Independent Clause: I Went to the Store for Milk

Adverb Clauses

Adverb clauses are dependent clauses that answer the following questions of an independent clause that they are paired with.

Adverb clauses always begin with a subordinating conjunction. The subordinating conjunction is what makes an adverb clause dependent.

Common Subordinating Conjunctions

after if Though although if only till as in order that unless as if now that until as long as once when as though rather than whenever because since where before so that whereas even if than wherever even though that while

Independent Clause: I went to the store for milk.

Dependent Clause: After I went to the store for milk. . .

Identify the subordinate (dependent) clauses in each of the following sentences.

1. Because his parents did not give him any spending money, he had to get a job.

2. I try to have a book in my hand whenever it is possible.

3. After studying the examples, we will write sentences of our own.

4. Unless my girlfriend postpones her visit from Calgary, I will not have time to study for my

5. The football game was cancelled before it started raining.

6. When the train arrives and if Ms. Langlois is on it, she will be served with a subpoena. Adjective Phrases and Clauses

An adjective phrase is any phrase which modifies a noun or pronoun. Adjective phrases are constructed using participles or prepositions together with their objects:

I was driven mad by the volume of my neighbor's radio.

In this sentence, the prepositional phrase "of my neighbor's radio" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "volume.” It answers the question “Which volume?”

However, many of the people in our neighborhood like her music.

Notice in this sentence the prepositional phrase “in our neighborhood” modifies the word “people,” the object of the preposition in the previous phrase. It answers the question “Which people?”

The rain pattering on the roof made an interesting sound.

Similarly, the participle phrase “pattering on the roof” modifies the noun “rain.” It answers the question “Which rain?”

In the following sentences, identify the prepositional phrases used as adjectives and the words that they modify.

1. I read the book from the library because it looked interesting. 2. The girl next to me read the same one. 3. A single revolution of the planets in a solar system is called a year. 4. Pluto, on the outside of our solar system, has an unbelievably long year. 5. 248 of our own years is the same as one of theirs.

Adjective Clauses

An adjective clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun; it begins with a relative pronoun as its subject or object and usually modifies the word directly in front of it.

Relative Pronouns who whom whoever whomever whose

that which where when

The player who has the most points wins the Hart Trophy.

In this sentence “who has the most points” acts as an adjective modifying the word “player.” It answers the question “Which player?”

Many people never read the books that they censor.

In this sentence “that they censor” acts as an adjective modifying the word “books.” It answers the question “Which books?” In the following sentences, identify each adjective clause and the word that it modifies.

1. The people who tape television commercials are called production workers.

2. John Keats, who was one of the most promising English poets, died in Rome.

3. The theater where we saw the play is being renovated.

4. Is this the police officer whose quick thinking saved the day?

5. The manager is responsible for the professionalism of the actors whom they represent.

Using adjective phrases and clauses will help improve your writing style by providing greater opportunity for sentence variety.

Rewrite each pair of sentences as a single sentence employing an adjective clause; then, label all parts within the clause.

Example: The student is a very nice person. She comes from Japan.

The student who comes from Japan is a very nice person.

1. We sent a package to our relatives. They live in Iowa.

______.

2. The woman works as a cashier. She sits next to me in class.

______.

3. That's the book. Everyone is reading it.

______.

4. We bought some trees. Our neighbor told us they were on sale.

______.

5. The car has a bad engine. I bought it last month.

______.

6. I lived in an apartment building. It had a very slow elevator.

______.

7. You should see a doctor. He can help you with your back problems.

______.

Noun Clauses

A noun clause contains its own subject and verb and functions the same way a single-word noun does.

Relative Pronouns Used to Begin Noun Clauses

who what whoever what-ever whom where whomever how whose when which if whichever whether that why

Noun Clauses used as:

Subject: Whoever wins the game will move on to the finals.

Direct Object: You should invite whomever you want to the party

Indirect Object: His quick wit gave whoever was listening a hardy laugh.

Object of a Preposition: Use the money for whatever purpose you choose.

Predicate Nominative: Our problem is whether we should stay or go.

Appositive: The administration rejected our request that they alter the schedule.

Identifying Noun Clauses Exercise #1: Identify the noun clause in each sentence, how it functions and how its parts function. Not every sentence will contain a noun clause.

1. What I found most interesting was the size of the lobsters.

2. I had thought that lobsters were usually a pound or more.

3. Our guide explained that langostinos look like miniature lobsters but are more closely related to

the hermit crab.

4. I was excited by what we saw next. 5. A squid that is over 30 feet long is not what I expected.

6. Whoever can keep his composure with one of those things in his face is a brave man!

7. I learned that the giant squid is rarely spotted in such shallow water.

8. Marjory was freaked out by how large its tentacles were.

9. She enjoys whatever expedition she is on at the moment, even if it freaks her out.

10. We are going visit wherever she chooses next month.