Daily Grammar

Lesson 255

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, , or 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. This is a matter about which there was much discussion.

This is a matter about which there was much discussionadjective clause.

  - about which there was much discussion modifies matter

2. It is the man on your left who will be the next principal.

It is the man on your left who will be the next principaladjective clause.

  - who will be the next principal modifies man

3. The car whose license plate I could not read sped quickly away.

The car whose license plate I could not readadjective clause  
sped quickly away.

  - whose license plate I could not read modifies car

4. Did you find the opening where the sheep got through?

Did you find the opening where the sheep got throughadjective clause?

  - where the sheep got through modifies opening

5. The man whom you admire greatly will be the next speaker.

The man whom you admire greatlyadjective clause  
will be the next speaker.

  - whom you admire greatly modifies man

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