Gerunds, Infinitives and Participles
 
Compounding and Coordination
 
Subordination
 
Subordinate Adverb Clauses
 
Subordinate Noun Clauses
 
Subordinate Adjective Clauses
 
Reduced Subordinate Clauses
 
Focus Structures
 
Logical Connectors

 

Sentence Complexity and Embedding

Adjective Clauses

Activity 16.7: Types of Relative Clauses

Exercise A – Read each sentence below and put an asterisk in front of the sentences that you consider ungrammatical.

1. I saw a man who was picking his nose.
2. I saw a man that was picking his nose.
*3. I saw Senator Vinnick who was picking his nose.
*4. I saw Senator Vinnick that was picking his nose.
5. I saw Senator Vinnick, who was picking his nose.
*6. I saw Senator Vinnick, that was picking his nose.

1. The children who wanted to slide brought sleds.
2. The children that wanted to slide brought sleds.
3. The children, who wanted to slide, brought sleds.
*4. The children, that wanted to slide, brought sleds.

1. I called my sister who lives in Chaska.
2. I called my sister that lives in Chaska.
3. I called my sister, who lives in Chaska.
*4. I called my sister, that lives in Chaska.

1. The pens which fell on the floor were new.
2. The pens that fell on the floor were new.
3. The pens, which fell on the floor, were new.
*4. The pens, that fell on the floor, were new.

Exercise B – Now look at the sentences you marked as ungrammatical and tell what is wrong with them. Next consider the other sentences. What does each mean? Why?

Most of the ungrammatical sentences have a relative clause between commas and begin with the relative pronoun that. Other sentences containing a relative clause between commas using a wh- relative pronoun are grammatical, and sentences with a relative pronoun not surrounded by commas and using either pronoun are grammatical. The one exception is when the antecedent is the name of a person.

This exercise introduces two different types of relative clauses. One type is the type set off by commas: nonrestrictive realtive clauses. The second type is the type not set off by commas: the restrictive relative clause.

Restrictive relative clauses limit the antecedent in some way, but nonrestrictive relative clauses place no limits on the antecedent.

Adjective Clause 3