Adjective Clause on Subject or Object

VOCABULARY

adjective clause = relative clause

relative pronoun = who, that, which, whose

The relative pronoun goes directly after its noun.
A place that…. A person who… A class which… A girl whose....

The relative pronoun can represent the subject or the object of the adjective clause.

I like the class that I am taking.
I like the class. I am taking the class.
The common information is the object of the second sentence.

I like the teacher who teaches this class.
I like the teacher. The teacher teaches this class.
The common information is the subject of the second sentence.

You know because

You have another subject. That I… I is the subject
If you think about the two sentences, you’ll see that it’s the object. I’m taking. I’m taking what??

Object vs. Subject Relative Pronouns

The most common error that students make is leaving the “it” object in the object position.

She bought the ice cream flavor. She likes IT.
She bought the ice cream flavor. She likes THAT. (change object to relative pronoun)
She bought the ice cream flavor THAT she likes. (move the relative pronoun to the front)
NOT: She bought the ice cream flavor THAT she likes IT. Once you change the object to a
relative pronoun, the “it” isn’t still there too.

Object Relative (Adjective) Clauses

Adjective Clauses 2 Subject and Object pronouns

Adjective Clauses: Subject & Object Relative Pronouns

Sentence Combining

The adjective clause goes directly after the noun it modifies.

I want a book. The book tells how to build a bicycle.
I want a book that tells how to build a bicycle.

1) find the information that is the same in the two sentences.
2) change one of them to a relative pronoun (that, who, which)
3) move that relative pronoun to the front of the clause
4) move the whole clause to directly after the noun

The computers are slow. We have computers in our office.

1) "the computers" is the common information.
2) the computers changes to "that": we have that in our office
3) move "that to the front: that we have in our office
4) move that whole clause directly after the noun: The computers that we have in our office are slow.

My cousin Mary raises goats. I like Mary a lot.

1) "Mary" is the common information.
2) Mary changes to "who": I like who a lot.
3) move "who" to the front: who I like a lot
4) move that whole clause directly after the noun: My cousin Mary, who I like a lot, raises goats.

VIDEO LESSON

Combining Sentences Using Relative Pronouns

PRACTICE

Do these on paper and then check your answers: https://www.thoughtco.com/sentence-building-with-adjective-clauses-1689667

http://www.learnamericanenglishonline.com/Orange%20Level/Exercises_for_the_Orange_Level/Exercise_5_adjective_clauses.html

More Online Practice

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/adj1.htm

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/adj3.htm

https://www.quia.com/quiz/244829.html?AP_rand=83513350