ADJECTIVE CLAUSES WITH
SUBJECT RELATIVE
PRONOUNS


We use adjective clauses also called relative clauses to identify or give additional information about nouns (people, places, or things)
OR
 indefinite pronouns such as:
someone, somebody, something,
another, and other(s).

I know the woman who lives there .
Adjective Clause
Identifies the woman we are talking about.

Rome is a city which attracts tourists .
Adjective Clause
Gives additional information about the city.

The adjective clause directly follows the noun (or pronoun) it is describing.
Example
Correct:
Someone who has a lot of friends is lucky.
Pronoun
Incorrect:
Someone is lucky who has a lot of friends.
Pronoun

Sentences with adjective clauses can be seen as a combination of two sentences.
I have a friend. + She loves to shop.
I have a friend who loves to shop.

ADJECTIVE CLAUSES ARE INTRODUCED
BY RELATIVE PRONOUNS
Subject Relative Pronouns are the following:

Who

That

Which

1) Who or That for people
Note: That is less formal than who
I have a friend who lives in Mexico.
I have a friend that lives in Mexico.




Who is used only for people.
Who is the subject of the clause.
After who you should see a verb.

14
Yoko told me about the students…………. have taken the entrance exam 13 times.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Who
Whom
Which
1 & 3
0
W ho
0% 0%
W ho m
0%
W hi ch
0%
1
&
3

14
People…………. moved a lot have fewer friends.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Whom
Who
That
2 & 3
0
W ho m
0% 0%
W ho
0%
T ha t
0%
2
&
3

2) WHICH OR THAT FOR
Places or things
Note: That is less formal than which
New York is a city which never sleeps.
New York is a city that never sleeps.

14
The hat…………. Tom is wearing is unusual.
1.
2.
3.
4.
That
Who
Which
1 & 3
0
T ha t
0% 0%
W ho
0%
W hi ch
0%
1
&
3

3) WHOSE + NOUN
Example:
People’s Possessions
He’s the man whose dog barks all day.
noun
Relative pronoun

14
That is the man………… daughter won the spelling bee.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Which
Whose
Who that
0
W hi ch
0% 0% 0% 0%
W ho se
W ho
th at

BE CAREFUL!
When whose + noun is the subject of an adjective clause, the verb agrees in number with the subject of the adjective clause.
Adjective Clause
Meg is a person whose friends depend on her.
Whose + noun
Subject of the Adjective Clause

14
Most people…………friends………..
(include) members of the sports team are active.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Who, includes
Whose, includes
That, include
Whose, include
0
0% 0% 0% 0%
W ho
, i nc lu de s
W ho se
, i nc lu de s
T ha t, in cl ud e
W ho se
, i nc lu de

BE CAREFUL!
Do not use both a subject relative pronoun and a subject pronoun (I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they) in the same adjective clause.

IS THIS SENTENCE CORRECT?
Scott is someone who he loves sports.
Correct:
Scott is someone who loves sports.

REMEMBER:
Subject Relative Pronouns have the same form in singular or plural nouns, and masculine or feminine nouns.
Look at the following examples:

That’s the man who lives next door.
Singular and Masculine
That’s the woman who lives next door.
Singular and Feminine
Those are the people who live next door.
Plural

REMEMBER:
The verb in the adjective clause is singular if the subject relative pronoun refers to a singular noun .
Ben is my friend who lives in Boston.
Singular Noun Singular Verb

REMEMBER:
The verb in the adjective clause is plural if the subject relative pronoun refers to a plural noun .
Al and Ed are my friends who live in Boston.
Plural Noun Plural Verb

14
He is a person …………. friends trust him.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Who
His
That
Whose
0
W ho
0% 0%
H is
0%
T ha t
0%
W ho se

14
I’m looking for an electric can opener……… also can sharpen knives.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Who
Whose
That
None of the above
0
W ho
0% 0% 0% 0%
W ho se
T ha t
N on e of
th e ab ov e