Understanding Adjective Clauses

1. Understanding Adjective Clauses Lesson 14 Joseph C. Blumenthal

2. We have studied adverb clauses—clauses that are used as adverbs. Now we turn our attention to the adjective clause. As its name suggests, an adjective clause is a clause that is used as an _______.

3. We have studied adverb clauses—clauses that are used as adverbs. Now we turn our attention to the adjective clause. As its name suggests, an adjective clause is a clause that is used as an adjective.

4. An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun. I just read an interesting article. The word interesting is an adjective because it modifies the noun _______.

5. An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun. I just read an interestingarticle. The word interesting is an adjective because it modifies the noun article.

6. I just read an interesting article. • I just read an article which interested me. The clause in sentence b does the same job as the adjective interesting in sentence a. The clause which interested me is therefore called an _______ clause.

7. I just read an interesting article. • I just read an article which interested me. The clause in sentence b does the same job as the adjective interesting in sentence a. The clause which interested me is therefore called an adjective clause.

8. I just read an article which interested me. Now look at just the adjective clause. Does it have a subject and a verb? (yes, no)

9. I just read an article which interested me. Now look at just the adjective clause. Does it have a subject and a verb? (yes, no)

10. I just read an article which interested me. Although the adjective clauses has a subject and a verb, does it make sense by itself apart from the sentence? (yes, no)

11. I just read an article which interested me. Although the adjective clauses has a subject and a verb, does it make sense by itself apart from the sentence? (yes, no)

12. A tree surgeon removed the dead branches. • A tree surgeon removed the branches that were dead. Both the adjective dead in sentence a and the adjective clause that were dead in a sentence b modify the noun ________.

13. A tree surgeon removed the dead branches. • A tree surgeon removed the branches that were dead. Both the adjective dead in sentence a and the adjective clause that were dead in a sentence b modify the noun branches.

14. A tree surgeon removed the deadbranches. • A tree surgeon removed the branches that were dead. The adjective dead in sentence a comes before the noun it modifies. The adjective clause that were dead comes (before, after) the noun it modifies.

15. A tree surgeon removed the deadbranches. • A tree surgeon removed the branches that were dead. The adjective dead in sentence a comes before the noun it modifies. The adjective clause that were dead comes (before, after) the noun it modifies.

16. It is easy to see why an adjective clause must come after the word it modifies. A tree surgeon removed the branchesthat were dead. If we put the adjective clause before the noun branches, which it modifies, the sentence would be very (smooth, clumsy).

17. It is easy to see why an adjective clause must come after the word it modifies. A tree surgeon removed the branchesthat were dead. If we put the adjective clause before the noun branches, which it modifies, the sentence would be very (smooth, clumsy).

18. In a previous lesson, you saw that an adverb clause can often be shifted from one position to another. I watched television after I studied. Can the adverb clause after I studied be moved to another position? (yes, no)

19. In a previous lesson, you saw that an adverb clause can often be shifted from one position to another. I watched television after I studied. Can the adverb clause after I studied be moved to another position? (yes, no)

20. The teacher scolded the little girl who wandered away from the group. Can the adverb clause who wandered away be moved to another position? (yes, no)

21. The teacher scolded the little girl who wandered away from the group. Can the adverb clause who wandered away be moved to another position? (yes, no)

22. An adjective clause must ALWAYS follow the noun or pronoun it modifies. Can the adjective clause ever come at the very beginning of a sentence? (yes, no)

23. An adjective clause must ALWAYS follow the noun or pronoun it modifies. Can the adjective clause ever come at the very beginning of a sentence? (yes, no)

24. The chair collapsed when I sat down. • I sat on the chair which was broken. In which sentence can the clause not be moved to another position? (a, b)

25. The chair collapsed when I sat down. • I sat on the chair which was broken. In which sentence can the clause not be moved to another position? (a, b)

26. The chair collapsed when I sat down. • I sat on the chair which was broken. Which sentence contains an adjective clause? (a, b)

27. The chair collapsed when I sat down. • I sat on the chair which was broken. Which sentence contains an adjective clause? (a, b)

28. The bank discharged the employee who gambled. • The bank discharged the employee because he gambled. In one sentence the clause can be shifted; in the other, it can’t. Which sentence contains the adjective clause? (a, b)

29. The bank discharged the employee who gambled. • The bank discharged the employee because he gambled. In one sentence the clause can be shifted; in the other, it can’t. Which sentence contains the adjective clause? (a, b)

30. There are only a small number of clause signals that generally start adjective clauses. who (whose, whom), which, that These adjective clause signals are (the same as, different from) those that start adverb clauses.

31. There are only a small number of clause signals that generally start adjective clauses. who (whose, whom), which, that These adjective clause signals are (the same as, different from) those that start adverb clauses.

32. while, when, as if, because, unless, although, etc. • who, (whose, whom), which, that Which group contains the clause signals that are used to start adjective clauses? (a, b)

33. while, when, as if, because, unless, although, etc. • who, (whose, whom), which, that Which group contains the clause signals that are used to start adjective clauses? (a, b)

34. I have a friend who raises tropical fish. The adjective clause who raises tropical fishmodifies the noun _____.

35. I have a friendwho raises tropical fish. The adjective clause who raises tropical fishmodifies the noun friend.

36. I have a friend who raises tropical fish. An adjective clause signal is nearly always a pronoun. This pronoun stands for the noun that the entire clause modifies. In the above sentence, the pronoun whostands for the noun _____.

37. I have a friend who raises tropical fish. An adjective clause signal is nearly always a pronoun. This pronoun stands for the noun that the entire clause modifies. In the above sentence, the pronoun whostands for the noun friend.

38. I have a friend who raises tropical fish. The noun that the adjective clause modifies and the pronoun who stands for are (the same word, different words).

39. I have a friend who raises tropical fish. The noun that the adjective clause modifies and the pronoun who stands for are (the same word, different words).

40. I have a friend who raises tropical fish. The pronouns that start adjective clauses are called relative pronouns because they relate (or connect) the adjective clause to the sentence. The clause signal who in the above sentence is called a ______ pronoun.

41. I have a friend who raises tropical fish. The pronouns that start adjective clauses are called relative pronouns because they relate (or connect) the adjective clause to the sentence. The clause signal who in the above sentence is called a relative pronoun.

42. I have a friend who raises tropical fish. The relative pronoun whostarts the adjective clause. It also stands for the noun _____, which the clause modifies.

43. I have a friend who raises tropical fish. The relative pronoun whostarts the adjective clause. It also stands for the noun friend, which the clause modifies.

44. I have a friend who raises tropical fish. In the above sentence the relative pronoun who is the subject of the verb _____.

45. I have a friend who raises tropical fish. In the above sentence the relative pronoun who is the subject of the verb raises.

46. Let’s take another look at the adjective clause signals. RELATIVE PRONOUNS: who, (whose, whom), which, that The student…essay wins receives a scholarship. Which relative pronoun would be appropriate in this sentence? _____

47. Let’s take another look at the adjective clause signals. RELATIVE PRONOUNS: who, (whose, whom), which, that The student…essay wins receives a scholarship. Which relative pronoun would be appropriate in this sentence? whose

48. The woman whose car we bumped was very angry. The adjective clause starts with the relative pronoun whose and ends with the word _____.

49. The woman whose car we bumped was very angry. The adjective clause starts with the relative pronoun whose and ends with the word bumped.

50. The woman whose car we bumped was very angry. The woman was very angry. When we omit the adjective clause, do we have a complete sentence remaining? (yes, no)