Adjective (Relative) Clause Practice

Part 1: Basic Patterns

Choose all the possible correct answers to complete the sentence. Most sentences have more
than one correct response.

1. Sam is the boy _____ shaved his head--he is completely bald

now.
who
that
which
O

2. The food ____ she is buying

looks healthy.
who
that
which
O

3. A dishwasher is a machine ____

washes dishes.
who
that
which
O

4. The bat is the only mammal ___

can fly.
who
that
which
O

5. Look! That's the singer ___

mother is from my hometown.
whose
who
that
who's

6. I don't like dogs ___ jump on me.

whose
that
whom
O

7. I felt bad for the guy ___ failed

the exam.
that
which
who
O

8. Jasmine is a flower ____ is

white and very fragrent.
which
who
that
O

9. They are filming the girl ___

birthday is today.
whose
that
who
O

10. There's the couple ___ dancing

you liked so much.
whose
that
 who

Adjective clauses Exercise 1

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Combine each of the following pairs of simple sentences into one complex sentence
containing an adjective clause.

1. The theft was committed last night. The police has caught the man.

2. The French language is different from the Latin language. Latin was once spoken throughout
Europe.

3. You are looking upset. Can you tell me the reason?

4. He had several plans for making money quickly. All of them have failed.

5. The landlord was proud of his strength. He despised the weakness of his tenants.

6. This is the village. I was born here.

7. You put the keys somewhere. Show me the place.

8. Paul was an old gentleman. He was my travelling companion.

9. A fox once met a crane. The fox had never seen a crane before.

10. The shop keeper keeps his money in a wooden case. This is the wooden case.

Answers

1. The police has caught the man who committed the theft last night.

2. The French language is different from the Latin language which was once spoken
throughout Europe.

3. Can you tell me the reason why you are looking upset.

4. All the plans which he had for making money quickly have failed.

5. The landlord who was proud of his strength despised the weakness of his tenants.

6.This is the village where I was born.

7. Show me the place where you put the keys.

8. Paul who was an old gentleman was my travelling companion.

9. A fox which had never seen a crane before once met a crane.

10. This is the wooden case where the shopkeeper keeps his money.

Adjective Clauses
As the office of an adjective is to modify, the only use of an adjective clause is to limit
or describe some noun, or equivalent of a noun: consequently the adjective may modify
any noun, or equivalent of a noun, in the sentence. The adjective clause may be
introduced by the relative pronouns who, which, that, but, as; sometimes by the
conjunctions when, where, whither, whence, wherein, whereby, etc.
Frequently there is no connecting word, a relative pronoun being understood. Adjective
clauses may modify:
(1) The subject: "Mr. Shinoda, who teaches us English VI, never stops giving us drills."
(2) The object: "She showed me the man whom I met last night."

(3) The complement: "They sometimes call me Mr. Kiss, which is one of my favorite
calls."Pick out the adjective clauses, and tell what each one modifies; i.e., whether
subject, object, etc.
1. There were passages that reminded me perhaps too much of Massillon.
2. I walked home with Calhoun, who said that the principles which I had avowed were
justand noble.
3. Other men are lenses through which we read our own minds.
4. In one of those celestial days when heaven and earth meet and adorn each other,
itseems a pity that we can only spend it once.
5. One of the maidens presented a silver cup, containing a rich mixture of wine and
spice, which Rowena tasted.
6. No man is reason or illumination, or that essence we were looking for.
7. In the moment when he ceases to help us as a cause, he begins to help us more as
aneffect.
8. Socrates took away all ignominy from the place, which could not be a prison whilst
hewas there.
9. This is perhaps the reason why we so seldom hear ghosts except in our long-
establishedDutch settlements.
10. From the moment you lose sight of the land you have left, all is vacancy.
11. Nature waited tranquilly for the hour to be struck when man should arrive.