Relative Clause
This is a clause that generally modifies a noun or a noun phrase and is often introduced by a relative pronoun (which,
that, who, whom, whose). A relative clause connects ideas by using pronouns that relate to something previously mentioned and allows the writer
to combine two independent clauses into one sentence. A relative clause is also known as an adjective
clause. There are two types of relative clauses: restrictive and nonrestrictive.
Here are a few examples:
·
The book that she
read was important for her literature review. (restrictive)
·
The participants who
were interviewed volunteered to be part of the study.
(restrictive)
·
Walden University, which
is entirely online, has main administrative offices in Baltimore and
Minneapolis. (nonrestrictive)
Relative Pronouns
Referring to a human
|
Referring to something other than a human
|
Possessive
|
|
Restrictive
|
who, whom, that*
|
which, that**
|
whose
|
Nonrestrictive (with commas)
|
who, whom
|
which
|
whose
|
*In APA, per Section 3.22, use who or whom instead
of that when referring to a human.
**Although both which and that are
grammatically correct in restrictive clauses, APA prefers that for
restrictive clauses. See APA Section 3.22 for more information on this.
Restrictive Clauses
Restrictive Clause
A restrictive clause restricts or defines the meaning of a noun or noun
phrase and provides necessary information about the noun in the sentence.
It is not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.
Restrictive clauses are more common in writing than nonrestrictive clauses. A
restrictive clause is also sometimes referred to as an essential clause or
phrase.
Here are a few examples:
·
The student who
sits in the back of the room asks a lot of questions.
·
The results that I
obtained may invoke positive social change.
·
The journalist whose
story I read yesterday has won prizes for her work.
When the relative pronoun functions as the object of the sentence, it can
(and usually is) omitted from the relative clause.
Here are a few examples:
·
The results that I
obtained may invoke positive social change.
·
The article that I
requested did not arrive on time.
·
The participants who I
interviewed met me at the local library.
Nonrestrictive Clauses
Nonrestrictive Clause
A nonrestrictive clause adds additional information to a sentence. It is
usually a proper noun or a common noun that refers to a unique person, thing,
or event. It uses commas to show that the information is additional. The commas almost act
like parentheses within the sentence. If the information between the commas is
omitted, readers will still understand the overall meaning of the sentence. A
nonrestrictive clause is also known as a nonessential clause or phrase.
Here are a few examples:
·
I want to thank my father,
Mark Smith, for all of his love and support.
·
With the nonrestrictive clause
omitted: I want to thank my father for all of his love and support.
·
The hypothesis, which I
tested throughout the research, was rejected.
·
With the nonrestrictive clause
omitted: The hypothesis was rejected.
·
I have found the article,
which I have been looking for.
·
With the nonrestrictive clause
omitted: I have found the article.
While that is sometimes used in restrictive
clauses, it is not allowed in nonrestrictive clauses.
·
CORRECT: Minneapolis,
which has a population of about 400,000, is the largest city in
Minnesota.
·
INCORRECT: Minneapolis,
that has a population of about 400,000, is the largest city in
Minnesota.
·
CORRECT: I had to fix my
printer, which I bought less than a year ago.
·
INCORRECT: I had to fix my
printer, that I bought less than a year ago.
A relative pronoun cannot be deleted in a nonrestrictive clause.
·
CORRECT: Minneapolis,
which has a population of about 400,000, is the largest city in
Minnesota.
·
INCORRECT: Minneapolis,
has a population of about 400,000, is the largest city in
Minnesota.
·
CORRECT: I had to fix my
printer, which I bought less than a year ago.
·
INCORRECT: I had to fix my
printer,I bought less than a year ago.
Reduced Relative Clauses
In academic writing, relative clauses are often reduced for a more concise style. This also creates more sentence variety. When reducing a relative clause, it is necessary to delete the relative
pronoun and either delete or change the verb. Here are some examples:
·
Gun control is a controversial
issue that isabout personal rights. (be +
prepositional phrase)
·
The steps that
werefollowed were explained in the Methods section. (passive)
·
Other researchers who
are exploring the same topic have discovered similar
solutions. (progressive verb tense)
·
Participants who
were available to meet in my office completed their
interview there. (be + able adjective)
·
Some of the subjects lived in
urban areas that hadwith high crime rates. (haveas
a main verb is replaced by with)
·
In this paper, I reviewed many
research articles that addressedaddressing the
topic of gun control. (linking verbs or verbs describing facts can be changed
to–ing clauses)
·
The changes that
areto be implemented with the new curriculum revisions are
outlined in the handout. (to clauses)
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