE:] The winner, whoever eats probably the most scorching canine, will get the trophy.How are adjective clauses utilized in writing?
Adjective clauses are by no means actually important, however they will enormously enhance your writing by including extra particulars. They are significantly helpful in specifying explicit or defining traits of the noun being described.
Jovan needed to see a horror film that wasn’t too scary.
In this adjective clause instance, the noun horror film will not be particular sufficient. Jovan doesn’t need to see any horror film; he needs to see solely a particular kind of horror film. We use the adjective clause that wasn’t too scary to modify the noun horror film and higher talk his choice.
Removing the relative pronoun in an adjective clause
Understand adjective clauses to this point? That’s good, as a result of we now have one other element to embrace.
Sometimes—however not all the time—you may take away the relative pronoun in an adjective clause and the sentence continues to be appropriate.
This is the guide that I used to be speaking about!
This is the guide I used to be speaking about!
Both of the above adjective clause examples are appropriate, however one is lacking the relative pronoun that. In sure conditions, you may eliminate the relative pronoun and the grammar continues to be appropriate.
When is it OK to take away a relative pronoun? If the relative pronoun acts as the topic within the adjective clause, you can’t take away it. Otherwise, it’s okay to drop it.
I met somebody whom you dated in highschool.
In this adjective clause instance, the relative pronoun whom is used as the item of the verb dated. The topic of the adjective clause is you; the topic is the doer of the motion, and on this case the pronoun you is doing the courting. Because the relative pronoun whom is used as an object, you may safely take away it.
Now let’s rephrase the adjective clause instance.
I met somebody who dated you in highschool.
In this new instance, the relative pronoun who is the topic. Because the topic is the doer of the motion, now who does the courting (who is a pronoun that represents the antecedent, somebody). Because the relative pronoun who acts as the topic, we can’t take away it.
There is a fast method to bear in mind when it’s OK to drop the relative pronoun in an adjective clause, and it really works more often than not. If the relative pronoun is instantly adopted by a verb, it’s in all probability the topic of the clause. That means we are able to’t take away it. If the phrase after the relative pronoun is a noun, then that noun might be the topic—which suggests we are able to take away the relative pronoun.
In our first instance, the relative pronoun whom was adopted by the noun you. It was secure to take away whom as a result of you was the topic. In our second instance, the relative pronoun who was adopted by the verb dated. This time who was the topic, so we couldn’t take away it.
Removing the relative pronoun is beneficial in order for you to make your writing shorter and extra energetic. It’s additionally significantly helpful in case you’re utilizing the phrase that as a demonstrative pronoun and a relative pronoun.
I hope that that was the final interruption.
In this instance, the primary that is used as a relative pronoun introducing the adjective clause. The second that is a demonstrative pronoun; it represents no matter “interruption” the speaker was speaking about. Because the second that is the topic of the adjective clause, we are able to safely take away the primary that because it’s not the topic.
I hope that that was the final interruption.
Removing the relative pronoun from an adjective clause is superior English. If you don’t really feel prepared or assured sufficient, don’t fear—you may all the time maintain the relative pronoun within the sentence in case you are uncertain about eradicating it.
Adjective clause vs. adverbial clause
Adjectives and adverbs are sometimes blended up. Both are phrase lessons that modify different phrases—the distinction is that adjectives modify nouns and adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and different adverbs.
As you may think about, adjective clauses and adverbial clauses (additionally referred to as adverb clauses) are additionally blended up. The distinction is, once more, that adjective clauses modify nouns and adverbial clauses modify verbs, adjectives, and different adverbs.
How are you able to inform an adjective clause other than an adverbial clause? Adverbial clauses don’t all the time begin with a relative pronoun. However, generally they do, in order that’s not a dependable technique to distinguish them.
Instead, concentrate on what the clauses describe. If it provides particulars to a noun, it’s an adjective clause. If it provides particulars to the verb, akin to explaining when or the place the motion came about, it’s an adverbial clause.
[ADVERBIAL CLAUSE:] We vacationed the place it was sunny. [ADJECTIVE CLAUSE:] We vacationed on the seashore, the place it was sunny.Adjective clause vs. adjective phrase
An adjective phrase is a bunch of phrases that work collectively as a single adjective, similar to an adjective clause does. The distinction is that adjective clauses have a topic and a verb, however adjective phrases don’t.
[ADJECTIVE PHRASE:] Easy and high-paying jobs are exhausting to discover. [ADJECTIVE CLAUSE:] Jobs which might be straightforward and high-paying are exhausting to discover.Adjective clause FAQs
What is an adjective clause?
Adjective clauses, often known as relative clauses, are a sort of dependent clause that describes or modifies nouns, similar to particular person adjectives do. Like all clauses, adjective clauses include a topic and verb. You can determine adjective clauses as a result of they often start with a relative pronoun like that, which, or who.
When is an adjective clause helpful?
Adjective clauses are most helpful when explaining the particular qualities of a noun. For instance, in case you say a film, that noun is simply too common and will imply something. If you say a film that isn’t too lengthy, the adjective clause that isn’t too lengthy makes it extra particular so you may talk higher.
What’s the distinction between an adjective clause and an adverbial clause?
The distinction between adjective clauses and adverbial clauses is identical because the distinction between adjectives and adverbs typically. Adjective clauses modify nouns, whereas adverbial clauses modify verbs, adjectives, and different adverbs.
