What is a Clause?

A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a verb. Clauses can sometimes stand alone as sentences or act as parts of sentences.

Types of Clauses:

1. Independent Clause (Main Clause)

• Can stand alone as a complete sentence.

• Example: She likes coffee.

2. Dependent Clause (Subordinate Clause)

• Cannot stand alone and depends on the main clause to make sense.

• Often introduced by subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if, when, etc.) or relative pronouns (who, which, that).

• Examples:
  • Because she was tired, she went to bed early.

  • The man who called you is waiting.

Adjective Clauses (Relative Clauses)

Definition

An adjective clause (also called a relative clause) is a dependent clause that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun in the main clause. It provides more information about the noun, functioning similarly to an adjective.

Structure of Adjective Clauses

• Usually introduced by relative pronouns:
  who, whom, whose, which, that

• Sometimes introduced by relative adverbs:
  where, when, why

Examples of Adjective Clauses

Relative Pronouns:

1. Who (used for people, subject)

• The teacher who lives next door is very kind.

• Students who study hard usually succeed.

1. Whom (used for people, object)

• The man whom you met yesterday is my uncle.

• She is the person whom I respect most.

1. Whose (shows possession)

• The girl whose phone rang left the room.

• I know a family whose house was damaged in the storm.

1. Which (used for animals and things)

• The book which you gave me is fascinating.

• The car which broke down is being repaired.

1. That (used for people, animals, or things; often in informal speech)

• The boy that won the race is very fast.

• I lost the keys that I found yesterday.

Relative Adverbs:

1. Where (refers to place)

• This is the house where I was born.

• The restaurant where we ate was excellent.

1. When (refers to time)

• I remember the day when we met.

• The year when she graduated was 2015.

1. Why (refers to reason)

• I don’t know the reason why he left.

• That is the reason why I’m upset.
  

More Examples of Adjective Clauses in Sentences

• The man who fixed my car is very skilled.

• I have a friend whose father is a doctor.

• The movie which won several awards is worth watching.

• She visited the town where her grandparents live.

• The moment when the bell rang was exciting.

• The teacher that helped me is very patient.

• The students whom the principal praised felt proud.

• The house that Jack built is famous.

• We stayed at a hotel which had a beautiful garden.

• The reason why they canceled the trip is unknown.

Reduced Adjective Clauses (Participle Phrases)

Sometimes, adjective clauses can be shortened by removing the relative pronoun and the verb be, especially when the verb is is or are. This is called a reduced adjective clause.

• The man who is standing there → The man standing there

• The books that are on the table → The books on the table

Examples:

• The students waiting outside are noisy.

• The car parked near the door belongs to my uncle.

Summary

• Adjective clauses add essential or extra information about a noun.

• They usually begin with relative pronouns or adverbs.

• They can be restrictive (necessary to identify the noun) or non-restrictive (extra information, usually set off by commas).