Clause

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate. Clauses are essential parts of
sentences because they convey meaning by showing a complete or incomplete idea.

Types of Clauses

1. Main Clause (Independent Clause)

A main clause, also called an independent clause, can stand alone as a complete sentence
because it expresses a complete thought.

Examples:

1. She enjoys reading novels. 3. They are going to the concert tonight.
2. The sun rises in the east. 4. John works at the library.

2. Subordinate Clause (Dependent Clause)

A subordinate clause, or dependent clause, cannot stand alone as a sentence because it doesn’t
express a complete thought. It needs a main clause to complete its meaning.

Examples:

1. because she loves painting

2. if the weather is nice tomorrow
3. when they arrived at the airport
4. although he was tired
5. who forgot his wallet at home

Kinds Of Clauses

1. Adjective Clause
2. Noun Clause
3. Adverb Clause

Adjective Clause

Adjective Clause (Relative Clause)

An adjective clause, or relative clause, is a dependent clause that adds more information about a
noun or pronoun in the sentence. It typically begins with who, whom, which, that, or whose.

Relative Clauses and Usage of ( that, which, who, whom, whose, and of which )

 who: used for people as the subject

 whom: used for people as the object
 which: used for things or animals
 that: can be used for people, animals, or things
 whose: shows possession
 of which: also shows possession but used for inanimate nouns (objects)
Examples for Each:

1. who
o She is the artist who won the award.
o The person who called me left a message.
o I have a friend who lives in Canada.
o The chef who prepared the meal is famous.
o He is a student who studies hard.
2. whom
o The teacher whom we respect is retiring.
o She is the person whom I trust the most.
o I saw the man whom she recommended.
o The guest whom you invited is here.
o He’s the one whom I admire.
3. which
o This is the book which I wanted to read.
o The house which is on the hill is old.
o We visited the park which has a lake.
o The car which was parked outside belongs to him.
o Here’s the shirt which I bought yesterday.
4. that
o The book that I borrowed was interesting.
o She’s the person that everyone admires.
o The movie that I watched was exciting.
o This is the pen that I found.
o He found the keys that he lost.
5. whose
o I have a friend whose father is a doctor.
o She is the author whose book was a bestseller.
o He knows a man whose brother is a pilot.
o The dog whose tail is wagging is friendly.
6. of which
o The building, of which the roof was damaged, needs repair.
o The museum, of which we are members, is very educational.
o This is the painting, of which the artist is unknown.
o The house, of which the windows are broken, is abandoned.
o The novel, of which the ending was shocking, won an award.

How to Make Adjective Clause

The teacher is very kind. She teaches us English.

o Combined: The teacher who teaches us English is very kind.

This is the book. I borrowed it from the library.

o Combined: This is the book that I borrowed from the library.

He is a doctor. He lives in New York.

o Combined: He, who lives in New York, is a doctor.

We visited the museum. It has many ancient artifacts.

o Combined: We visited the museum which has many ancient artifacts.

The girl waved at me. I had met her last week.

o Combined: The girl whom I had met last week waved at me.

Kinds of Adjective Clause

Restrictive vs. Non-Restrictive Clauses

 Restrictive (Essential) Clauses provide essential information about the noun. That is
often used, and no commas are placed around the clause.

Examples:

1. The book that I borrowed is on the table.

2. People who exercise regularly live longer.
3. The car which I sold was old.
4. Students who study hard usually get good grades.
5. I work at a company that values innovation.
 Non-Restrictive (Non-Essential) Clauses provide additional information that is not
necessary to identify the noun. Commas are placed around the clause.

Examples:

1. My sister, who lives in Boston, is visiting us.

2. The Eiffel Tower, which is in Paris, is a popular landmark.
3. She invited Tom, whom she met in college, to the party.
4. Our house, whose roof was damaged, is being repaired.
5. The conference, which I attended last year, was informative.

Object Reduction

1. The teacher we respect is retiring.

2. She is the person I trust the most.
3. I saw the man she recommended.
4. The guest you invited is here.
5. He’s the one I admire.
Exercise

1. The woman ___________ called yesterday left a message for you.

2. The teacher ____________ students won the competition is very proud.

3. This is the movie ______________ everyone has been talking about.

4. My friend, _______________ lives in New York, is visiting us next month.

5. The man __________________ you met at the party is a famous author.

6. The musician __________________ song is on the radio is very talented.

7. They found the keys ________________ were lost yesterday.

8. The person _________________ she admired most was her grandmother.

9. The cat ________________ owner is on vacation keeps visiting our garden.

10. I have a neighbor __________________________ daughter is in my class.

Answer Key

1. The woman who called yesterday left a message for you.

2. The teacher whose students won the competition is very proud.

3. This is the movie which everyone has been talking about.

4. My friend, who lives in New York, is visiting us next month.

5. The man whom you met at the party is a famous author.

6. The musician whose song is on the radio is very talented.

7. They found the keys which were lost yesterday.

8. The person whom she admired most was her grandmother.

9. The cat whose owner is on vacation keeps visiting our garden.

10. I have a neighbor whose daughter is in my class.

Exercise

1. The boy is my cousin. He is wearing a red shirt.

2. The book was very interesting. I borrowed it from the library.

3. This is the place. We first met here.

4. The woman spoke at the conference. She is an expert in renewable energy.

5. The restaurant serves Italian food. It’s my favorite restaurant.

6. The man is a famous actor. You saw him in the movie.

7. She adopted a dog. The dog had been abandoned.

8. The car is very fast. My brother bought it last week.

9. I have a friend. Her brother is a pilot.

10. The building was recently renovated. It is located downtown.

Answer Key

1. The boy who is wearing a red shirt is my cousin.

2. The book which I borrowed from the library was very interesting.

3. This is the place where we first met.

4. The woman who spoke at the conference is an expert in renewable energy.

5. The restaurant which serves Italian food is my favorite.

6. The man whom you saw in the movie is a famous actor.

7. She adopted a dog that had been abandoned.

8. The car which my brother bought last week is very fast.

9. I have a friend whose brother is a pilot.

10. The building which is located downtown was recently renovated.