Adjective (Relative) Clauses

• Clause – a group of related words containing a subject and verb.

• Independent Clause – a complete sentence; It contains the main subject and verb of a sentence. It can stand alone.

• Dependent Clause – not a complete sentence; It must be connected to an independent clause.

• Adjective Clause – a dependent clause that modifies a noun; It describes, identifies, or gives further information about a noun.

o There are two types of adjective clauses: those that identify (restrictive adjective clauses) and those that just give additional information (nonrestrictive adjective clauses)

▪ Restrictive adjective clauses specify which noun or what kind of noun the speaker is referring to.

In the South Pacific, islanders use tattooing instruments that are made of wood and bone.

▪ Nonrestrictive adjective clauses give additional information about the noun – they don’t give information necessary to identify it. ***Commas are used to separate a nonrestrictive clause from the rest of a sentence.***

The Tahitian word tatau, which means “to tap,” is believed to be the root of the English word Tattoo.

Tattoos are applied with an electric tattoo machine, which injects ink through a very fine needle.

o Relative Pronouns – pronouns which are used in adjective clause to connect the dependent clause to the independent clause.

▪ Who – used for people (subject) ▪ Whom – used for people (object) ▪ Which – used for things ▪ That – used for both people and things

o Relative Determiners ▪ Whose – must be followed by a noun; replaces a human possessive adjective

o Relative Adverbs ▪ Where – replaces the phrase in that place; the name of a place, such as Washington; or there ▪ When – replaces the phrase at that time; the actual time, such as at 3 o’clock; or then.

• The relative pronoun comes directly after the noun it modifies.

Why use adjective clauses?

• Adjective clauses can be used to combine sentences that would otherwise be too short or choppy. The relative pronoun comes directly after the noun it modifies. o EX: Tattoos are applied with an electric tattoo machine. The tattoo machine injects ink through a very fine needle. ( Tattoos are applied with an electric tattoo machine which injects ink through a very fine