Adjective Clauses

Who & whom = used for people, which = used for things, that = used for things and people, whose = used to show possession.

Relative pronouns introduce the clause and they also function inside the clause as a subject or object.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS

"Whose" is a possessive pronoun like "his," "her" and "our." We use "whose" to find out which person something belongs to.

Examples:• Whose camera is this?• Whose dog is barking outside?• Whose cell phone keeps ringing?

Using whose

In addition to subject- and object-pattern adjectiveclauses, there are also adjective clauses with whose.

In clauses of this type, whose shows possession and is always combined with a noun or noun phrase.

Both whose and the noun it is connected to are placed at the beginning of the adjective clause. Whose cannot be omitted.

Whose in adjective clauses

Example:•The woman is on the phone.    You met her son.•The woman whose son you met is on the phone.

Examples

•She knew the family whose house we bought. •The people whose names are on this list will be glad to help you.•We visited a museum whose art collection is valued at 3 billion.• I visited a country whose people love to go hiking. 

•She knew the family whose house we bought. •The people whose names are on this list will be glad to help you.•We visited a museum whose art collection is valued at 3 billion.• I visited a country whose people love to go hiking. 

Where are the adjective clauses?•Here, whose modifies people and things.

NOTICE

* Whose and who’s have the same pronunciation but different usage.

That is the girl whose sister you met.That is the girl who’s in my class.That is the girl who’s been working here since 1990.

That is the girl whose sister you met. (possessive pronoun)That is the girl who’s in my class. (contracted who is)That is the girl who’s been working here since 1990. (contracted who has)

RELATIVE ADVERBS1- where :It is used in an adjective clause to modify a place.

-The building is very old.He lives there (in the building).

1. The building where he lives is very old.2. The building in which he lives is very old.3. The building which he lives in is very old.4. The building that he lives in is very old.5. The building Ø he lives in is very old.

We don’t use a preposition with where. The preposition is included in the adjective clause if where is not used.

RELATIVE ADVERBS1- when:It is used in an adjective clause to modify a noun of time.

-I’ll never forget the day.I met you then (on that day).

1. I’ll never forget the day when I met you.2. I’ll never forget the day on which I met you.3. I’ll never forget the day that I met you.4. I’ll never forget the day Ø I met you.

The preposition used in an adjective clause precedes which only. Otherwise it is omitted.

Using Adjective clauses to Modify Pronouns

1- Adjective clauses can modify indefinite pronouns like: (a) There is someone (whom) I want you to meet.(b)  Everything he said was pure nonsense .(c)  Anybody who wants to come is welcome.* Object pronouns could be omitted like (a) and (b).

2-Adjective clause can modify the one(s) and those like: (a) Paula was the only one I knew at the party.(b)  Scholarships are available for those who need financial assistance.

3- Adjective clause are almost never used to modify personal pronoun. Native English speakers would not write the sentences (a). (b) is possible, but very formal and uncommon. (c) is a well-known saying in which he is used as an indefinite pronoun ( meaning “anyone”, ”any person”)

 (a) I who am student at this school come from a country in Asia. (incorrect)(b)  It is I who am responsible.(c)  He who laughs last laughs best.

Personal pronouns?