We'll be changing our focus a little bit for the rest of the unit and looking at how to modify nouns using small sentences, called relative clauses. Relative clauses act like adjectives (describing words), but are groups of words within a sentence instead of a single word. There are two types of relative clauses: restrictive and nonrestrictive. Both types of clauses have a subject and a verb, but they cannot stand alone as a sentence because they are dependent on the main clause.
As you can see in some of the examples below, a relative clause can occur anywhere in a sentence but it must follow the noun it refers to.
Restrictive relative clauses
Restrictive relative clauses distinguish one noun from another. In the following examples, the restrictive relative clause comes after the main clause:
Relative Clauses After the Main Clause
| Main Clause | Relative Clause | |||
| Noun | Subject Relative Pronoun | Verb | ||
| I know | a girl | who/that | studies | at St. Margaret's School. |
| They have | rules | which/that | require | uniforms. |
Restrictive relative clauses can also be surrounded by the main clause (which is split into two):
Relative Clauses Inside the Main Clause
| Main Clause | Relative Clause | Main Clause | ||
| Noun | Subject Relative Pronoun | Verb | ||
| A girl | who/that | studies | there | wears a uniform. |
| The rules | which/that | require | uniforms | are enforced by teachers. |
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