Adjective Clauses

who
whom
which
that
whose
when
where

We use adjective clauses

also called relative clauses
to identify or give

Who and Whom are used

only for people .
Who is the subject of the
clause.
After who you should see
a verb
Whom is the object of the
clause. After whom you
should see a subject (noun

Sentences with adjective

clauses can be seen as

who

The man is playing

baseball.
The man is holding a
bat.
The man who is
holding the bat is
playing baseball

whom
I see the doctor in
the room.
The doctor is my
father.
The doctor whom
you see in the room
is my father.

Which is used only for

things
which can be both subject
and object of the clause.

which
The telephone is in
your room.
The telephone is
ringing.
The telephone which
is in your room is
ringing.

That is used for both

people and things. (less
formal than whom and

that
I see the flowers.
The flowers are in
the pond
The flowers that you
see are in the pond.
I see the flowers that
are in the pond.

Whose is the possessive

and is used for both people

whose

The girl is crying.

Her cat is sick.
The girl whose cat is
sick is crying.

The verb in the adjective

clause is singular if the
subject relative clause

The boy is my
He lives down

friend.
the street.

The boy who lives down the

street is my friend.

The people are very

interesting.
Maria works for them.

The people whom Maria

works for are very
interesting.

Who
whom

In formal English we put the

preposition at the beginning
of the clause. Also, we use

She is a scientist.
We agree with her.

Where modifies the noun

place (country, city,

When modifies the noun

time
( century, year, day, night,)
Your friend wants to know

Adjective Clauses

Restrictive adjective clauses

identify the noun or

My sister who
California is a

lives in
doctor.

The car that has broken

headlights belongs to my

Nonrestrictive adjective
clauses give extra

My sister, who lives in

California , is a doctor.

Nonrestrictive
adjective clauses
Use
who, which, whom, whose,
Where, when

In nonrestrictive adjective
clauses
Do not use the relative

Adjective phrases
do
do

not
not

have
have

a
a

subject and
verb. They

To change an adjective
clause with be to an
adjective phrase, delete
the subject relative
pronoun and the form of be

The book which is written

in Spanish is difficult.

To form an adjective
phrase with a verb other
than Be , delete the subject
relative pronoun and

People who
cities often

live
see

in big
new

If an adjective clause is
restrictive the adjective
phrase is restrictive.

The End!