I Study at A College. The College Is Downtown

Adjective clauses: adjective clauses modify (describe) nouns, just like adjectives.
For example:
a) The tall man smiled. = tall is an adjective, modifying the noun man.
b) The man who had long hair smiled. = ‘who had long hair‘ is an adjective clause that modifies the
noun man.
Why we can use them: When you use adjective clauses, you are able to combine two sentences
into one. A sentence with an adjective clause is called a complex sentence. Good writers use a mix
of simple sentences, compound sentences, and complex sentences.
How to write adjective clauses:
I study at a college. The college is downtown.
To make an adjective clause, we need to find two ideas in these sentences that refer to the same
thing. What is the same in these two sentences? The word ‘college‘ is in both! So, instead of saying
the word twice, we can replace one word with a relative pronoun and make an adjective clause.
Step 1: Find the two words that are refer to the same thing.
• I study at a college. The college is downtown.
Step 2: Replace the second word with a correct relative pronoun (that/which/who/when/where…)
• I study at a college. WHICH is downtown.
Step 3: Move the whole {adjective clause} behind the noun it modifies.
• I study at a college {which is downtown}.
• That’s it! Now you have a complex sentence. The adjective clause is ‘which is downtown.’
Relative pronouns:
Who subject and object pronoun for people only. (*whom can be used as an object relative
pronoun.)
E.g. The man who(m) I saw was old.
that subject and object pronoun for people and things.
E.g. The book that I saw was red.
which subject and object pronoun for things only.
E.g. The book, which I saw, was red.
whose used for possessions.
E.g. The man whose house was for sale was old.
where used for places.

E.g. The restaurant where we met was downtown.
when used for times.
E.g. The day when we met was cloudy.
Subject relative clauses Object relative clauses
Look at these two simple sentences. The woman is in my class. I like her.
Step 1: What is the same in both sentences?
The woman is in my class. She likes tennis. ‘The woman’ and ‘her’. They both refer to the same
thing (the woman).
Step1: What do we have twice? ‘The woman’ The woman is in my class. I like her.
and ‘she’ are talking about the same person, so we can If we look at the second word, ‘her’, we can see that it is
combine the sentences using an adjective clause. In the not the subject of the sentence. It is the object! (I like her
second sentence, ‘She’ is the subject of the sentence, so “her” is the object of the verb like). For objects, we have
we will use one of the subject relative pronouns to use an object relative pronoun.
(that/which/who) to replace it. (We cannot use •who/whom: for people (whom is a little old-fashioned,
whose/where/when/whom to replace subjects.) but it’s correct)
•that: for people and things
•(nothing): for people and things
•which: for things
Nothing? Yes. We do not need a relative pronoun if we
are replacing the object of a verb.
Step 1: Find the two words that refer to the same Step 2: Replace the second word with a relative pronoun
thing/person. (who/whom/that/(nothing)/which)
•The woman is in my class. She likes tennis. The woman is in my class. I like
Step 2: Replace the second word with a relative pronoun who(m)/that/(nothing).
(we’ll use a subject relative pronoun – that/which/who)
•The woman is in my class. WHO/THAT likes
Because we are making an adjective clause
tennis.
Step 3: Move the whole {adjective clause} behind the with the object of a sentence, we have to add
noun it modifies. These two sentences are both correct: one more step.
•The woman {who likes tennis} is in my class. *Step 3*: Move the object relative pronoun to the
The woman {that likes tennis} is in my class beginning of the second sentence/clause.
The woman is in my class. who(m)/that/(nothing) I like .
Step 4: Move the whole {adjective clause}

behind the noun it modifies.
•The woman {whom I like} is in my class.
•The woman {who I like} is in my class.
•The woman {that I like} is in my class.
•The woman {I like} is in my class.
Exercises Other example:
1.Do you see the cat? It is on the roof.
Yesterday, I saw some nice shoes at the mall. I want to
2. The man is a dentist. He lives next to me. buy them soon.
Step 1: Look for two words that refer to the same thing.
3. I see an open table over there. It’s by the window. Yesterday, I saw some nice shoes at the mall. I want to
4. She invited a guy to the party. The guy dances really buy them soon.
well. Step 2: Replace the second word with a relative pronoun
5. The desk is made of oak. It was built by my friend. Yesterday, I saw some nice shoes at the mall. I want to
buy which/that/(nothing) soon.
6. People shouldn’t throw stones. They live in glass
houses.
Step 3: Move the relative pronoun to the beginning of
the second sentence/clause.
Yesterday, I saw some nice shoes at the mall.

which/that/(nothing) I want to buy soon.
Step 4: Move the whole {adjective clause} behind the

noun it modifies. Now the final sentence looks like this:
•Yesterday, I saw some nice shoes {which I want to buy
soon} at the mall.
•Yesterday, I saw some nice shoes {that I want to buy
soon} at the mall.
•Yesterday, I saw some nice shoes {I want to buy soon}
at the mall.
Exercises:
1. I invited the professor. You met him last year.
2. The printer is broken. We were using it yesterday.

3. I don’t want to hear the song. We just heard it.
4. That’s the man! I had a big argument with him

yesterday.
5. He has a list of customers in his address book. He calls

them once a month.
6. He’s always talking about his car. He bought it last year

in London.
1.He’s the only student _____ knew the answer.
a) that
b) whom
c) she
2.Did you see the painting__________ I bought in Paris?
a) who
b) whom
c)which
3.This is the only bridge ___________ goes to the island.
a) that
b) who
c) whom
4.There are many children __________ are not able to go to school.
a) who
b) whom
c) nothing
5.The Italian restaurant ________ I went to last night has great dessert.
a) who
b) whom
c) nothing
Combine the Simple Sentences to make a Subject or Object Relative Clause
1. You are doing exercises. They are for practicing grammar.
2. Do you have my textbook? I lent it to you last week.
3. You can buy tickets at the subway station. They cost about three dollars.
4. She is someone. I used to know her.
5. The keys were in my shoe. I was looking for them all day.
6. The keys were in my shoe. They don’t belong to me.

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Adjective clauses: adjective clauses modify (describe) nouns, just like adjectives.

How to write adjective clauses:

I study at a college. The college is downtown.

• I study at a college. The college is downtown.

• I study at a college. WHICH is downtown.

• I study at a college {which is downtown}.

E.g. The man who(m) I saw was old.

that subject and object pronoun for people and things.

E.g. The book that I saw was red.

which subject and object pronoun for things only.

E.g. The book, which I saw, was red.

whose used for possessions.

where used for places.

when used for times.

E.g. The day when we met was cloudy.

Subject relative clauses Object relative clauses

The woman is in my class. who(m)/that/(nothing) I like .

Step 4: Move the whole {adjective clause}

Yesterday, I saw some nice shoes at the mall.

Step 4: Move the whole {adjective clause} behind the

2. The printer is broken. We were using it yesterday.

4. That’s the man! I had a big argument with him

5. He has a list of customers in his address book. He calls

6. He’s always talking about his car. He bought it last year

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