Adjective
Clause
An adjective clause is simply a group
of words with a subject and a verb that provide a description. The clause
starts with a pronoun such as who, whom, that, or which or an adverb such as
when, where and why.
The adjective clause will follow one
of these two patterns:
Relative Pronoun or Adverb + Subject
+ Verb
Relative Pronoun as Subject + Verb
Here are some examples:
Whose big, brown eyes pleaded for
another cookie
Whose = relative pronoun; eyes =
subject; pleaded = verb.
Why Fred cannot stand sitting across
from his sister Melanie
Why = relative adverb; Fred =
subject; can stand = verb [not, an adverb,
is not officially part of the verb].
That bounced across the kitchen
floor
That = relative pronoun functioning
as subject; bounced = verb.
Who hiccupped for seven hours
afterward
Who = relative pronoun functioning
as subject; hiccupped = verb.
Avoid writing a sentence fragment.
An adjective clause does not express
a complete thought, so it cannot stand alone as a sentence. To avoid writing a fragment,
you must connect each adjective clause to a main
clause.
Read the examples below. Notice that
the adjective clause follows the word that it describes.
Diane felt manipulated by her beagle
Santana, whose big, brown eyes pleaded for another cookie.
Chewing with her mouth open is one
reason why Fred cannot stand sitting across from his sister Melanie.
Snarling and skidding on the smooth
tile, Oreo and Skeeter, Madison's two dogs, competed for the hardboiled egg
that bounced across the kitchen floor.
Laughter erupted from Annamarie, who
hiccupped for seven hours afterward.
Noun Clause
What Are
Noun Clauses?
A
noun clause is a clause that plays the role of a noun.
For example (noun clauses shaded):
·
I like what I see.
·
I know that the tide is turning.
·
I've met the man who won the lottery.
(Not all agree this is a noun
clause. See Note on the right.)
Compare
the three examples above to these:
·
I like cakes.
·
I know London.
·
I've met Madonna.
The words in bold are all nouns. This shows that shaded clauses in
the first three examples are functioning as nouns, making them noun
clauses.
Like any noun, a noun clause can be a subject, an object, or a complement.
In a sentence, a noun clause will be a dependent clause. In other words, a noun clause does not stand alone as a complete thought.
Like any noun, a noun clause can be a subject, an object, or a complement.
In a sentence, a noun clause will be a dependent clause. In other words, a noun clause does not stand alone as a complete thought.
Examples of
Noun Clauses
Here
are some examples of noun clauses:
·
A person who
trusts no one can't be trusted. (Jerome
Blattner)
(This
noun clause is the subject of the sentence.)
(Not all agree this is a noun clause. See Note on the right.)
(Not all agree this is a noun clause. See Note on the right.)
·
That he believes
his own story is remarkable. (Jerome
Blattner)
(This
noun clause is the subject of the sentence. Be aware that starting a sentence
with a noun clause starting That is acceptable, but it grates
on lots of people's ears. As a result, many writers prefer to precede it with
"The fact…".)
·
Ask your child what he wants for dinner only if he's
buying. (Fran Lebowitz)
(This
noun clause is the direct object of ask.)
·
He knows all about art, but he
doesn't knowwhat he likes. (James
Thurber, 1894-1961)
(This
noun clause is the direct object of know.)
·
It is even harder for the average
ape to believethat he has descended from man.
(H L Mencken, 1880-1956)
(This
noun clause is the direct object of believe.)
·
I never know how much of what I say is true. (Bette Midler)
(This
noun clause is an object of a preposition.)
·
Man is what he eats. (Ludwig Feuerbach)
(This
noun clause is a subject complement.)
·
My one regret in life is that I am not someone else. (Woody Allen)
(This
noun clause is a subject complement.)
·
An economist is a man who states the obvious in terms of the
incomprehensible. (Alfred A Knopf)
(This noun clause is a subject
complement.)
(Not all agree this is a noun clause. See Note on the right.)
(Not all agree this is a noun clause. See Note on the right.)