This document provides information about adjective clauses, which are clauses that identify or provide additional information about nouns. It discusses the different relative pronouns used to introduce adjective clauses like who, which, that, and whose. It also covers identifying vs. non-identifying clauses and verbs agreeing with subjects of clauses. Examples are provided to illustrate the concepts along with exercises for the student to practice forming adjective clauses.

1. Adjective Clauses with
Subject Relative
Pronouns
Famous Faces
and Places
6
Focus on Grammar 4
Part VI, Unit 13
By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells
Copyright © 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. She’s a scientist whose
discoveries have greatly
affected the medical field.
She’s a scientist whose
discoveries have greatly
affected the medical field.
She discovered the element of
radium, which is used in X-rays.
She discovered the element of
radium, which is used in X-rays.
History 101History 101
Who is Marie Curie?Who is Marie Curie?
Oh, I know. She’s a woman who
won the Nobel Prize in 1903.
Oh, I know. She’s a woman who
won the Nobel Prize in 1903.What did she discover?What did she discover?
Wow. Good answers. Okay, next
question. Who was Gandhi?
Wow. Good answers. Okay, next
question. Who was Gandhi?
Okay, let’s start studying for our
history exam. I’ll ask a question,
and you tell me the answer.
Okay, let’s start studying for our
history exam. I’ll ask a question,
and you tell me the answer.

3. Gandhi was a man who worked for
peace.
Adjective Clauses 1Adjective Clauses 1
Use adjective clauses to identify or give additional
information about nouns (people, places, or things).
The clause
who worked for peace
identifies the man we are
talking about.
The clause
which is in Western India
gives additional
information about Gujarat.
He lived in the state of Gujarat,
which is in Western India.

4. Adjective Clauses 2Adjective Clauses 2
Adjective clauses can also identify or describe indefinite
pronouns such as one, someone, somebody,
something, another, and other(s).
George Washington Carver is someone
who was a famous botanist.
someone
The adjective clause directly
follows the noun (or pronoun)
it is identifying.
The adjective clause directly
follows the noun (or pronoun)
it is identifying.

5. Adjective Clauses 3Adjective Clauses 3
Sentences with adjective clauses can be
seen as a combination of two sentences.
Florence Nightingale was a nurse.
SheShe developed modern healthcare methods.
++
==
Florence Nightingale was a nurse whowho
developed modern healthcare methods.
Beethoven was a composer.
HisHis music is still enjoyed by many people.
++
==
Beethoven was a composer whosewhose
music is still enjoyed by many people.

6. The Mona Lisa is a paintingpainting that
is known throughout the worldis known throughout the world.
Abraham Lincoln was an American
presidentpresident who fought against slaveryfought against slavery.
Use whosewhose to refer to
people’s possessionspeople’s possessions.
Use whosewhose to refer to
people’s possessionspeople’s possessions.
The Mona Lisa is a paintingpainting which
is known throughout the worldis known throughout the world.
ThatThat is less formal than
who and which and used
more in conversation.
ThatThat is less formal than
who and which and used
more in conversation.
Abraham Lincoln was an American
presidentpresident that fought against slaveryfought against slavery.
OROROROR
Relative Pronouns 1Relative Pronouns 1
Adjective clauses begin with relative pronouns.
Subject relative pronouns can be who, that, which,
and whose.
who
that
Use whichwhich or thatthat to refer to
places or things.
Use whichwhich or thatthat to refer to
places or things.
Thomas EdisonThomas Edison, whose inventions
changed the worldchanged the world, was born in 1847.
whose inventions
Use whowho or thatthat to
refer to peoplepeople.
Use whowho or thatthat to
refer to peoplepeople.

7. Be Careful!Be Careful!
Do not use a subject pronoun (I, you, he, she, it, we,
they) and a subject relative pronoun in the same
adjective clause.
William Shakespeare is an Englishman
who he wrotewho he wrote many well-known plays.
William Shakespeare is an Englishman
who wrote many well-known plays.

