Lesson 254

Parts of the Sentence - Adjective Dependent Clauses

A complex sentence is made up of an independent clauseA clause is a group of words having a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence.
Source: Lesson 246 and a dependent clauseA clause is a group of words having a subject and a verb. A dependent clause must be attached to the independent clause to make sense. It is always used as some part of speech. A dependent clause can be an adjective, adverb, or noun. It cannot stand alone as a sentence.  Source: Lesson 246.

Example:
The television was playingindependent clause   
as I left the roomdependent clause.

There are three kinds of dependent clauses: adjective clause, adverb clause, and noun clause.

 
 
 

The adjective clause is used to modify a nounA noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, idea. Examples: man, city, book, and courage.  Source: Lesson 16 or a pronounA pronoun is a word that replaces a noun or a group of words used as a noun.
Source: Lesson 21.  It will begin with a relative pronounRelative pronouns join dependent clauses to independent clauses. They are who, whose, whom, which, and that.  Source: Lesson 26 (who, whose, whom, which, and that) or a subordinate conjunctionA conjunction is a word that joins other words, phrases, or clauses. Subordinate conjunctions join dependent clauses to independent clauses. Some common subordinate conjunctions are after, although, as, as if, because, before, if, since, so that, than, unless, until, when, where, and while.
Source: Lesson 84 (when and where).  Those are the only words that can be used to introduce an adjective clause.  The introductory word will always rename the word that it follows and modifies except when used with a prepositionA preposition is a word that begins a prepositional phrase and shows the relationship between its object and another word in the sentence. A preposition must always have an object.  Source: Lesson 176 which will come between the introductory word and the word it renames.

Examples:
The student whose hand was upadjective clause gave  
the wrong answer.

Jane is a person in whom I can place my confidenceadjective clause.

 
 
 

Instructions: Find the adjective dependent clause in the following sentences and tell which word it modifies.

1. Will you thaw the pizza that is in the freezer?

2. I am looking for the person who owns this car.

3. I remember well the time when I broke my leg.

4. I want to ride a horse which is very tame.

5. We must find a person whose honesty is above reproach.