it is time to learn English - adjective clauses

ADJECTIVES CLAUSES

An other type of clause that serves for t he establishments of complex sentences is known as adjective clause . An adjective clause is a dependent clause and is used as an adjective . In other words, an adjective clause is a subordinate clause which supplies, describes, and defines information about nouns.That’s why , an adjective clause avoids the use of a repetitious subject, object, and appositives, which can make the writing of comlex or compound- complex awkward or stilted.

In an adjective clause the noun qualified is called antecedent, and the relative cluse normally follows the antecedent,as seen in the following cases:

EXERCISES

The woman who lives in a boat is an expert on sea pollution. The woman=antecedent)

Who lives in a boat= adjective clause

The bike which Mary bought is very pretty.

Mary’nin satın aldığı bisiklet çok şık.

The room where we gathered was quite small

So the noun that is modified by the adjective clause is called the antecedent . In some cases ,there may be double or triple antecedents as seen in the following sentences;

Mr Brown was a psyhiatrist who worked with individuals who came with special needs to his Office.

Mr. Adam is a teacher who teaches the students who needs education .

In all of the adjective clauses such conecting words like who,whom,whose, which, and that are called relative pronouns; and such connecting words where ,when, why and as are termed relative adverbs; they are occasionally used to refer to an expression of time ,place and manner .

1) Relative ponouns as subject of a verb

Who, that, and which can function as the subject of an adjective clause.

That cannot be deleted when it is the subject of the clause.

The man who / that always speaks of the truth is an honest person.

People who/that go to Turkey enjoy the food.

The leader who/that has had the greatest influence on the establishment of modern Turkey is Mustafa Kemal Atattürk.

The woman who/that forgot her coat is chilly now.

Students who /that study hard are usually successful.

People who/that are interested in sports live longer.

Jack’s father is a doctor who/that looks afterinvalid people.

I can always identify the person who/that speaks on the phone.

The story is based on a woman who/that deserts her husband and children.

In America and Europe ,here are thousands of doctors who /thatnow have learnt how to use acupuncture.

Do you prefer people who/that share your attitudes and beliefs.

Not: that cümlenin öznesi olursa atılmaz.

For Things

*The Americans deviced a new type of rocket which /that revolutionized the studies on space.

*The ideas which/that are presented in this movie are very interesting.

* The walls which/that surround our house is made of finely cut Stone.

* I live in that house which/that was built in 1900 by the Ottomans.

*This is the dog which/that caught the thief.

2)The relative pronouns as object of a verb

The relative pronouns whom,which, and that can function as the object of an adjective clause. In spoken and formal English,it is who but not whom which is frequently used as the object of the clause. The pronoun that is used only in restrictive clause and it may be deleted when it functions as the object.

It should be borne in mind that a clause can have only one direct object as seen below ;

The man whom /that I quarrelled with turned out to be a thief. Whom may be deleted

The boy whom/ that you met yesterday is my nephew.

After same and such an adjective clause is usually introduced by as

*You must do the same way as I do.

Beinim yaptığım şekilde yapmalısın.

*My wife dislikes the same things as I do

Eşim benim hoşlandığım şeylerden nefret eder.

*I have never heard such comic stories as she tells.

Onun anlattığı gibi böyle komik hikayeler duymadım.

*He is such a coward as his father is

O babası gibi korkaktır.

When= Time *Fall is a good time of the year when there are good sales with reduction.

Sonbahar satışların azaldığı güzel bir dönemdir.

Where =location This is the school where my father teaches English.

Bu okul babamın İngilizce öğrettiği yerdir.

Why= reason,explanation

My wife didn’t tell me the reason why she was upset with me.

Eşim bana niçin üzgün olduğunu söylemedi.

As = same,such

Can you dance the same way as I do.

He is such a great liar as his brother is.

Kardeşi kadar yalancı.

***** Relative pronoun in of-expression of possession, quantity or comparison-whose, some of, most of, many of ,a part of ,muc of and two –three-four of…………………………….

The boy whose book I borrowed is a genius.

This house,the windows of which are broken is haunted. (true)

This house whose windows are broken is haunted. (false) Cansızlarda whose kullanılmaz o yüzden ( of which kullanılır)

The footballer whose leg was broken was taken to hospital.

The footballer leg of which was broken was taken to hospital.

Sarıyer Campus has many students. Some of them are from overseas.

Sarıyer Campus has many students some of whom are from overseas

She brought some cookies .Most of them had been home made.

She brought some cookies most of which had been home made .

I didn’t enjoy that book. I didn’t understand much of them

I didn’t enjoy that book much of which I didn’t understand.

I recognized the prisoners .Two of them were Irans.

I recognized the prisoners two of whom were Irans.

I at last finished writing of my new story. A chapter of them was already written by my assistant.

I at last finished writing of my new story a chapter of which was already written by my assistant.

Nato is a pact. The principles of it can be altered in accordance with the changing circumstances in the world.

Nato is a pact the principles of which can be altered in accordance with the changing circumstances in the world.

SOME USEFUL REMARKS ON ADJECTIVE CLAUSES

1) Avoiding a repetitious subject

Adjective clauses are made to avoid a repetitious subject. If two sentences of unequal importance happen to have a common subject, the less important sentence is reduced to a clause to modify the subject.

This woman is a doctor. She lives in the suburbs Of İstanbul.

This woman ,who is lives in the suburbs of İstanbul, is a doctor.

2) Avoiding a repetitious object

An adj. Clause is used to avoid a repetitious object. The object of a sentence may function as the subject of an other sentence.

I have a girl friend.She lives in İzmir.

I have a girl friend who lives in İzmir.

That’s the house. I would like to buy it.

That’s the house that I would like to buy .

3) Appositives as adjective clauses with deletions.

Miss Jane ,who is an English teacher,teaches English very well.

Miss Jane , an English teacher,teaches English very well.

4) Restrictive and non- restrictive clauses( Defining –non defining clauses)

The boy who died in the plane crash was an orphan. ( buradaki sıfat cümlesi atılamaz çünkü çoçuğu belirtiyor.)

The story which you told me was very touching. (buradaki sıfat cümlesi atılamaz çünkü

hikayeyi belirtiyor.)

The following sentences indicate the non defining clauses.

Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı,who wrote ‘’35 Yaş’’,was a real genious in the field of the poem.

The suit,which is wrinked,will have to be pressed.

The students ,who study hard, are usually successful.

The Bandırma boat ,in which Mustafa Kemal Atatürk sailed to Samsun in 1919,was only a small boat.