ADJECTIVAL

CLAUSES

SUBJECT: Morfosintaxis del Inglés II

Teacher: Marisol Amigo Ritz
 - According to their form, Adjectival Clauses can be classified
in different categories.
 
 Finite Clauses ---- Relative Clauses

You have to catch the train that/which leaves at 11:00

 
 Non-finite Clauses ---- Participial Clauses
 
The train leaving at 11:00 is late.

 An Adjectival Clause is a dependent clause with the function

of an adjective, that is, it modifies a nominal element. In the
examples above the clauses are modifying the NP the train.
 The information the adjectival clause gives
about the nominal element can be important
and essential for the understanding of the
message. In this case the clause is called
Restrictive / Defining / Identifying Clause.
 
 Defining clauses are used to say exactly
which person or thing one is talking about.
 
 Defining clauses come immediately after the
nominal element they modify.
 Defining relative clauses are usually introduced by a
relative pronoun: that, which, who, whom, whose.
 
 The relative pronoun can be left out when they are the
object of the verb in the relative clause.
 
You have to catch the train that/which leaves at 11:00.
The train leaving at 11:00 is late.
 
The train that/which you told to catch had already
left.
The train you told to catch had already left.
 
 If the information the clause is giving is extra
information, non-essential for the
understanding of the message, then this clause
is called Non-Restrictive / Non-Defining /
Adding Clause.
 
 The position of Non-defining Adjectival Clauses
is different for finite and non-finite clauses.
Relative clauses come immediately after the
nominal element they modify and they are
introduced by a relative pronoun which cannot
be omitted.
 Participial clauses can have the same position of a relative
clause, but they can also be at the beginning of the sentence or
at the end of the sentence, depending on the information, style
and intention of the speaker.
 
 In written English, non-defining clauses are written between
commas.
 
 Your train, which leaves at 11:00, is really nice.
 
 The train, leaving at 11:00, disappeared slowly in the
distance.
 
 Leaving at 11:00, the train disappeared slowly in the
distance.
 There is another type of non-Restrictive
Clause: Sentential Relative Clause ---
 This is a clause beginning with WHICH and
it is used to say something about the whole
situation described in the main clause, as a
comment.

 I travelled first class leaving at 11:00,

which was very expensive.