Is the word where an adjective

English Level: Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate

Language Focus: An explanation of how to use the relative pronouns where, when, and whose. Includes several exercises.

Worksheet Download: adjective-clause-worksheet-esl.docx (scroll down to study the exercises online)n

Jump to: Relative Pronouns Where/When, Relative Pronoun Whose, Final Exercises

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Before we go further, let’s review the relative pronouns.

who	subject and object pronoun for people only. (*whom can be used as an object relative pronoun.) E.g. The man who(m) I saw was old.
that	subject and object pronoun for people and things. E.g. The book that I saw was red.
which	subject and object pronoun for things only. E.g. The book, which I saw, was red.
whose	used for possessions. E.g. The man whose house was for sale was old.
where	used for places. E.g. The restaurant where we met was downtown.
when	used for times. E.g. The day when we met was cloudy.

Adjective Clauses: Using When as a Relative Pronoun

‘Where’ is used for places, of course. But sometimes places can be things. This can be confusing. Let’s look at two examples.

John lives in a town. The town is near the ocean.

Now, the first step in making an adjective clause is finding a word in each sentence that refers to the same thing.

John lives in a town. The town is near the ocean.

The next step is replacing the second word (‘The town’) with a relative pronoun (who/whom/that/which/where/when/whose).

Which relative pronoun are we going to use?  Well, ‘The town’ is a place, but in the sentence, The town is near the ocean, the words ‘The town’ are the subject. This means we should use a subject relative pronoun, which are who/that/which. Because ‘The town‘ is the subject and a thing, we’ll use that or which.

John lives in a town. [that/which] is near the ocean.

Next, we would move the {adjective clause} behind the noun it modifies (a town), but it is already in the right place. So the full sentence looks like this:

John lives in a town {which is near the ocean}.

So When Do We Use the Relative Pronouns Where (and When)?

We only use where or when to replace words that are not the subjects of a sentence. Here’s an example:

John lives in a town. He works in the town.

If we look at the second sentence, He works in the town, we can see that the subject is ‘He’. The word town is not the subject and it is not the object of a verb either. It is an adverb of place.

Rule: When the place or time is not the subject or object, then you can use the relative pronouns where and when.

Let’s continue following our steps.

John lives in a town where he works. Maybe he is a fisherman. 

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That’s it. You might have noticed that if the noun (e.g. ‘town’) has prepositions or articles (e.g. ‘in the’) that belong to it, then we remove the prepositions or articles too.

Let’s do another example with a time.

To summarize, we do not use when and where to replace subjects or objects. We use them to replace adverbs (of time or place).

Quickly, let’s look at two sentences that refer to the same ‘house’. How would we combine them?

I live in a house. The house has a swimming pool. (‘House’ is a subject in the second sentence).

= I live in a house {that/which has a swimming pool}.

I live in a house. I bought the house. (‘house’ is the object of the verb bought in the second sentence).

= I live in a house {that/which/(nothing) I bought}.

I live in a house. My wife also lives in the house. (‘house’ is not a subject or an object here (it is an adverb).)

= I live in a house {where my wife also lives}.

The rules are the same for when.

Note: We can also replace adverbs like ‘here’ or ‘then’ with relative pronouns. For example.

I can meet you tomorrow. I’ll be free then.

What does ‘then’ refer to? Tomorrow. So, we can replace it with the relative pronoun ‘when’, and make a complex sentence with an adjective clause:

I can meet you tomorrow {when I’ll be free}.

Let’s practice.

Exercise #1 — Making Adjective Clauses with Where and When

Change the second sentence into an adjective clause, and then add it to the first sentence.

Note: You may have noticed that sometimes I have put commas in the answers. You can learn about how to use commas in adjective clauses in the next lesson on defining and non-defining adjective clauses.

Exercise #2 — Choose the Correct Relative Pronoun

In the next exercise, you will select a correct relative pronoun. Scroll up and re-read the table if you need to review which pronouns are used for subjects, objects, or other (adverbs).

For example:

October is a month ___ is in autumn.

If we look at ” ___ is in autumn”, we can see that it is missing a subject, so we need a subject relative pronoun (that/which).

October is a month ___ I love.

If we look at “___ I love”, we can see that there is already a subject (“I”). Also, October is what you love (it is the object of the verb). So we use an object relative pronoun (that/which/(nothing)).

October is the month __ I met Jill.

If we look at «___ I met Jill», we can see that there is already a subject («I») and already an object (Jill is the object of met). So, we can use a pronoun for an adverb (when/where)

Give it a try!

Let’s learn one more thing before we do more exercises.

Adjective Clauses: Whose as a Relative Pronoun

Whose is another relative pronoun that is not used for objects or subjects. It is used for possessions. For example:

The boy stood up. The teacher had called his name.

That’s it. It’s the same basically, except you move the relative pronoun whose and the noun it modifies. Let’s do some exercises.

Exercise #4 — Making Adjective Clauses with the Pronoun Whose

Now, it’s time for our final exercises. Let’s bring it all together.

