Practice
Adjective clauses: rules and examples
The woman who runs the cafe knows my order. The words who runs the cafe tell us which woman I mean. They form an adjective clause.
Identify the noun an adjective clause describes, choose a suitable relative word, and use commas when the clause gives extra information.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
adjective clause /ˈædʒɪktɪv klɔz/
The short answer
Use an adjective clause to describe a noun. Use who for people, which for things, whose for possession, and where or when for places or times. Use commas when the clause gives extra information rather than identifying the noun.
The colleague who sent the message will answer your question.
Why it works: Who sent the message identifies the colleague, so the clause has no commas.
5 more examples
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The student who sits near the window is absent today.
The clause identifies one student from a larger group.
Not this:
The studentis absent today. What changes: Without the clause, the listener may not know which student is meant. -
I returned the camera that I borrowed from my neighbor.
The clause identifies the camera.
Not this:I returned the camera,
which I borrowed from my neighbor. What changes: With commas, the speaker presents the borrowing detail as extra information about an already known camera. -
My aunt, who lives in Denver, is visiting next week.
The speaker has already identified the aunt. The clause adds a detail, so it is between commas.
Not this:The aunt
who lives in Denveris visiting next week. What changes: Without commas, the clause identifies which aunt is visiting. -
We met the artist whose paintings were in the gallery.
Whose shows that the paintings belong to the artist.
Not this:We met the artist, and
her paintingswere in the gallery. What changes: This uses two sentences instead of an adjective clause. -
The library where I studied stays open late.
Where refers to the place, the library.
Not this:
The libraryis open late. What changes: The shorter sentence does not say which library the speaker means.
Read the full guide
An adjective clause comes directly after the noun it describes. In The book that I borrowed is on the desk, that I borrowed describes the book. The clause helps the listener know which book you mean.
Find the noun first
An adjective clause describes a noun. Find that noun before you choose a relative word. The clause normally follows the noun it describes.
The neighbor who owns the blue car works at the hospital.
Who owns the blue car describes the neighbor, not the hospital.
Which noun does who owns the blue car describe?
It describes the neighbor.
Choose who, which, or that
Use who for people. Use which for things. In many identifying clauses, that can refer to either people or things. Use one relative word that fits the noun and the sentence.
The phone that needs charging is in my bag.
That needs charging identifies one phone. Which needs charging is also possible in many informal contexts, but that is common in this kind of identifying clause.
Choose the relative word: The person ___ called you left a note.
Use who. The clause describes a person.
Use whose, where, and when
Use whose to show possession. Use where when the noun is a place. Use when when the noun is a time. These words make the relationship clear without repeating extra words.
I remember the day when we moved into the new apartment.
When we moved into the new apartment describes the day.
Choose the relative word: This is the town ___ my grandparents grew up.
Use where because the noun is a place.
Decide whether the information identifies
Do not add commas when the clause is needed to identify the noun. Add commas when the noun is already clear and the clause only adds extra information. The choice changes what the reader understands.
Employees who work nights receive a different schedule.
This sentence refers only to employees who work nights. It does not refer to every employee.
Do you need commas if every employee works nights and the clause only adds a detail?
Yes. Write Employees, who work nights, receive a different schedule if the clause is extra information about all employees.
Check the whole sentence
After you write the clause, check that the relative word has a clear job and that the clause sits beside its noun. Then read the sentence without the clause. If the noun becomes unclear, you probably need no commas.
The report, which arrived this morning, is on the manager's desk.
The report is on the manager's desk is complete, so which arrived this morning is extra information.
What should you check before using commas around an adjective clause?
Check whether the reader can identify the noun without the clause.
Before you go
Remember this
Put an adjective clause after the noun it describes. Choose the relative word by meaning and grammar. Leave out commas when the clause identifies the noun. Add commas when the clause gives an extra detail about a noun that is already clear.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Adjective clauses: rules and examples"
What is an adjective clause?
An adjective clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb that describes a noun or pronoun. It often begins with a relative word such as who, which, that, whose, where, or when. In the book that I borrowed, that I borrowed describes the book.
The student who sits near the window is absent today.
When should I use who, which, and that?
Use who for people and which for things. In many identifying clauses, that can refer to people or things. For example, the customer who called and the message that arrived both identify the noun. In careful standard writing, avoid that in a clause set off by commas.
The student is absent today.
Why do some adjective clauses have commas?
Commas show that an adjective clause gives extra information about a noun that is already clear. Without commas, the clause identifies which person or thing you mean. Compare My brother, who lives nearby, with The brother who lives nearby. The first sentence assumes one known brother.
I returned the camera that I borrowed from my neighbor.
Can whose refer to things as well as people?
Yes. Whose can show possession for a person or a thing. You can write the company whose website was updated or the student whose notebook is missing. The word connects the owner to the thing that belongs to that owner.
I returned the camera, which I borrowed from my neighbor.
How can I check an adjective clause in my writing?
Find the noun before the clause and ask whether the clause identifies that noun or adds a detail. Then check that the relative word fits its job. Read the sentence without the clause. If the noun becomes unclear, do not put commas around the clause.
My aunt, who lives in Denver, is visiting next week.