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See The Sentence for definitions of sentence, clause, and dependent clause.
There are three basic types of dependent clauses: adjective clauses, adverb
clauses, and noun clauses. (Adjective clauses are also called relative
clauses.)
This page contains information about adjective clauses. Also see Adverb
Clauses and Noun Clauses.
1. You must have two clauses which contain a repeated noun (or pronoun, or
noun and pronoun which refer to the same thing). Here are two examples:
2. Delete the repeated noun and replace it with a relative pronoun in the
clause you want to make dependent. See C. below for information on relative
pronouns.
3. Move the relative pronoun to the beginning of its clause (if it is not already
there). The clause is now an adjective clause.
The book is on the table. + which I like
The man is here. + who wants the book
4. Put the adjective clause immediately after the noun phrase it modifies (the
repeated noun):
1. These are the most important relative pronouns: who, whom, that, which.
These relative pronouns can be omitted when they are objects of verbs.
When they are objects of prepositions, they can be omitted when they do not
follow the preposition.
WHO replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people. It cannot replace
nouns and pronouns that refer to animals or things. It can be the subject of a
verb. In informal writing (but not in academic writing), it can be used as the
object of a verb.
WHOM replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people. It cannot replace
nouns and pronouns that refer to animals or things. It can be the object of a
verb or preposition. It cannot be the subject of a verb.
THAT replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people, animals or things.
It can be the subject of a verb. It can also be the object of a verb or
preposition (but that cannot follow a preposition; whom, which, and whose
are the only relative pronouns that can follow a preposition).
2. The following words can also be used as relative pronouns: whose, when,
where.
WHOSE replaces possessive forms of nouns and pronouns (see WF11 and
pro in Correction Symbols Two). It can refer to people, animals or things. It
can be part of a subject or part of an object of a verb or preposition, but it
cannot be a complete subject or object. Whose cannot be omitted. Here are
examples with whose:
People who can’t swim should not jump into the ocean.
Billy, who couldn’t swim, should not have jumped into the ocean.
People who are living in glass houses should not throw stones. (clause)
People living in glass houses should not throw stones. (phrase)
Mary applied for a job that was advertised in the paper. (clause)
Mary applied for a job advertised in the paper. (phrase)