This document discusses adjective clauses and relative pronouns. It defines an adjective clause as a dependent clause that describes a noun, and provides examples of how two sentences about the same noun can be combined into one sentence using an adjective clause. It also explains that relative pronouns are used to create dependent clauses by replacing the noun in common between two sentences. The different types of relative pronouns that can be used depending on if the pronoun is replacing a subject or object are outlined.

2. ADJECTIVE CLAUSES

3. What is an Adjective?
• An Adjective describes a noun. Remember
nouns can either be subjects, objects, or objects of prepositions.
Which words are
adjectives?
 unkind
 fast
 value
 careless
 silently
 old
Which words are
adjectives?
 unkind
 fast
 value
 careless
 silently
 old

4. What is an Adjective Clause?
• An Adjective clause is a dependent clause
(dependent word + subject and verb) that
describes a noun.
• You can imagine that an adjective clause is
taking two sentences about the same noun and
making them into one sentence.
Examples:
Route 66 is a long road.
This road goes from Chicago to California.
Route 66 is a long road that goes from Chicago to
California.
Examples:
The postcard shows a beautiful vista of the Grecian coastline.
I bought the postcard.
The postcard which I bought shows a beautiful vista of the
Grecian coastline.

5. Examples:
Route 66 is a long road.
This road goes from Chicago to California.
Route 66 is a long road that goes from Chicago to California.
Subject Relative Pronouns
• We use relative pronouns to create dependent
clauses.
• The relative pronoun replaces the word in
common between the two sentences.
• Sometimes, the relative pronoun will be the
subject of the dependent clause.
Subject Relative Pronouns
People: Who or That
Things or Animals: Which or That
Possessive: Whose

6. Examples:
The postcard shows a beautiful vista of the Grecian coastline.
I bought the postcard.
The postcard which I bought shows a beautiful vista of the
Grecian coastline.
Object Relative Pronouns
• Sometimes, the relative pronoun will replace the
object in the dependent clause or the object of a
preposition.
• To connect this type of clause, the relative
pronoun must be moved to the front of the
clause – in front of the subject.
Object Relative Pronouns
People: Whom, Who or That
Things or Animals: Which or That
Possessive: Whose

7. Things to Remember
• The relative pronoun replaces the noun – don’t
use it and the noun in the dependent clause.
– Example:
• The postcard is pretty. I bought the postcard.
Incorrect: The postcard which I bought the postcard is pretty.
Correct: The postcard which I bought is pretty.
• The relative pronoun must be next to the word it
describes.
– Example:
• Incorrect: The sharks opened their mouths while they swam
by the boat which were full of sharp teeth.
• Correct: The sharks opened their mouths which were full of
sharp teeth while they swam by the boat.