ESL 33A
Grammar Packet #5: Relative Clauses
Directions:
In each of the following sentences, circle each noun that you find. Then, underline each word or
phrase that describes, or modifies, the noun.
(1) While my hardworking mother prepared a sumptuous holiday feast for our enjoyment, which smelled
of all of my favorite foods, my older brother and I were playing an intense game of chess in the
brightly-lit living room, while my sleepy father, who had worked late the night before, read a threeday-old newspaper.
(2) My sister, hearing our noisy laughter from her room, where she had been listening to music, came to
watch our entertaining match.
(3) When the delicious smells from the kitchen became too tempting for us resist, we followed our
overactive noses to the warm kitchen, where my mother asked us to prepare for the soon-coming meal.
(4) The first dish served in this holiday meal was a heavenly-smelling, steaming soup, which reminded us
of the dull, hungry ache in our growling stomachs.
(5) By the end of the wonderfully satisfying meal, anticipated for so many days, we had full stomachs,
happy conversations, and warm memories that would give us smiles for many years to come.
Phrases like my hardworking mother consist of a noun and several words that describe the noun. Words like my
and hardworking are adjectives. Adjective can be one word, like the two just mentioned. However, phrases,
such as for our enjoyment in sentence (1) and clauses, such as who had worked late the night before in sentence (1)
also function as adjectives. Make a list below of the one-word adjectives, the adjective phrases, and the
adjective clauses you find in the sentences above:
One-word adjectives
Adjective phrases
Adjective clauses
hardworking
for our enjoyment
who had worked late the night before
For more information on adjectives and adjective order, see the page at the Capitol Community College website
(http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adjectives.htm).
R. Frank: ESL 33A: 1
ESL 33A
Grammar Packet #5: Relative Clauses
Adjective or Relative Clauses
Adjective clauses, also known as relative adjective clauses, are dependent clauses usually beginning with a
relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which or that) and modifying a noun. A relative pronoun, like other
pronouns, “takes the place of a noun”. In general, the pronouns who and that can refer to a person, while
which and that can refer to a “thing”.
Relative pronouns are also parallel to other pronouns in usage. Consider for example the following:
•
I have a new book. A friend gave the book to me. I really like my new book.
In these sentences, we have three forms of the same pronoun. I is used in the subject of the sentence; me is
used in object position, and my is a possessive adjective. Fill out the following chart for the following
personal and relative pronouns:
Subject
Object
Possessive adjective
I
we
she
he
they
me
my book
who
which
that
Note that while who has a possessive adjective form, which and that do not. These situations will be detailed
later. To test your knowledge of relative pronouns, try this quiz at the Capitol Community College website:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/which_quiz.htm.
Directions:
Choose the relative pronoun(s) that best complete each of the following sentences.
(1) The book __________ you told me about is really interesting.
(2) Do you know the woman __________ standing over there talking with your husband?
(3) The ESL teachers at PCC with __________ I am familiar are all very qualified and professional.
(4) I want to buy a new Blackberry cell phone with __________ I can send email messages to my friends
whenever I want.
(5) I have a friend __________ father is a famous painter.
R. Frank: ESL 33A: 2
ESL 33A
Grammar Packet #5: Relative Clauses
Four Steps for Making Relative (Adjective) Clauses
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Find repeated information in the two clauses.
Replace the repeated information with the appropriate relative pronoun (that, which, who, whom, or
whose).
Move the relative pronoun (and other necessary words) to the front of the relative clause.
Put the relative clause right after the noun that it modifies.
Directions:
Combine the following pairs of sentences by following the four steps above. Use the second
sentence to form the relative clause.
(1)
A best friend is a friend. This friend totally loves, supports, and trusts you.
(2)
There are many different kinds of relationships. These relationships can be considered friendship.
(3)
Having a friend is very important. This friend was an intimate part of our past.
(4)
Sometimes friends tell each other about books or movies. They love those books and movies.
(5)
With part-of-a-couple friends, we never see one of the people alone. We call these people our friends.
