Lesson 252 - Parts of the Sentence - Adjective Clauses

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A complex sentence is made up of an independent clause (which can stand alone and make sense) and a dependent clause (which must be attached to the independent clause to make sense). 

 

Example: 

The television was playing (independent clause) as I left the room (dependent clause). 

 

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

The adjective clause is used to modify a noun or a pronoun. It will begin with a relative pronoun (who, whose, whom, which, and that) or a subordinate conjunction (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 preposition which will come between the introductory word and the word it renames. 

 

Examples: 

The student whose hand was up gave the wrong answer. (adjective clause)

Jane is a person in whom I can place my confidence. (adjective clause)

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

1. The singer that you see on stage is my sister.

2. The owner is a woman by whom many things have been accomplished.

3. The teacher who gives the girls piano lessons lives next door.

4. The man whose leg was broken was taken to the hospital.

5. This is the place where the Donner Party perished.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. The singer that you see on stage is my sister.

- that you see on stage modifies singer

2. The owner is a woman by whom many things have been accomplished.

- by whom many things have been accomplished modifies woman

3. The teacher who gives the girls piano lessons lives next door.

- who gives the girls piano lessons modifies teacher

4. The man whose leg was broken was taken to the hospital.

- whose leg was broken modifies man

5. This is the place where the Donner Party perished.

- where the Donner Party perished modifies place

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