ADJECTIVE
CLAUSE
What
Is an Adjective Clause? (with Examples)
When we
think of an adjective, we usually think about a single word used before a noun to modify its meanings (e.g., tall building, smelly cat, argumentative assistant). However, an adjective can also come in
the form of an adjective clause.
An adjective clause usually comes after the noun it modifies and is made up of several words which, like all clauses, will include a subject and a verb.
An adjective clause usually comes after the noun it modifies and is made up of several words which, like all clauses, will include a subject and a verb.
Examples
of Adjective Clauses
Here are
some examples of adjective clauses:
·
The
carpets which you bought last year have
gone moldy.
·
The
film which you recommended scared
the kids half to death.
·
The
follies which a man regrets most in his
life are those which he
didn't commit when he had the opportunity. (Helen Rowland, 1876-1950)
·
Bore:
a person who talks when you wish him to
listen.
The
Components of an Adjective Clause
An
adjective clause (which can also be called an adjectival clause or a relative
clause) will have the following three traits:
·
It
will start with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, that,
or which) or a relative adverb (when, where, or why).
(This links it to the noun it is
modifying.)(Note: Quite often, the relative pronoun can be omitted. However,
with an adjective clause, it is always possible to put one in. There is more on
this below.)
·
It
will have a subject and a verb.
(These are what make it a clause.)
·
It
will tell us something about the noun.
(This is why it is a kind of adjective)
The
Relative Pronoun Can Be Omitted
It is
common for the relative pronoun to be omitted. Look at these examples:
·
The
carpets which you bought last year have gone moldy. 
·
The
film which you recommended scared the kids half to
death.
·
The
follies which a man regrets most in his life are those which he
didn't commit when he had the opportunity. (Helen
Rowland, 1876-1950) 
(Helen
Rowland, 1876-1950)
Commas
or No Commas around an Adjective Clause?
The big
question with an adjective clause is whether to offset it with commas or not.
The rule is this:
·
Don't
use commas if your clause is essential; i.e., it is required to identify its
noun. (This is called a restrictive clause.)
·
Do
use commas if your clause is just additional information. (This is called a non-restrictive clause.)
This is a good test: If you would happily put brackets around it or delete it, then use commas.
Here is an example of a non-restrictive clause:
This is a good test: If you would happily put brackets around it or delete it, then use commas.
Here is an example of a non-restrictive clause:
·
My
brother, who claimed to have a limp, sprinted
after the bus.
(This clause is not required to identify My
brother. It is just additional information.)
·
My
brother (who claimed to have a limp) sprinted after the bus.
(As it's just additional information, you can
put it in brackets.)
·
My
brother sprinted after the bus.
(As it's just additional information, you can
even delete it.)
NOUN CLAUSE
What Are Noun Clauses?
(with Examples)
·
I like what I see.
·
I know that the tide is turning.
·
I've met the man who won the lottery.
(Not all agree this is a noun clause. See Note on the right.)
Compare the three examples
above to these:
·
I like cakes.
·
I know London.
·
I've met Madonna.
The words in bold are all nouns.
This shows that shaded clauses in the first three examples are functioning as
nouns, making them noun clauses.
Like any noun, a noun clause can be a subject, an object, or a complement.
In a sentence, a noun clause will be a dependent clause. In other words, a noun clause does not stand alone as a complete thought.
Like any noun, a noun clause can be a subject, an object, or a complement.
In a sentence, a noun clause will be a dependent clause. In other words, a noun clause does not stand alone as a complete thought.
Examples of Noun
Clauses
Here are some examples of
noun clauses:
·
A person
who trusts no one can't be trusted.
(Jerome Blattner)
(This noun clause is the subject of the sentence.)
(Not all agree this is a noun clause. See Note on the right.)
(Not all agree this is a noun clause. See Note on the right.)
·
That
he believes his own story is remarkable.
(Jerome Blattner)
(This noun clause is the
subject of the sentence. Be aware that starting a sentence with a noun clause
starting That is acceptable, but it grates on lots of people's
ears. As a result, many writers prefer to precede it with "The
fact…".)
·
Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he's
buying. (Fran Lebowitz)
(This noun clause is the direct object of ask.)
·
He knows all about art,
but he doesn't know what he likes.
(James Thurber, 1894-1961)
(This noun clause is the
direct object of know.)
·
It is even harder for
the average ape to believe that he has
descended from man. (H L Mencken, 1880-1956)
(This noun clause is the
direct object of believe.)
·
I never know how much of what I say is true. (Bette Midler)
(This noun clause is an object of a preposition.)
·
Man is what he eats. (Ludwig Feuerbach)
(This noun clause is a subject complement.)
·
My one regret in life is that I am not someone else. (Woody Allen)
(This noun clause is a
subject complement.)
·
An economist is a man who states the obvious in terms of the
incomprehensible. (Alfred A Knopf)
(This noun clause is a subject complement.)
(Not all agree this is a noun clause. See Note on the right.)
(Not all agree this is a noun clause. See Note on the right.)