(6)
An acquaintance is a person. We are familiar with this person. But we don’t know him or her well.
(7)
A best friend is a friend. You can share the most intimate details of your life with this friend.
(8)
Convenience friends are people. We are friends with these people because our paths cross all the time.
R. Frank: ESL 33A: 3
ESL 33A
Grammar Packet #5: Relative Clauses
Directions:
(1)
Restate each sentence with a relative clause as two sentences.
Send me the report that is on the reading list.
Send me the report.
The report is on the reading list.
(2)
I’m excited about the new product that the company is selling.
(3)
Carol bought the shoes that were on sale.
(4)
The course that Allen took is no longer offered for credit.
(5)
The tomato which had been in the refrigerator for a week was inedible.
(6)
The person to whom the letter was addressed is no longer living.
Directions: If the sentence is correct, write a 3. If the sentence is written incorrectly, write an 2 and make corrections.
(1) They live in a building which it is very crowded.
(2) Her older sisters, who were all married, agreed to take care of her.
(3) Lagos was the largest city that which I visited at that time.
(4) People like action movies should see this one.
(5) Love may be defined as a spiritual feeling which includes concern, caring, and sharing.
(6) I live in Israel, which is one of the countries in the Middle East.
(7) In my opinion, a hero is someone who tries to help a person needs help.
(8) It is interesting to meet an American who his ideas are different from mine.
(9) The man who I saw him in the office was writing a letter.
(10) I talked about it with my friend who she lives near me.
R. Frank: ESL 33A: 4
ESL 33A
Grammar Packet #5: Relative Clauses
Restrictive vs. Non-restrictive relative clauses
Directions:
Consider the following situation, and then look at the sentences that follow.
Bill is the youngest of four children. In his birth family, he had two older brothers and an
older sister. His oldest brother is a doctor. He has three children, and he lives in Orange
County. Bill’s sister is an writer, and she lives in Boston. She has two daughters, and
three grandchildren. Bill’s other brother works as a financial planner. He is married and
lives in Sacramento, with his wife and four children. Bill’s parents are retired and live in
Pasadena.
(1) Bill’s brother (?) has children in college, in high school, and in middle
school.
(2) Bill’s brother (?) plays the mandolin and has been on several
recordings.
(3) Bill’s sister will retire next year.
(4) Bill’s brothers both lived abroad for several years.
(5) Bill’s nieces and nephews (?) often visit Bill’s parents.
(6) Bill’s parents like to travel, and they often visit their children and
grandchildren.
Note that in sentences (1) and (2), the meaning of brother is unclear. Because we know that Bill has two
brothers, we need more information to understand which brother is being referred to. Consider the
following revisions of these sentences:
(1A)
(2A)
Bill’s brother that lives in Orange County has children in college, in
high school, and in middle school.
Bill’s brother who works as a financial planner plays the mandolin
and has been on several recordings.
Sentence (5) has a similar problem. Some of Bill’s nieces and nephews live on the East Coast (Boston),
and they are not able to see their grandparents often. Only those nieces and nephews living in
California can do this. But this information isn’t clear from the sentence. Consider the following rewrite:
(5A)
Bill’s nieces and nephews living in California often visit Bill’s
parents.
In these sentences, notice how the relative clause defines the noun. Another way of saying this is that
the relative clause restricts or limits the meaning of the noun, making it clear. These clauses are called,
not surprisingly, restrictive relative clauses.
Now notice sentences (3), (4), and (6). In these sentences, the meanings of the nouns are clear. No
further information is needed to define them or clarify their meaning. If any other information is given
about these nouns, it is “extra” information which the writer (or speaker) feels would be of interest to
the reader. Consider the following revised versions of these sentences.
(3A)
(4A)
(6A)
Bill’s sister, who loves spending time with her young grandchildren,
will retire next year.
Bill’s brothers, who are older than he is, have both lived abroad or
several years.
Bill’s parents, who have been retired for many years, like to travel,
and they often visit their children and grandchildren.
