Adjective Clause or Relative Clause
Adjective Clause does the same function in a complex
sentence as an adjective does in a simple one
What is the function of an adjective?
·
It
qualifies or modifies a noun or a pronoun.
For example
1. This
is a gold/golden watch. (gold/golden=adjective)
2. This
watch is made of gold. (made of gold=adjective phrase)
3. This
is the watch which is made of gold.
(Which is made of gold=Adj. Clause)
Type of
Relative/adjective clause
Two Types
1. Defining
Adjective or relative clause
2. Non-defining
Adjective or relative clause
(i)
Defining Adjective or relative clause
This type of clause gives the essential information about the
noun or pronoun it qualifies.
Examples
·
The boy who has topped the class I
is Rohit.
·
I have sold the chair whose/of which one
arm was broken.
·
Those who live in glass houses should
not throw stones at others.
·
This is the village where I was born.
Non-defining Adjective or relative clause.
·
This type of clause does not give any
essential information about the noun or pronoun it qualifies.
·
It gives only additional information.
·
It is separated from the main or principal
clause by commas.
Examples
·
My mother, who is above 60, is coming
to meet me tomorrow.
·
Mohan, whose father is a famous
doctor, studies in class XI.
Some more important facts about Adjective
clause:
(1)
Adjective clause is also called
Relative clause.
(2)
Defining clause is also called restrictive
clause and non-defining clause is called non-restrictive clause.
(3)
These clauses are introduced by
relative pronouns like who, whom, whose, which, that and also by relative
adverbs like where, when, why, etc.
(4)
Sometimes the relative conjunction is missing as shown in the following sentence:
I
have lost the book I purchased yesterday.
(5)
It is argued that the relative pronoun
‘which’ is preferred to be used in non-defining and ‘that’ is used in
defining adjectival clause.
(6)
The noun or the
pronoun qualified by the conjunction is called the antecedent.
(7)
Non-defining clause is separated by
commas.
