Adjective Clauses with Subject Relative Pronouns

Famous Faces and Places

6

Focus on Grammar 4Part VI, Unit 13By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ WellsCopyright © 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

She’s a scientist whose discoveries have greatly

affected the medical field.

She’s a scientist whose discoveries have greatly

affected the medical field.

She discovered the element of radium, which is used in X-rays.

She discovered the element of radium, which is used in X-rays.

History 101History 101

Who is Marie Curie? Who is Marie Curie?

Oh, I know. She’s a woman who won the Nobel Prize in 1903.

Oh, I know. She’s a woman who won the Nobel Prize in 1903.What did she discover? What did she discover?

Wow. Good answers. Okay, next question. Who was Gandhi?

Wow. Good answers. Okay, next question. Who was Gandhi?

Okay, let’s start studying for our history exam. I’ll ask a question,

and you tell me the answer.

Okay, let’s start studying for our history exam. I’ll ask a question,

and you tell me the answer.

Gandhi was a man who worked for peace.

Adjective Clauses 1Adjective Clauses 1

Use adjective clauses to identify or give additional information about nouns (people, places, or things).

The clause who worked for peace

identifies the man we are talking about.

The clause which is in Western India

gives additional information about Gujarat.

He lived in the state of Gujarat, which is in Western India.

Adjective Clauses 2Adjective Clauses 2

Adjective clauses can also identify or describe indefinite pronouns such as one, someone, somebody, something, another, and other(s).

George Washington Carver is someone who was a famous botanist.

someone

The adjective clause directly follows the noun (or pronoun)

it is identifying.

The adjective clause directly follows the noun (or pronoun)

it is identifying.

Adjective Clauses 3Adjective Clauses 3

Sentences with adjective clauses can be seen as a combination of two sentences.

Florence Nightingale was a nurse.

SheShe developed modern healthcare methods. ++

==Florence Nightingale was a nurse whowho

developed modern healthcare methods.

Beethoven was a composer.

HisHis music is still enjoyed by many people.++

==Beethoven was a composer whosewhose

music is still enjoyed by many people.

The Mona Lisa is a paintingpainting that is known throughout the worldis known throughout the world.

Abraham Lincoln was an American presidentpresident who fought against slavery fought against slavery.

Use whosewhose to refer to people’s possessionspeople’s possessions.Use whosewhose to refer to people’s possessionspeople’s possessions.

The Mona Lisa is a paintingpainting which is known throughout the worldis known throughout the world.

ThatThat is less formal than who and which and used

more in conversation.

ThatThat is less formal than who and which and used

more in conversation.

Abraham Lincoln was an American presidentpresident that fought against slavery fought against slavery.

OROROROR

Relative Pronouns 1Relative Pronouns 1

Adjective clauses begin with relative pronouns. Subject relative pronouns can be who, that, which, and whose.

who

that

Use whichwhich or thatthat to refer to places or things.

Use whichwhich or thatthat to refer to places or things.

Thomas EdisonThomas Edison, whose inventions changed the worldchanged the world, was born in 1847.

whose inventions

Use whowho or thatthat to refer to peoplepeople.

Use whowho or thatthat to refer to peoplepeople.

Be Careful!Be Careful!

Do not use a subject pronoun (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) and a subject relative pronoun in the same adjective clause.

William Shakespeare is an Englishman who he wrotewho he wrote many well-known plays.

William Shakespeare is an Englishman who wrote many well-known plays.

1. a) Ang San Su Kyi is a Burmese peace activist in Myanmar.

b) MyanmarMyanmar is a country located in Southeast Asia.

2. a) Diego Rivera was a Mexican painter.

b) HisHis work is displayed in many famous museums.

3. a) Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun.

b) SheShe devoted her life to the poor.

Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun who/that devoted her who/that devoted her life to the poorlife to the poor.

Albert Einstein was a physicist who won who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.

Ang San Su Kyi is a Burmese peace activist in Myanmar which is a country located in Southeast Asiawhich is a country located in Southeast Asia.

Practice 1Practice 1Combine the groups of sentences into one sentence with an adjective clause. Use the appropriate relative pronouns.

Example: a) Albert Einstein was a physicist.

b) HeHe won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.

Albert Einstein was a physicist that won that won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921.

OROR

Albert Einstein was a physicist who/that who/that won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921..

Example:

Diego Rivera was a Mexican painter whose work is whose work is displayed in many famous museumsdisplayed in many famous museums.

Relative Pronouns 2Relative Pronouns 2

Relative pronouns have the same form whether they refer to singular or plural nouns, or to males or females.

Ferdinand Magellan was the man whowho led the first expedition to sail around the world.

Pioneers are people whowho do things others think impossible.

Amelia Earhart was the woman whowho was the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic.

Verbs in Adjective ClausesVerbs in Adjective Clauses

The verb in the adjective clause is singular if the subject relative pronoun refers to a singular noun. It is plural if it refers to a plural noun.

Copernicus was an astronomeran astronomer who is known for his theory that the world is round.

Plato and Aristotle are ancient Greek menmen who are known for philosophies.

singular verb

plural verb

Be Careful!Be Careful!

When whose + noun is the subject of an adjective clause, the verb agrees with the subject of the adjective clause.

Jane Austen was an English novelist whose novelsnovels is read by many students.

Jane Austen was an English novelist whose novelsnovels are read by many students.

subject

Two Kinds of Adjective ClausesTwo Kinds of Adjective Clauses

There are two kinds of adjective clauses, identifying and nonidentifying.

The books which are on which are on the tablethe table belong to me.

The books,, which are on which are on the table,the table, belong to me.

The adjective clause identifies which booksidentifies which books the

sentence talks about.

The adjective clause is not is not necessarynecessary to identify the

which books are referred to.

CommasCommas

A nonidentifying adjective clause is separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. Do not use commas with an identifying adjective clause.

The map which is on the which is on the tabletable is new.

Identifying Adjective Clause

The map, which is on , which is on the table,the table, is new.Nonidentifying Adjective

Clause

Be Careful!Be Careful!

Do not use that to introduce nonidentifying adjective nonidentifying adjective clausesclauses. Use who for people and which for places and things.

Marie Curie,, that won the Nobel Prize,that won the Nobel Prize, discovered radium.

Marie Curie,, whowho won the Nobel Prize,won the Nobel Prize, discovered radium.

Athens,, that is the birthplace that is the birthplace of the Olympics,of the Olympics, is in Greece.

Athens,, whichwhich is the birthplace is the birthplace of the Olympics,of the Olympics, is in Greece.

1. Louis Armstrong was a famous American musician who he who he made jazz popularmade jazz popular.

2. Frida Kahlo, whose paintings has recently become well-whose paintings has recently become well-knownknown, was a Mexican painter.

3. Nelson Mandela, who live in South Africawho live in South Africa, fought against apartheid.

4. Chinua Achebe is a Nigerian author which writes novels which writes novels about village lifeabout village life.

5. Valentina Tereshkova who was the first woman to travel who was the first woman to travel into spaceinto space is Russian.

Example: Italy, that is the birthplace of operathat is the birthplace of opera, is a fascinating country.

whichwhich is the birthplace of operais the birthplace of opera, is a

Practice 2Practice 2Find and correct the errors in the adjective clauses of the sentences. Discuss your answers with a partner.

,,,,

whowho

havehave recently become well-recently become well-

liveslives in South Africain South Africa, fought against

who writes novelswrites novels

ReferencesReferences

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