Adjective Clause

An adjective clause, also known as a relative clause, is a type of dependent clause that
works to describe a noun in a sentence. It functions as an adjective even though it is
made up of a group of words instead of just one word. In the case of an adjective
clause, all the words work together to modify the noun or pronoun.

Adjective Clauses Are Dependent

All adjective clauses are dependent clauses. A dependent clause is a group of words
that consists of a subject and a verb, yet it is not a complete sentence that can stand
alone. Adjective clauses begin with a relative pronoun, which connects them to the word
they describe, such as:
 that
 where
 when
 who
 whom
 whose
 which
 why

Once you remember the relative pronouns, it's very easy to pick out an adjective clause
in a sentence:

 Chocolate, which many people adore, is fattening.

 People who are smart follow the rules.
 I can remember the time when cell phones didn't exist.
 Charlie has a friend whose daughter lives in China.
 The wine that vintners produce in Tuscany is not cheap.
 The reason why Sandra went to law school is that she didn't want to be a doctor.

Notice that each of the italicized adjective clauses begins with a relative pronoun from
the list above. This connects it to the noun being described, which comes directly before
the relative pronoun in the sentence.
 Each adjective clause above also contains a subject and a verb, all of which work
together to describe the original noun being modified. For example, the clause which
many people adore contains the subject "people" and the verb "adore," yet by itself it is
not a complete sentence. Instead, its job is to provide more information to describe the
noun "chocolate."
In some cases, the relative pronoun also serves as the subject of the clause. For
example, in the adjective clause who are smart, the relative pronoun "who" also acts as
the subject that is smart.

Essential vs. Non-Essential Adjective

Clauses
Sometimes the information included in an adjective clause is very important to the
meaning of the sentence. For cases in which the sentence wouldn't hold the same
meaning without the clause, the adjective clause is called an essential clause. For
example:

 I don't like children who eat ice cream with their hands.

In this case, the adjective clause gives essential information to describe the children. If
you got rid of that clause, the sentence would simply say "I don't like children," which is
very different from not liking messy children who eat with their hands!

An essential adjective clause does not require any additional punctuation.

A non-essential adjective clause, on the other hand, gives extra description that is not
strictly required to understand the writer's intent. For example:

 The kitten, which was the smallest of the litter, finally found a foster home.
In this case, the adjective clause gives extra information, but it isn't necessary to get the
gist of the sentence about the cat finding a home. Non-essential adjective clauses are
 set off with commas to show that they aren't as strongly connected to the rest of the
sentence.

Adjective Clauses in Use

Below are a few more examples of adjective clauses. See if you can determine which
ones are essential and which are non-essential as you review them. Ask yourself, is the
information necessary to the meaning of the sentence? Is punctuation required?

 The dog that I brought home from the pound was soon fast asleep.
 The time will come when you feel sorry for the things you've done.
 The smart teenager, whose parents are my neighbors, went to a prestigious
college.
 The used car, which my dad bought last week, broke down yesterday.
 The reason that Penelope failed the test is that she didn't study.

Adjective Clauses Add Detail

Adding adjective clauses to your writing is a good way to provide additional detail about
the nouns and pronouns in your work. This extra description will enrich your writing and
help the reader understand your message more clearly.

When you know the relative pronouns and how to distinguish between essential and
non-essential clauses, you'll have no trouble identifying adjective clauses and
punctuating them correctly in your writing.

And with all this talk of clauses, this may also be a good time to refresh your memory
on independent and dependent clauses.