8. 1. a) Ang San Su Kyi is a Burmese peace activist in Myanmar.
b) MyanmarMyanmar is a country located in Southeast Asia.
2. a) Diego Rivera was a Mexican painter.
b) HisHis work is displayed in many famous museums.
3. a) Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun.
b) SheShe devoted her life to the poor.
Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun who/that devoted herwho/that devoted her
life to the poorlife to the poor.
Albert Einstein was a physicist who wonwho won
the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
Ang San Su Kyi is a Burmese peace activist in Myanmar
which is a country located in Southeast Asiawhich is a country located in Southeast Asia.
Practice 1Practice 1
Combine the groups of sentences into
one sentence with an adjective
clause. Use the appropriate relative
pronouns.
Example: a) Albert Einstein was a physicist.
b) HeHe won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
Albert Einstein was a physicist that wonthat won
the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.
OROR
Albert Einstein was a physicist who/thatwho/that
won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921..
Example:
Diego Rivera was a Mexican painter whose work iswhose work is
displayed in many famous museumsdisplayed in many famous museums.

9. Relative Pronouns 2Relative Pronouns 2
Relative pronouns have the same form whether they
refer to singular or plural nouns, or to males or
females.
Ferdinand Magellan was the
man whowho led the first
expedition to sail around the
world.
Pioneers are people whowho do
things others think impossible.
Amelia Earhart was the woman
whowho was the first female pilot
to fly across the Atlantic.

10. Verbs in Adjective ClausesVerbs in Adjective Clauses
The verb in the adjective clause is singular if the
subject relative pronoun refers to a singular noun. It is
plural if it refers to a plural noun.
Copernicus was an astronomeran astronomer who is
known for his theory that the world is round.
Plato and Aristotle are ancient Greek
menmen who are known for philosophies.
singular verb
plural verb

11. Be Careful!Be Careful!
When whose + noun is the subject of an adjective
clause, the verb agrees with the subject of the
adjective clause.
Jane Austen was an English novelist
whose novelsnovels is read by many students.
Jane Austen was an English novelist
whose novelsnovels are read by many students.
subject

12. Two Kinds of Adjective ClausesTwo Kinds of Adjective Clauses
There are two kinds of adjective clauses,
identifying and nonidentifying.
The books which are onwhich are on
the tablethe table belong to me.
The books,, which are onwhich are on
the table,the table, belong to me.
The adjective clause
identifies which booksidentifies which books the
sentence talks about.
The adjective clause is notis not
necessarynecessary to identify the
which books are referred to.

13. CommasCommas
A nonidentifying adjective clause is separated from the
rest of the sentence by commas. Do not use commas
with an identifying adjective clause.
The map which is on thewhich is on the
tabletable is new.
Identifying
Adjective Clause
The map, which is on, which is on
the table,the table, is new.
Nonidentifying Adjective
Clause

14. Be Careful!Be Careful!
Do not use that to introduce nonidentifying adjectivenonidentifying adjective
clausesclauses. Use who for people and which for places
and things.
Marie Curie,, that won the Nobel Prize,that won the Nobel Prize,
discovered radium.
Marie Curie,, whowho won the Nobel Prize,won the Nobel Prize,
discovered radium.
Athens,, that is the birthplacethat is the birthplace
of the Olympics,of the Olympics, is in Greece.
Athens,, whichwhich is the birthplaceis the birthplace
of the Olympics,of the Olympics, is in Greece.

15. 1. Louis Armstrong was a famous American musician who hewho he
made jazz popularmade jazz popular.
2. Frida Kahlo, whose paintings has recently become well-whose paintings has recently become well-
knownknown, was a Mexican painter.
3. Nelson Mandela, who live in South Africawho live in South Africa, fought against
apartheid.
4. Chinua Achebe is a Nigerian author which writes novelswhich writes novels
about village lifeabout village life.
5. Valentina Tereshkova who was the first woman to travelwho was the first woman to travel
into spaceinto space is Russian.
Example: Italy, that is the birthplace of operathat is the birthplace of opera, is a
fascinating country.
whichwhich is the birthplace of operais the birthplace of opera, is a
Practice 2Practice 2
Find and correct the errors in the
adjective clauses of the sentences.
Discuss your answers with a partner.
,,
,,
whowho
havehave recently become well-recently become well-
liveslives in South Africain South Africa, fought against
who writes novelswrites novels

16. ReferencesReferences
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and
its licensors. All rights reserved.
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