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Exercise #5 — Places, Times, and Possessives in Adjective Clause

Change the second sentence into adjective clauses. Use subject relative pronouns (who/that/which), object relative pronouns (whom/that/which), as well as use when/where/whose.

Don’t worry about commas now if you haven’t studied them yet.

Exercise #6 — Select the Correct Relative Pronoun

I hope you now understand how to use the relative pronouns where, when, and whose. It’s not easy. If you were confused, please review the first lesson on subject and object relative pronouns.

If you have any questions or if you find a mistake, please leave a comment below.

— Matthew Barton (copyright) / Creator of Englishcurrent.com

Related Pages:

• Adjective Clauses: Subject and Object Pronouns
• Adjective Clauses: Commas
• More Grammar Lessons

What is an adjective?

Blue is an adjective.
Cold is an adjective.
Happy is an adjective.

An adjective is a describing word. An adjective gives more information about something.
An adjective generally describes a noun. A noun is a person, a thing, or a place.

The monster

Monster is the name of a thing. Monster is a noun.

There is no description of the monster. Describe the monster in the video.

How is the monster? Green.
Green is a colour.
Green is a description of the monster.
Green is an adjective.

What is the position of the adjective?

Where do we put the adjective?
Do we say… The green monster OR The monster green?

The correct order is….

• The green monster.

The order is: Adjective + noun

Green is an adjective, Monster is a noun.
Green is a description of the monster. Green is an adjective.

We do not say the monster green. No, the adjective is before the noun… The green monster.

We can also use the verb To Be + Adjective. For example…

• The monster is green.

IS is a form of the verb To Be. The monster IS.
After IS we put the adjective… IS GREEN.

• The monster is green.

What is another description of the monster?

Is the monster happy? No, the monster is SAD.
Sad is an adjective.

We can say:

• The sad monster. (adjective + noun) OR
• The monster is sad. (To Be + Adjective)

Sad is an adjective.

The girl

Another example: Describe the girl in the video.

Is the girl sad? No, she is happy.
We can say…

• The happy girl.

Happy is an adjective … girl is a noun.
We can also say…

• The girl is happy.

To Be + the adjective HAPPY.

Adjectives in English have one form.

For example the adjective red.

• One red car.

Red is an adjective. It gives us more information about the car. We describe the car. The car is red.
When there is more than one car, for example two cars, the adjective RED does not change.
We say:

• Two red cars.

Red is used with one car and Red is used for two cars.
We do not say two reds cars. No. (There is no S at the end of red)

Practice Exercise

Which word is an adjective in each of these?

• The yellow bus.
• The boy is dirty.
• She is nervous.
• The relaxed woman.
• The smelly shoe.
• The man is cold.
• The fast horse.
• The doors are closed.

The answers appear in our video.

What is an adjective? – Summary Chart

Lesson tags: Adjectives, Grammar, Nouns, Parts of Speech, To Be, Word Order

Back to: English Course > Descriptions in English

An exchange of the relationship between words or phrases is known as hypallage.

hypallage, n. A figure of speech in which there is an interchange of two elements of a proposition, the natural relations of these being reversed.

_{Oxford English Dictionary.}

This was a common device in Greek and Latin poetry: a famous example is Aeneid 3.61 where Virgil wrote “dare classibus austros” (give the winds to the fleets), and the grammarian Servius commented “hypallage est; nam classes austris damus” (this is hypallage; actually we give the fleets to the winds).

In English, the most common form of hypallage is the transferred epithet, whereby an epithet that properly belongs to one thing gets transferred to another. Here are some examples from John Keats, who was fond of this device:

Still warble, dying swan! still tell the tale,
The enchanting tale, the tale of pleasing woe.

_{John Keats (1814). ‘To Byron’. Wikisource.}

The hare limp’d trembling through the frozen grass,
And silent was the flock in woolly fold

_{John Keats (1820). ‘The Eve of St. Agnes’. Poetry Foundation..}

Deep in the shady sadness of a vale
Far sunken from the healthy breath of morn

_{John Keats (1820). ‘Hyperion’. Poetry Foundation.}

Another common kind of hypallage in English changes an adverb to an adjective. In the examples below we can understand the meanings as “blows them deviously into the air” and “singest melodiously in some plot” respectively:

A violent cross wind from either Coast
Blows them transverse ten thousand Leagues awry
Into the devious Air

_{John Milton (1668). Paradise Lost, book 3, lines 487–489. Wikisource.}

That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees
            In some melodious plot
    Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,
        Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

_{John Keats (1819). ‘Ode to a Nightingale’. Poetry Foundation.}

1. What is an Adjective Clause?

An adjective clause is a clause that works to describe (modify) a noun or pronoun. It will always be a subordinate clause. It appears immediately after the word it describes (modifies).

Adjective clauses always begin with either a pronoun or an adverb.

• Pronouns: who, which, that, whom, whose
• Adverbs: why, where, when

Adjective clauses answer questions that begin with which, who, when, or what kind.

2. Examples of Adjective Clause

Example 1:

“I do feel so sorry,” said Draco Malfoy, one Potions class, “for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they’re not wanted at home.”

