This document discusses reducing adjective clauses by omitting words like relative pronouns and forms of "to be". It provides examples of reduced clauses using various verb forms like passive, progressive, simple present and past. Reduced clauses usually follow the noun they modify. Common verbs used in reduced clauses include concerning, containing, having, involving, requiring, resulting in, and using. Adjective clauses with object relative pronouns cannot be reduced since we cannot omit the subject.

1. Section A

2. We can sometimes reduce (or shorten) an adjective
clause when the relative pronoun is the subject. We
call this a reduced adjective clause.
The first word that was spoken on the moon was “OK.”
The first word spoken on the moon was “OK.”
We can reduce adjective clauses that have passive
verb forms. We omit the relative pronoun and the
verb be.
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3. The first thing that was mentioned at the meeting
was the new tax law.
The first thing mentioned at the meeting was the
new tax law.
There are a lot of movies that are based on books.
There are a lot of movies based on books.
Remember: We form the passive with:
a form of be the past participle of the main verb+
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4. Like a full adjective clause, the reduced adjective clause
usually comes directly after the noun it describes
based on given taken
caused made used
concerned with produced
Some past participles commonly used in reduced
adjective clauses include:

5. Section B

6. We can reduce adjective clauses that have present or
past progressive verb forms by omitting the relative
pronoun and the verb be.
The boy who was sitting in front saw everything.
The boy sitting in front saw everything.
I don’t know the woman who is talking to Maria.
I don’t know the woman talking to Maria.
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7. We can reduce adjective clauses that have simple present or
past verb forms by omitting the relative pronoun or replacing
the verb with an –ing form.
The table was set with large vases that contained yellow flowers.
There are a number of questions that concern the
company’s finances.
There are a number of questions concerning the
company’s finances.
The table was set with large vases containing yellow flowers.
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8. We can use the –ing form to reduce adjective clauses
with many verbs that are not normally continuous. The
most common examples are concerning, containing,
having, involving, requiring, resulting in, and using.
WARNING! Because we cannot omit the subject of an
adjective clause, we cannot reduce adjective clauses
with object relative pronouns.
The cake that they’re eating looks delicious.
(NOT: The cake eating looks delicious.)