R. Frank: ESL 33A: 5
ESL 33A
Grammar Packet #5: Relative Clauses
In the case of sentence (3), the meaning of sister is clear because Bill has only one sister. In the cases of
sentences (4) and (6), the noun modified refers to a whole group. The meanings of proper nouns
(names) similarly tend to clear; any further information is considered “extra”. “Extra information
clauses”, usually called non-restrictive relative clauses, can be recognized because they are set off by
commas. In addition, the pronoun that is not used non-restrictive relative clauses.
Directions:
In the following paragraph, underline the relative clauses. Circle the head noun for each
relative clause. (The head noun is the noun modified.) Note that some of the clauses may have
been reduced. Finally, write R above the clause if it is restrictive, and NR if the clause is nonrestrictive.
Winter is my favorite season in Pasadena, the city where I live. In the winter, the air,
which can be very smoggy in the summer months, is clear, cool, and fresh. The hills near my
house appear so clear that I can almost count every plant that is on them. The more distant
mountains, sometimes covered with snow, look more green and alive. On cool, rainy
evenings, I can sit by a warm fire, which makes me feel relaxed and romantic. Moreover, on
days when there is snow in the mountains, I can drive up and have a day of cold, wet fun.
Although some people, used to the warm sunny weather of summer and fall, complain about
the cool, damp weather that goes with winter, I am one of those who enjoy the freshness of
the winters in Pasadena.
Reducing relative clauses
Relative clauses can be reduced in several ways:
(1) In restrictive relative clauses, when the relative pronoun takes the place of an object in the relative
clause, the pronoun can be omitted.
•
The new plasma television which I bought last week has a very sharp picture.
•
I watched the television special that I heard about on the radio.
•
BUT NOT: I watched the television that had a built-in DVD recorder.
(This sentence can not be reduced because the pronoun takes the place of the subject.)
(2) In both restrictive and non-restrictive clauses, when the relative pronoun takes the place of the
subject, and there is a form of the verb to be, both the pronoun and the be verb can be deleted.
•
My friend who is living in Redondo Beach doesn’t spend as much on air-conditioning as I do.
•
English, which is required for students all over the world, is not a difficult language to learn.
•
I was born in Kansas, which is the state in the exact center of the continental U.S.
R. Frank: ESL 33A: 6
ESL 33A
Grammar Packet #5: Relative Clauses
Four Steps, Plus One, for Making Relative (Adjective) Clauses
(1)
Find repeated information in the two clauses.
(2)
Replace the repeated information with the appropriate relative pronoun (that, which, who, whom, or whose).
(3)
Move the relative pronoun (and other necessary words) to the front of the relative clause.
(4)
Put the relative clause right after the noun that it modifies.
(5)
If the relative clause gives information that is “extra” – i.e., not necessary because the speaker thinks the
listener doesn’t need the information to know what the noun refers to – then insert commas before and after
the clause.
Directions:
Combine the following pairs of sentences by following the four steps above. Use the second
sentence to form the relative clause.
(1)
The author, Wendell Barry, will not buy a computer. He was born in 1934 in rural Kentucky.
(2)
The author’s wife types all his work on an old typewriter. She is also his editor and secretary.
(3)
The author does not like to rely on energy corporations. These corporations make a profit by destroying
nature.
(4)
The author says that computer companies try to convince farmers to buy technology. They do not need it.
They will not use it.
(5)
The author does not want the technology. Its cost is both economic and human.
(6)
The author believes that technology takes the place of people. He cares about these people.
(7)
He refuses to use any kind of technology. It does not improve writing.
(8)
The author believes that technology should not disrupt anything good. Good things include family and
community relationships.
R. Frank: ESL 33A: 7
ESL 33A
Grammar Packet #5: Relative Clauses
Directions: Each of the following sentences contains one or more errors in relative clause usage. Find and correct each error.
