Adjective CLAUSES

Clauses: Independent & Dependent• ALL clauses have a subject AND a verb. That

is what makes them clauses.• Clauses come in 2 types: Independent – makes sense all by itself.Dependent – does not make sense all by

itself.

Clauses: Independent & Dependent• Adjective clauses have an independent

clause and a dependent (adj.) clause.• Any sentence with an independent clause

and a dependent clause is a COMPLEX sentence.

• So all sentences with ADJECTIVE CLAUSES are complex sentences.I studied for the test that we had in math.

The Independent/Dependent Clause Elevator Test

How do you figure out which is an independent clause and which is a dependent clause?• If you were in an elevator with a few

strangers and you yelled out a clause, would it make sense?

The Independent/Dependent Clause Elevator Test

• If you yell out an independent clause (“I found a pot of gold!”), your elevator mates will understand you (even if they think you are a bit odd for yelling at strangers in an elevator).

• If you utter a dependent clause (“That a leprechaun left at the end of the rainbow!”), your elevator mates will have no clue what you are talking about – and they will think you are really weird for yelling at them.

The Clause Analogy• Think of an independent clause as a mommy

and a dependent clause as a baby. • The mommy (independent clause) can go out

into the world by herself. • The baby (dependent clause), however, cannot

be by itself. It depends on its mommy. • A dependent clause MUST be “mothered” by

an independent clause. It cannot stand on its own. Never leave a dependent clause without its mommy!

Adjective Clauses• An adjective clause will ALWAYS be a

dependent clause. • It will ALWAYS modify a noun/pronoun in the

independent clause. • An adjective clause can modify any

noun/pronoun from the independent clause: S, DO, SC, OP, OC, appositive, IO.

I live in the house that is on the corner.

Relative Pronouns & Subordinate Conjunctions

• Adjective clauses begin with:1. relative pronoun (that, which, who,

whom, whose) OR 2. subordinate conjunction (where, when)• One of these words will ALWAYS be the first

word of an adjective clause.• Note: There are other subordinate

conjunctions, but these are the only ones used for ADJECTIVE clauses.

Adjective Clauses in Complex Sentences

• Complex sentences contain one independent/mommy clause and at least one dependent/baby clause.

• Therefore, sentences with adjective clauses are complex sentences. The adjective clause is the dependent/baby clause. (always)

• A complex sentence can contain 2 (or more) dependent (adj.) clauses. Each dependent (adj.) clause will modify a different noun/pronoun.

Restrictive & NonrestrictiveAdjective Clauses

• There are 2 types of adjective clauses, restrictive and nonrestrictive.

• These mirror many of the qualities of restrictive and nonrestrictive appositives that we learned about in the nouns chapter.

Restrictive Adjective ClausesThe tomato came from the store that Mom

likes.• Restrictive= necessary for the clarity of the

noun being described• These cannot be removed from the sentence.• If you remove a restrictive clause, you are

left asking, “Which one?” about the noun being described.

• Restrictive clauses are NEVER separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

Nonrestrictive Adjective ClausesThe tomato, which was delicious, came from

the garden.• Nonrestrictive=not necessary for the clarity

of the noun being described.• These can be removed from the sentence

without causing confusion or changing the meaning of the sentence.

• Nonrestrictive adjective clauses are ALWAYS separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

Relative Pronouns & Subordinate Conjunctions

Relative Pronouns THAT, WHICH, WHO, WHOM, WHOSE

Subordinate Conjunctions WHERE, WHEN

Relative Pronouns• THAT can be used ONLY for restrictive adjective

clauses. If you see that, you know the clause is restrictive. That NEVER refers to people.

• WHICH can be used ONLY for nonrestrictive adjective clauses. If you see which, you know the clause is nonrestrictive. Which NEVER refers to people.

• WHO, WHOM, WHOSE can be used in EITHER restrictive or nonrestrictive adjective clauses. They always refer to people/animals, not things.

Relative Pronouns• WHO is used in the nominative case, as the S or SC

of the adjective clause.The student, who was taller than his teacher, won

the award.• WHOM is used in the objective case, as the DO or

OP of the adjective clause.The boy whom you met is my cousin.

The person to whom you were introduced is my dad.• WHOSE shows possession.

The coach whose shirt is yellow is my uncle.

Relative Pronouns

How do you determine when to use who or whom?

1. Separate independent/dependent clauses.2. Determine the relative pronoun’s function

within its clause.3. If it acts as a subject or subject complement,

then use who.4. If the relative pronoun acts as a direct object

or an object of a preposition, use whom.

Relative PronounsWho or whom?

1. The player ______ broke his leg scored the winning point.

2. The teacher to ______ you were speaking is my Spanish teacher.

3. The singer ______ you met is my best friend.

Subordinate Conjunctions• Both of these words can be used in

restrictive OR nonrestrictive adjective clauses.

• WHEN indicates time. The time of day when my cat is most active is

late afternoon.• WHERE indicates place.

The place where I study best is the library.

Diagramming Complex Sentenceswith Adjective Clauses:

7 Simple StepsI ate the cake that my mom made.

1. Identify the independent clause. I ate the cake that my mom made.

2. Identify the dependent clause (the adjective clause).

I ate the cake that my mom made.

3. Identify the noun in the independent clause that is being modified by the dependent clause.I ate the cake that my mom made.

4. Identify the relative pronoun or subordinate conjunction that begins the dependent clause (adjective clause).I ate the cake that my mom made. (relative pronoun)

5. Diagram the independent clause. I ate cake

6. Diagram the dependent clause below the independent clause. Remember: It MUST ALWAYS go below the independent clause.

mom made that

the

my

mom made thatmy

7. Finally, draw a dashed line between the noun being modified and the relative pronoun or subordinate conjunction that introduces the adjective clause.

I ate cakethe

mom made thatmy

Pac-Man vs. Flight of a BumblebeeThe dashed line MUST look like a “Pac-Man” line, with angles, not curves. Do NOT use lines that look like flight of a bumblebee!

I ate cakethe

Remember Our Clause Analogy?• Independent clause = mommy • Dependent clause = baby• Using this analogy, a complex sentence is a

mommy and baby together. • A compound-complex sentence is 2 parents

and a baby (or babies) together.

Compound-Complex Sentences• A compound-complex sentence contains 2

independent clauses and 1 (or more) dependent clauses.

• First, diagram the compound sentence portion (the 2 independent clauses).

• Then figure out which independent clause contains the noun being modified by the dependent (adj.) clause.

• Then place your dependent (adj.) clause below that independent clause.

Compound-Complex SentencesMy tomato, which was delicious, came from the

garden, but yours came from the store.• The black clause is the 1st independent clause. • The red clause is the 2nd independent clause. • The coordinate conjunction but joins the two

independent clauses.• The blue clause is the dependent (adj.) clause.

It modifies the underlined noun from the 1st independent clause.

Complex Sentences – Example with 1 Dependent Clause

tomato came

from

which was delicious

yours came

the

storefrom

the

my garden

but