Adjective clauses

Revision of adjective (relative) clauses

Adjective clauses give us information about things, people, possessions, places and times using a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whose).

1. Things (which, that)
    A stop which / that sells electronic goods.

* It is incorrect to use what here.

2. People (who, that)
    A spectator is a person who / that watches a public event.

* If a person or thing is the object of the a. c., you can omit which, who or what.

3. Possessions (whose)
    A widow is a women whose husband has died.

4. Places (where, which / that + preposition)
    This is the room where Leo sleeps.
    This is the room which / that Leo sleeps in.
    This is the room in which Leo sleeps.

5. Times (when)
    A public holiday is a day when all the shops close.

Adjective clauses with and without commas

Defining adjective clauses (without commas)

Sometimes the adjective clause is necessary to tell us which thing / person we are talking about. In this case, there are no commas.
- That's the man who offered me a lift home.
- I've just finished the book you gave me for Christmas.
In both cases, we need the adjective clause to know which man / book we are talking about.

Non-defining adjective clauses (with commas)

Sometimes the adjective clause gives us extra information. It is not necessary to tell us which thing / person we are talking about. In this case, there are commas before and after the clause.
- Christmas Day, which is on a Thursday this year, is always a public holiday.
- He gave me a photograph, which I keep in my wallet.
Some rules:
* You cannot use that.
   - Christmas Day, that which is on a Thursday this year, is always a public holiday.
* You cannot leave out the relative pronoun.
   - He gave me a photograph, which I keep in my wallet.
* Prepositions can go either at the beginning or at the end of the clause.
   - His greatest hobby was motor racing, on which he spent a great deal of money.
     (more formal)
   - His greatest hobby was motor racing, which he spent a great deal of money on.
     (less formal)
* Words which refer to the subject like here and it are omitted
   - This is the city. The President was born here.
     > This is the city where the President was born here.
   - He's a man. Everyone admires him.
     > He's a man (who) everyone admires him.