6.3: Reducing Adjective Clauses

Reducing Adjective Clauses

Adjective clauses can be modified to create adjective or prepositional phrases or appositives. A clause has a subject and a verb, but a phrase does not contain both.

Reducing Clauses with Be Verbs

If an adjective clause has the relative pronouns who, which, that followed by a be verb, you can typically (see exceptions later) delete the relative pronoun and the be verb. Let’s explore these examples.

1. The girl who is sitting in the front is new.

2. Mariam, who is absent today, speaks K’iche.

3. The author, who is Dr. Bettina L. Love, is an associate professor at University of Georgia.

4. The car that is in my driveway is my brother’s.

5. The researchers, who are led by plant geneticist Philipp Simon, have not limited themselves to the color orange.

• In example 1, the relative pronoun who and the be verb is are deleted. This deletion creates an adjective phrase sitting in the front.
• However, in example 2, the relative pronoun and be verb cannot be deleted because what would be left is just an adjective. For example, if I said, “The fruit, which is fresh, stays in the refrigerator” and try to reduce this clause, then it will read “The fruit fresh stays in the refrigerator.” Why not just write “The fresh fruit”?
• The third example can be reduced, and this is called an appositive. It is a noun or synonym for the antecedent noun. In the fourth example, the reduction creates a prepositional phrase. Finally, the last example creates a type of adjective phrase.

Reducing Clauses with Non-Be Verbs

When the verb following the relative pronouns that, which, and who are not a be verb, then you can delete the relative pronoun and change the verb to the -ing form. Let’s look at the following examples.

1. Anyone who wants wanting to participate should contact a counselor.

2. Ten percent of the Earth is covered with glaciers which consist consisting of 75% of the Earth’s fresh water.

3. Purple carrots possess an entirely different class of pigments — anthocyanins — which act acting as powerful antioxidants.

All of the examples above have non-be verbs that are changed to -ing form. Also, all of the relative pronouns in the above examples were deleted creating adjective phrases.

Let’s summarize the rules.

Be verb follows a relative pronoun: delete the relative pronoun and be verb (unless an adjective follows the be verb).

Non-be verb follows a relative pronoun: delete the relative pronoun, change the verb to -ing form.

For more information on this topic, watch this video: Reduced Relative Clauses; Reducing Adjective Clauses to Adjective Phrases: Learn English Grammar with JenniferESL

Exercise 18-Reducing Adjective Clauses

Read the sentences and select the best phrase to replace the adjective clause according to the rules of reducing adjective clauses.

1. The students who want to meet with a tutor should put their names here.

a. want to meet with a tutor

b. wanted to meet with a tutor

c. wanting to meet with a tutor

d. no reduction possible

2. The books that were placed on the back table have disappeared.

a. being placed on the back table

b. were placed on the back table

c. placed on the back table

d. no reduction possible

3. The cities that are located east of the river have access to more water.

a. that located east of the river

b. being located east of the river

c. located east of the river

d. no reduction possible

4. Spiderman, who has great strength and responsibility, tracks down Cindy Moon.

a. having great strength and responsibility

b. had great strength and responsibility

c. no reduction possible

5. Spiderman is a superhero who was created by Stan Lee.

a. being created by Stan Lee

b. created by Stan Lee

c. no reduction possible

6. Captain America, who is a Marvel superhero, first appeared in 1941.

a. being a Marvel superhero

b. a Marvel superhero

c. no reduction possible

Exercise 2: Reducing Adjective Clause

A. Read the Content

A talk show host who is trying to get better ratings often tries to outdo the other talk show hosts who are on television at the same time. A talk show host who is watched by "regulars" tends to have consistently high ratings. To attract regulars, a talk show host has to have on celebrities who are starring in current movies or average people who are doing exceptional things. Talk shows that have on authors who are selling their books, or dog owners who are showing pet tricks tend to lose regular viewers.

A host who is resourceful will create some controversy. A controversy that is about the talk show host's bad behavior can lead to cancelation. A sexy, young actress who is dancing on the host's desk gets the attention of the entertainment review shows. The entertainment show that is aired at an earlier hour will show scenes that interest viewers to watch a show that is at a later hour. The more exposure that a show receives, the better it is for the host.

A strong sense of what viewers want to see and high visibility on other shows indicates a clever host who is improving his ratings.

celebrity (N) — people who are famous or in the news, such as actors, actresses, etc.

consistently (adv.) — continuously at a particular level

controversy (N) — a subject that attracts differing opinions, argument, or debate

exposure (N) — make something public; known widely

host (N) — person who receives or entertains guests (the MC of a show)

mark (V) — be a distinguishing feature

outdo (V) — excel, do more than others do

ratings (N) — an index of approval by viewers

regulars (N) — people who habitually or routinely do something

resourceful (Adj) — able to deal skillfully and promptly with new situations or difficulties

sense (N) — faculties, as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch, by which humans perceive or understand their surroundings

B. Edit the sentence by reducing the underlined adjective clauses if possible. Write the sentence below each question. If the sentence cannot be reduced, write “no reduction.” Remember, you can only reduce subject adjective clauses.

11. A talk show host who is trying to get better ratings often tries to outdo the other talk show hosts who are on television.

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12. A talk show host who is watched by "regulars" tends to have consistently high ratings.

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13. To attract regular viewers, a talk show host has to have on celebrities who are starring in current movies or average people who are doing exceptional things.

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14. Talk shows that invite authors who are selling their books, or dog owners who are showing pet tricks tend to lose regular viewers.

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15. A host who is resourceful will create some controversy.

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16. A controversy that is about the bad behavior of talk show host can result in cancellation.

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17. A sexy, young actress who is dancing on a host's desk gets the attention of the entertainment review shows.

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18. The entertainment show that is aired at an earlier hour will show scenes that interest viewers to watch a show that is at a later hour.

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19. The more exposure that a show receives, the better that it is for the host.

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20. A strong sense of what viewers want to see and high visibility on other shows indicates a clever host who is improving his ratings.

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Exercises 2 and 3 from Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International

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