Adjective clause Lesson with Audio Pronunciation and Comprehension Exercises
An adjective clause is a type of subordinate clause that modifies a noun or pronoun in the main clause of a sentence. Adjective clauses are also known as relative clauses.
5 examples of adjective clauses in sentences:
- The book that I bought yesterday is really interesting.
- The person who called earlier left a message.
- The city where I was born is known for its beautiful beaches.
- The song which was played at the party was a hit.
- The dog whose tail was wagging was happy.
Special cases to consider when using adjective clauses:
Omitting the relative pronoun:
In some cases, it is possible to omit the relative pronoun in an adjective clause if it is the object of the clause. For example, "The person [whom] I saw at the store was wearing a mask" can be shortened to "The person I saw at the store was wearing a mask."
Placement of the adjective clause:
The adjective clause can be placed either before or after the noun or pronoun it modifies. For example, "The car, which was covered in mud, needed to be washed" and "The car needed to be washed, which was a problem because it was raining outside."
Restrictive and nonrestrictive adjective clauses:
A restrictive adjective clause is necessary to identify the noun or pronoun being modified. It is not set off by commas. A nonrestrictive adjective clause provides additional information about the noun or pronoun, but it is not necessary to identify it. Nonrestrictive adjective clauses are set off by commas.
Comprehension exercises on adjective clauses:
Exercise 1:
Identify the adjective clause in the following sentence:
The house that was built in the 1930s has a lot of character.
Answer: that was built in the 1930s
Exercise 2:
Identify the adjective clause in the following sentence:
The woman who works at the post office is very friendly.
Answer: who works at the post office
Exercise 3:
Identify the adjective clause in the following sentence:
The movie which was released last year was a blockbuster.
Answer: which was released last year
Exercise 4:
Identify the adjective clause in the following sentence:
The cat whose fur is black is very cute.
Answer: whose fur is black
Exercise 5:
Identify the adjective clause in the following sentence:
The person to whom I was talking was my neighbor.
Answer: to whom I was talking
Exercise 6:
Rewrite the following sentence using an adjective clause:
The car that I saw on the street was red.
Answer: I saw a car on the street that was red.