ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

An adjective clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adjective in the sentence.

Adjective clauses can also be called relative clauses. An adjective clause begins with a
relative pronoun or a relative adverb. Often the relative pronoun or relative adverb will
function as the subject of the clause.

Here is a list of relative pronouns:

Who/whom (refer to people)

Which (refer to thing)

That (refer to all nouns )

Whose (refer to possession)

Here is a list of relative adverbs:

Why (refer to reason)

When (refer to time)

Where (refer to place)

Examples of Adjective Clause:

Below are some examples of sentences containing adjective clauses.

1) The lady who lives across the street is my aunt.

The subject of the clause is "who" and the verb is "lives". This clause is giving us more
information about the "lady"-which one?

2) The book that is on the chair belongs to Marvin.

The subject of the clause is "that" and the verb is "is". This clause is giving us more information
about the "book"-which one.

Here are some additional examples of sentences with adjective clauses.

3) I do not like people who are mean to animals. (gives more information about people)

4) Did you go to the school where my friend Jim goes? (gives more information about school)

5) The moment when the clown burst in to surprise the teacher was great! (gives more
information about the moment)

6) The reason why I left is a secret. (gives more information about reason)

7) Can you see the bird that is on the fence? (gives more information about bird)

8) The cat whom we are watching just caught a mouse! (gives more information about cat)

9) The boy whose shoes are on the floor is my little brother. (gives more information about The
possession of the boy)

10) I like pizza, which is also the favorite of my sister Jean. (gives more information about pizza)

Adverb Clause

Adverb clauses are clauses that function as adverbs. Since they are dependent clauses, they must
have a subordinating conjunction to connect them to the other clause.

Subordinating conjunctions can be arranged according to the purpose of the clause they begin.
Here are some examples of subordinating conjunctions:

 Time: after, when, until, soon, before, once, while, as soon as, whenever, by the time
 Condition: if, whether or not, provided, in case, unless, even if, in the event
 Cause and effect: because, as, since, so, in order that, now that, inasmuch as
 Contrast: though, although, while, whereas, even though
Most of the time, an adverb clause will be separated from the other clause with a comma. Here
are a few examples of sentences with and without commas:

 Whether you like it or not, you have to go. (The adverb clause “Whether you like it or
not” puts a condition on the action.)
 She enjoyed the party more than he did. (The adverb clause 'than he did' modifies the
adverb “more”.)

Functions of Adverbs

Since adverb clauses function as adverbs, let’s look at the functions of adverbs.

 Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

 They tell why, when, where, how, how much, and how often an action occurs.
 They can begin a sentence that is a question, and give more information.

Here are some examples according to what the adverb is modifying:

 Verbs: We eat pizza slowly. She watched the wild animal carefully.
 Adjectives: That is a very nice person. The dog is extremely hyperactive.
 Adverbs: She sings very beautifully. My dog is almost always starving.

Examples of Adverb Clauses

Adverb clauses can modify by telling the place, time, cause, and purpose of an action. They can
also show concession and condition. Basically they answer the questions: Where?, when?, why?,
and under what conditions? Here are some examples with the adverb clause underlined:

 Place: Wherever there is music, people will often dance. If you know where they live,
you can drop in for a visit.
 Time: After the chores are done, we will eat ice cream. When the clock strikes midnight,
she has to leave.
 Cause: She passed the course because she worked hard. Since he has long hair, he wears
a ponytail.
 Purpose: So that he would not ruin the carpet, he took off his shoes. He ate vegetables in
order to stay healthy.
 Concession: Even though you are 13, you can’t go to that movie. Although you gave it
your best, you did not win the match.
 Condition: If you save some money, you can buy a new game. Unless you hurry, you will
be late for school.