See The Sentence for definitions of sentence, clause, and dependent clause.
A sentence which contains one independent clause and one or more dependent
clauses is called acomplex sentence. (Dependent clauses are also
called subordinate clauses.)
There are three basic types of dependent clauses: adjective clauses, adverb clauses,
and noun clauses. (Adjective clauses are also called relative clauses.)
This page contains information about adjective clauses. Also see Adverb
Clauses and Noun Clauses.
A. Adjective clauses perform the same function in sentences that adjectives do:
they modify nouns.
B. A sentence which contains one adjective clause and one independent clause is
the result of combining two clauses which contain a repeated noun. You
can combine two independent clauses to make one sentence containing an adjective
clause by following these steps:
1. You must have two clauses which contain a repeated noun (or pronoun, or noun and
pronoun which refer to the same thing). Here are two examples:
3. Move the relative pronoun to the beginning of its clause (if it is not already there).
The clause is now an adjective clause.
4. Put the adjective clause immediately after the noun phrase it modifies (the repeated
noun):
1. These are the most important relative pronouns: who, whom, that, which.
These relative pronouns can be omitted when they are objects of verbs. When they are
objects of prepositions, they can be omitted when they do not follow the preposition.
WHO replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people. It cannot replace nouns and
pronouns that refer to animals or things. It can be the subject of a verb.
In informal writing (but not in academic writing), it can be used as the object of a verb.
WHOM replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people. It cannot replace nouns and
pronouns that refer to animals or things. It can be the object of a verb or preposition. It
cannot be the subject of a verb.
WHICH replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to animals or things. It cannot replace
nouns and pronouns that refer to people. It can be the subject of a verb. It can also be
the object of a verb or preposition.
THAT replaces nouns and pronouns that refer to people, animals or things. It can be
the subject of a verb. It can also be the object of a verb or preposition (but that cannot
follow a preposition; whom, which,and whose are the only relative pronouns that can
follow a preposition).
2. The following words can also be used as relative pronouns: whose, when, where.
WHOSE replaces possessive forms of nouns and pronouns
(see WF11 and pro in Correction Symbols Two). It can refer to people, animals or
things. It can be part of a subject or part of an object of a verb or preposition, but it
cannot be a complete subject or object. Whose cannot be omitted. Here are examples
with whose:
WHEN replaces a time (in + year, in + month, on + day,...). It cannot be a subject. It can
be omitted. Here is an example with when:
People who cant swim should not jump into the ocean.
Billy, who couldnt swim, should not have jumped into the ocean.
E. Adjective clauses can often be reduced to phrases. The relative pronoun (RP)
must be the subjectof the verb in the adjective clause. Adjective clauses can be
reduced to phrases in two different ways depending on the verb in the adjective clause.
1. RP + BE = 0
People who are living in glass houses should not throw stones. (clause)
People living in glass houses should not throw stones. (phrase)
Mary applied for a job that was advertised in the paper. (clause)
Mary applied for a job advertised in the paper. (phrase)
A sentence which contains one independent clause and one or more dependent
clauses is called acomplex sentence. (Dependent clauses are also
called subordinate clauses.)
There are three basic types of dependent clauses: adjective clauses, adverb clauses,
and noun clauses. (Adjective clauses are also called relative clauses.)
This page contains information about noun clauses. Also see Adjective
Clauses and Adverb Clauses.
A. Noun clauses perform the same functions in sentences that nouns do:
C. The subordinators in noun clauses are called noun clause markers. Here is a
list of the noun clause markers:
that
if, whether
Wh-words: how, what, when, where, which, who, whom, whose, why
Wh-ever words: however, whatever, whenever, wherever, whichever, whoever,
whomever
D. Except for that, noun clause markers cannot be omitted. Only that can be
omitted, but it can be omitted only if it is not the first word in a sentence:
correct:
correct:
correct:
correct:
not correct:
E. Statement word order is always used in a noun clause, even if the main clause is
a question:
not correct:
correct:
not correct:
* Everybody wondered where did Billy go. (Question word order: did Billy go)
correct:
Everybody wondered where Billy went. (Statement word order: Billy went)
When the main verb (the verb in the independent clause) is present, the verb in the
noun clause is:
When the main verb (the verb in the independent clause) is past, the verb in the noun
clause is:
If the action/state of the noun clause is still in the future (that is, after the writer has
written the sentence), then a future verb can be used even if the main verb is past.
The astronaut said that people will live on other planets someday.
If the action/state of the noun clause continues in the present (that is, at the time the
writer is writing the sentence) or if the noun clause expresses a general truth or fact,
the simple present tense can be used even if the main verb is past.