-J.K Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

In this example, the adjective clause is describing the noun ‘people’. It is giving the reader more information about the kind of people that Draco feels sorry for. It begins with the pronoun ‘who’, and answers the question, “Which people?”

Example 2:

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

-George Santayana

Here, the adjective clause is describing the pronoun ‘those’ – it is giving us more information on who those people are. It begins with the pronoun ‘who’, and ‘who is the subject of the clause.

Example 3:

The four gas giant planets, which are Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus, are further away from the Sun than the rocky planets.

The adjective clause in this sentence is describing the gas giant planets in more detail. It is giving the reader more description about the outer planets. The clause begins with the pronoun ‘which’ and answers the question, “Which planets?”

Example 4:

The time when fish are easiest to catch is at dawn.

This adjective clause is our first example of one starting with an adverb. It begins with the adverb ‘when’. Note that ‘when’ is not the subject of the adjective clause – ‘fish’ is.

3. Parts of an Adjective Clause

An adjective clause must have the two parts that every clause has: a subject (what the clause is about) and a verb (what the subject is doing). The subject of an adjective clause depends on whether it begins with a pronoun or an adverb.

a. Adjective Clause beginning with a Pronoun

When an adjective clause begins with a pronoun, the pronoun is the subject of the clause.

Example 1:

The man who owns Curious George wears a yellow hat.

In this example, ‘who’ is a pronoun and the subject of the adjective clause. The clause describes ‘man’, which is the subject of the main clause ‘The man wears a yellow hat.’ ‘Owns’ is the verb, because it is the action that ‘who’ is doing.

Example 2:

The dog that performs the most tricks will win the prize.

The subject of this adjective clause is ‘that’, and the clause modifies the word ‘dog’. The verb here is ‘performs’ because that is what the subject, ‘that’, is doing.

b. Adjective Clause beginning with an Adverb

When an adjective clause begins with an adverb, the noun or pronoun following the adverb is the subject.

Example 1:

The restaurant where they serve fried zucchini is my favorite.

This adjective clause begins with an adverb (‘where’). The subject of the clause is the pronoun ‘they’. The verb is ‘serve’, and the adjective clause describes the restaurant.

Example 2:

Do remember that time when we saw an eagle flying?

The adverb ‘when’ begins this adjective clause. The subject of the clause is ‘we’, the verb is ‘saw’, and the adjective clause describes ‘time’. The clause answers the question, “Which time?”

4. Types of Adjective Clauses

There are two kinds of adjective clauses: restrictive and non-restrictive.

a. A restrictive clause is one that limits or restricts the noun or pronoun it modifies. It makes the noun or pronoun more specific. Restrictive clauses have information that is essential to the meaning of the sentence.

Example 1

People who are rude are difficult to be around.

This adjective clause is restrictive. It limits the type of person that the subject ‘people’ is about. The sentence is not about all people, but about a limited group of people: ones who are rude. If this adjective clause were removed, the meaning of this sentence would be very different.

Example 2

The button that is on top turns on the machine.

This adjective clause is restrictive. It limits the noun ‘button’ – it lets the reader know which button is being identified. This would be useful if there were several buttons, and the reader wanted to know which one to use. If this clause were removed, the reader would not know how to turn the machine on.

b. A non-restrictive clause does not limit the noun or pronoun it modifies; instead, it gives a bit of additional information. Non-restrictive clauses are not essential to a sentence’s meaning, but add a bit of extra detail.

Example 1

My brother, who is sometimes rude to guests, lives down the street from me.

This adjective clause is non-restrictive. It is adding extra information about ‘my brother’. If this adjective clause were removed, the main message of the sentence would remain the same.

Example 2: 

The button, which is green, is at the top of the row.

The adjective clause here is non-restrictive – it does not limit the ‘button’ in any way. Instead, it is adding a little bit of extra information. If this clause were removed, the reader would still know which button the sentence refers to.

5. How to Write an Adjective Clause

Remember, an adjective clause is a subordinate (dependent) clause. It cannot be the only clause in a sentence; it needs to be attached to an independent clause.

Example 1

The farm where we can pick our own strawberries is so much fun!

This sentence is correct. The adjective clause is describing the farm, and is connected to the independent clause ‘The farm is so much fun!’ Note that this is an example of a restrictive clause because it narrows down (limits) which farm is being mentioned.

Where we can pick our own strawberries.

This is an incorrect use of an adjective clause. It leaves us wondering what place ‘where’ is referring to. There is no independent clause, and so we are left with an incomplete sentence.

Example 2

Italian, French, and Spanish, which are all Romance languages, all come from Latin.

This is a correct usage of an adjective clause. It describes (modifies) the first three languages mentioned. Note that this is an example of a non-restrictive clause. It is giving us additional information; if it were removed, we would still get the main idea of the sentence: Italian, French and Spanish all come from Latin.

Which are all Romance languages.

This adjective clause is used incorrectly. We do not know what the pronoun ‘which’ refers to, and we are left with an incomplete sentence that would make us scratch our heads in confusion.