Using Adjective Clauses in Academic Writing

1. Section A

2. In academic writing, we often choose a more formal
style of adjective clause.
LESS COMMON IN WRITING MORE COMMON IN WRITING
It’s hard to explain these ideas to
someone that grew up in a
different era.
It’s hard to explain these ideas to
someone who grew up in a
different era.
In subject adjective clauses, we usually use who for
people instead of that.

3. We usually use that for things. We don’t usually omit
the relative pronoun.
LESS COMMON IN WRITING MORE COMMON IN WRITING
The experiments they did
provided some useful information.
The experiments that they did
provided some useful information.

4. We sometimes choose which for things instead of that.
LESS COMMON IN WRITING MORE COMMON IN WRITING
A study that came out several years
ago showed a completely different
result.
A study which came out several
years ago showed a completely
different result.

5. LESS COMMON IN WRITING MORE COMMON IN WRITING
This was the first group that we
We often use a preposition + whom or which.
had complete data for. we had complete data.
This was the first group for which
had already completed the trial.
The subjects to whom we spoke
had already completed the trial.
The subjects we spoke to

6. Instead of using general nouns like people or thing, we
often use the pronoun those + who or which to refer to
a person or noun with a defining adjective clause.
LESS COMMON IN WRITING MORE COMMON IN WRITING
They compared newcomers with
people who had lived in the
country for more than three years.
They compared newcomers with
those who had lived in the country
for more than three years.
The most successful programs are
the ones that offer a variety of
ways for people to participate.
The most successful programs are
those which offer a variety of ways
for people to participate.

7. Reduced adjective clauses are very common in writing.
Systems using the new software were found to be much
more effective.
Decisions based on these findings will waste time and effort.

8. Section B

9. In writing, we often use full and reduced adjective
clauses to include a lot of information in one sentence.
It is not unusual for a sentence to have more than one
adjective clause.
COMPARE
The wheat plant was developed thousands of
years ago. It provided communities with a stable
food source. It could be grown in large
quantities.
The wheat plant, developed thousands of years ago,
provided communities with a stable food source
which could be grown in large quantities.