1. One of the people which I admire most is my uncle.
2. Baseball is the only sport in which I am interested in it.
3. My favorite teacher, Mr. Peterson, he was always willing to help me after class.
4. There are some people in the government who is trying to improve the lives of poor people.
5. I have some good advice for anyone who he wants to learn a second language.
6. My classroom is located on the second floor of Carver Hall that is a large brick building in the center of the
campus.
7. When we walked past the theater, there were a lot of people waited in a long line outside the box office.
8. Students who living on campus are close to their classrooms and the library.
9. A myth is a story expresses traditional beliefs.
10. If you need any information, see the librarian sits at the central desk on the second floor.
11. My oldest sister is Anna is 21 years old.
12. Hiroko was born in Sapporo that is a city in Japan.
13. Patrick who is my oldest brother. He is married and has one child.
14. The person sits next to me is someone I’ve never met him.
15. My favorite place in the world is a small city is located on the southern coast of Brazil.
Directions:
Combine each group of short, choppy sentences into one sentence. Use the underlined sentence as the
independent clause; build your sentence around the independent clause. Use adjective clauses
wherever possible.
1.
Chihuahua is divided into two regions. It is the largest Mexican state. One region is a mountainous region in the
west. The other region is a desert basin in the north and east.
„ Chihuahua, (which is) the largest Mexican state, is divided into two regions, (which are) a mountainous area
in the west and a desert region in the north and east.
2.
Disney World covers a large area of land. It is an amusement park. It is located in Orlando, Florida. The land
includes lakes, golf courses, campsites, hotels, and a wildlife preserve.
3.
Jamaica is one of the world’s leading producers of bauxite. It is the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea.
Bauxite is an ore. Aluminum is made from this ore.
4.
Robert Ballard made headlines in 1985. He is an oceanographer. In 1985 he discovered the remains of the
Titanic. The Titanic was the “unsinkable” passenger ship. It has rested on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean since
1912. It struck an iceberg in 1912, and sank.
5.
William Shakespeare’s father was a glovemaker and a town official. William Shakespeare’s father was John
Shakespeare. He owned a shop in Stratford-upon-Avon. Stratford-upon-Avon is a town. It is about 75 miles
northwest of London.
6.
The Yemen Arab Republic is an ancient land. It is located at the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. This
land has been host to many prosperous civilizations. These civilizations include the Kingdom of Sheba and
various Islamic empires.
R. Frank: ESL 33A: 8
ESL 33A
Grammar Packet #5: Relative Clauses
Relative adverbial clauses
Relative adverbs where, when, why and how can replace prepositions + the
relative pronoun which when these prepositions refer to place, time, reason,
or manner.
where
(1) A spa is a place to which you go
either to exercise or relax.
when
(2) Summer is the time during which
many people take vacations.
why
(3) A reason for which some people
move to small towns is to have a
quieter life.
⎞
⎟
⎬ + which = where (location)
⎥
⎠
during ⎞
at
⎟
in
⎬ + which = when (time)
on
⎥
⎠
to
at
from
in
for which
Directions: Substitute relative adverbs for preposition + which whenever possible. Make necessary
deletions. In one sentence you cannot replace which with a relative adverb; explain why.
EXAMPLE:
when
The beginning of a new year is a time during which many Americans decide to make
changes in their lifestyles.
1. On January 1, the day on which resolutions for the new year are often made, we hear people vowing to
lose weight, quit smoking, or perhaps change the way in which they behave toward family or friends.
2. Those who want to shed pounds may go to weight loss centers; these are places which offer counseling
and diet plans.
3. Others may join a health club at which they can lose weight by exercising.
4. Still others choose a less expensive way to lose weight: They just avoid situations in which they might
snack or overeat.
5. People who want to quit smoking may contact organizations that can help them to analyze the times at
which they have the greatest urge to smoke and to develop strategies to break the habit.
6. Those who decide to change their behavior toward others may also seek professional help, to .nd out
the reasons for which they act in certain ways.
7. Most people are sincere about their promises on the day on which they are made; however, by
February, many New Year’s resolutions are just a memory!
R. Frank: ESL 33A: 9