ADJECTIVE

CLAUSES
How would you answer
these QUESTIONS?
What kind of movies or series do
1. you like?

2. What is your definition of a true

friend?

3. What is a pet?

4. What kind of place is relaxing for

you?

5. What is Dia de Los Muertos?

 I like movies which...

A true friend is someone who...

ANSWERS
LOOK
A pet is something that ...

SOMETHIN
A relaxing place is a place where...

G LIKE
El Dia de los Muertos is a day when...
WHAT IS AN
ADJECTIVE /
RELATIVE CLAUSE?
• AN ADJECTIVE CLAUSE DESCRIBES NOUNS OR PRONOUNS.
• IT MUST HAVE A SUBJECT + VERB.
• IT MUST GO IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE WORD IT DESCRIBES.
• SOMETIMES THEY GIVE ESSENTIAL INFORMATION THAT DESCRIBES SOMETHING OR
SOMEONE VERY UNIQUE. (cannot be omitted from the sentence)
• SOMETIMES THEY GIVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT IS NICE TO KNOW, BUT NOT
ESSENTIAL TO THE IDEA. (can be omitted from the sentence...must be separated with commas)
 WHAT ARE THE
RELATIVE
WHO WHOM PRONOUNS?
WHIC THAT
PEOPLE PEOPLE
H
THINGS PEOPLE & THINGS

(Acts as the (Acts as the object) (Acts as a subject (can only use when the
subject) or an object) information in the clause
cannot be removed from the
sentence and have the same
meaning.)
WHO VS WHOM for people

WHO WHOM
• Who is the subject in the adjective clause. • Whom is the object of an adjective clause OR a
preposition.

Examples Examples
• Karen is the friend who gives the best advice. • Karen is the friend whom I ask for advice.
• She can’t remember the person who arrived first. • She can’t remember the person with whom she arrived.
WHY IS “WHOM” SO
COMPLICATED?
You probably don‘t know when to use “whom“ because most of the time it is omitted.

FORMAL:
• Karen is the friend whom she asks for advice.
• She can’t remember the person with whom she arrived.
TYPICAL:
• Karen is the friend she asks for advice.
⚬ whom is not necessary because you have a subject already...she
• She can’t remember the person who she arrived with.
⚬ In informal English we put prepositions at the end of sentences...especially with adjective clauses.
 formal vs. typical

similar to spanish only in english

• Do you know the person to whom she is talking? • Do you know the person (who) she is talking to?
• Here is the information about which I emailed you. • Here is the information I emailed you about.
• The supermarket at which I shop is very expensive. • The supermarket I shop at is very expensive.
• Alberto is the one for whom I bought the present. • Alberto is the one I bought the present for.
MORE EXAMPLES
• I need to finish the report which/that was due last week.
• My friend Michelle, who is from Long Island, has a birthday this month.
• Sharon wants to find the woman whom she met at the conference last year.
• Sharon wants to find the woman that she met at the conference last year.
• Sharon wants to find the woman she met at the conference last year.
• Isn’t that the song about which I told you last week? (TOO FORMAL!!!)
• Isn’t that the song I told you about last week? (TYPICAL)

• The production, which was bottled last week, has some impurities.
• The production that was bottled last week has some impurities.
NOW YOU
try! 1.
What kind of movies or series do
you like?

2. What is your definition of a true

friend?
3. What is a pet?

4. What kind of place is relaxing for

you?
5. What is Dia de Los Muertos?