Adjective, Adverb, and

Noun Clauses
Identifying
Writing
Combining
A complex sentence is
made up of an
independent clause and
a dependent clause.
There are three kinds of
dependent clauses:
adjective clause
adverb clause
noun clause
 Adjective Clause Pretest
• Adjective Clauses modify ___nouns__ and
_pronouns_____.
• Adjective Clauses begin with ______relative___
pronouns or a few ___subordinating________
conjunctions.
• Adjective Clauses usually modify the word they
_____follow____.
• A sentence with at least one adjective clause
must be either ___complex_______ or
_compound__-__complex_____.
 Adjective Clause
• The adjective clause is used to
modify a noun or a pronoun.

• It will begin with a relative

pronoun (who, whose, whom,
which, and that) or a subordinate
conjunction (when, where, and
since).
• Those are the only words that
can be used to introduce an
adjective clause.
• The introductory word will
always rename the word that
it follows and modifies except
when used with a preposition
which will come between the
introductory word and the word
it renames.
 Examples:
• The student whose hand was
up gave the wrong answer.
• Whose hand was up is the
adjective clause with whose,
the relative pronoun, renaming
and modifying student.
 Examples
• Jane is a person in whom I can place my
confidence.
• In whom I can place my confidence is the
adjective clause
• Whom is the relative pronoun
• the preposition in comes between whom
and person, the word that whom renames
and modifies.
 Combining Sentences
• Using the various kinds of clauses can
give variety to your sentences.
• Adjective clauses can be used for this
purpose.
• A sentence with one independent clause
and one or more adjective clauses would
be an example of a COMPLEX
SENTENCE.
 Find the adjective clause in the following
sentences.
• 1. I play a kind of music that nobody likes.
• 2. The man whom you saw was not the
famous actor.
• 3. I remember the day when I took my first
airplane ride.
• 4. I have a neighbor whose parents live in
Australia.
• 5. The hint that I learned about cleaning
the walk saved me much work.
 Answers
• 1. that nobody
• 2. whom you saw
• 3. when I took my first airplane ride
• 4. whose parents live in Australia
• 5. that I learned about cleaning the walk
 Find the adjective clause in the following sentences
and tell which word it modifies.
• 1. The singer that you see on stage is my
sister.
• 2. The owner is a woman by whom many
things have been accomplished.
• 3. The teacher who gives the girls piano
lessons lives next door.
• 4. The man whose leg was broken was
taken to the hospital.
• 5. This is the place where the Donner Party
perished.
 Answers
• 1. that you see on stage modifies
singer
• 2. by whom many things have been
accomplished modifies woman
• 3. who gives the girls piano lessons
modifies teacher
• 4. whose leg was broken modifies man
• 5. where the Donner Party perished
modifies place
 Use an adjective clause to combine the following sentences.
Use the introductory words who, whose, whom, which, that,
when, where, or since to begin the adjective clause.

• 1. The doctor examined the patient. The patient

had fallen from a cliff.
• 2. The mechanic repaired my sister's car. The
car had a warped block.
• 3. The restaurant had closed permanently. The
customers were shot there.
• 4. The day was a wonderful day. Terri was
married on that day.
• 5. The parents had great respect for the
teacher. The teacher had taught their children.
 Answers
• 1. The doctor examined the patient who had
fallen from a cliff.
• 2. The mechanic repaired my sister's car that
had a warped block.
• 3. The restaurant where the customers were
shot had closed permanently.
• 4. The day when Terri was married was
wonderful.
• 5. The parents had great respect for the
teacher who had taught their children. 
 Placement of Adjective Clauses

• In using an adjective clause, you

should always place it as near to the
word it modifies as possible.

• If you misplace the adjective clause,

the result is a ridiculous sentence or
one that is unclear, in other words, A
MISPLACED MODIFIER.
MODIFIER
 Examples:
• (incorrect) = I waved to my dog from the car
that had just licked my face. (The car did not
lick my face; the dog did.)

• (correct) = From the car I waved to my dog

that had just licked my face. (Now the clause
is as close as it can be to the word it
modifies. That is, next to dog.)
 Rewrite the following sentences placing the
adjective clause in the correct place.
• 1. They drove to the lake in their new car where
they love to fish for bass.
• 2. The large limousine pulled up to the curb
which was loaded with students for the prom.
• 3. The new tricycle was smashed on the
driveway that had been delivered yesterday.
• 4. We showed the pictures to our friends that
we had taken at the wedding.
• 5. We caught several fish with the new bait
which we cooked for dinner.
 Answers
• 1. They drove in their new car to the lake where
they love to fish for bass.
• 2. The large limousine which was loaded with
students for the prom pulled up to the curb.
• 3. The new tricycle that had been delivered
yesterday was smashed on the driveway.
• 4. We showed to our friends the pictures that
we had taken at the wedding.
• 5. We caught with the new bait several fish
which we cooked for dinner.
Rewrite the following sentences placing the
adjective clause in the correct place.

• 1. The little dog was running behind the boy

that was growling and barking fiercely.
• 2. The trunk of the passenger was placed on
the train which was covered with travel
stickers.
• 3. A dog ran onto the football field which
looked like the team mascot.
• 4. The car is now in our garage that was in a
wreck yesterday.
• 5. The crickets were the targets of our
poison bait which were destroying our crops.
• 1. The little dog that was growling and
barking fiercely was running behind the boy.
• 2. The passenger's trunk, which was
covered with travel stickers, was placed on
the train.
• 3. A dog which looked like the team mascot
ran onto the football field.
• 4. The car that was in a wreck yesterday is
now in our garage.
• 5. The crickets which were destroying our
crops were the targets of our poison bait.
 The Adverb Clause
• The adverb clause is a dependent clause
that modifies the verb, adjective, or
adverb in the independent clause of a
complex sentence.
• It tells how, when, where, why, and
under what conditions.
• Adverb clauses begin with common
subordinating conjunctions.
 Common Subordinating
Conjunctions
• After • Though
• Although • Unless
• As • Until
• Because • When
• Before • Whenever
• It • Where
• Since • Whereas
• So that • Wherever
• Than • While
Find the adverb clause in the following sentences
and list the subordinating conjunction.

1. I haven’t spoken with Jane since she

moved.
2. I’ll wear my sandals if the weather is
warm.
3. Tomatoes are best when they are fully
ripened.
4. Grace swims better than she dives.
5. When the principal called her name,
Baley stepped forward.
 Answers
1. I haven’t spoken with Jane since she moved.
2. I’ll wear my sandals if the weather is warm.
3. Tomatoes are best when they are fully
ripened.
4. Grace swims better than she dives.
5. When the principal called her name, Baley
stepped forward.
Key: Subordinating conjunctions-
green/dependent clause blue
 Noun Clauses
• Noun clauses are dependent clauses used
as nouns. They can function as the
subject, direct object, predicate noun, or
object of the preposition.
 Examples of Noun Clauses
• Whoever rides in a car should wear a
seatbelt. Subject
• Cameron said that he is watching television.
Direct Object
• Listening to tapes is how I learned French.
Predicate Noun
• Please listen to what the doctor says!
Prepositional phrase
Identify the Noun Clause in each
of the following sentences.
1. City Hall is where the parade begins.
2. I don’t know which one I should choose.
3. Can you please demonstrate how this
phone works?
4. Whatever you want to eat is fine with me.
5. New York is where many celebrities live.
 Answers
1. City Hall is where the parade begins.
2. I don’t know which one I should
choose.
3. Can you please demonstrate how this
phone works?
4. Whatever you want to eat is fine with
me.
5. New York is where many celebrities
live.