6.5: Common Errors with Adjective Clauses
- Page ID
- 273180
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Common Errors in Adjective Clauses
Subject-Verb Agreement
A common error when writing adjective clauses is choosing the wrong verb form. Keep in mind that the verb must agree with the antecedent noun or pronoun.
1. The car that is in the driveway needs a new tire.
2. The cars that are in the street need to be moved.
Notice in the first example how the verb is in the adjective clause and need in the main clause agree with the antecedent noun car. In the second example, the subject is plural (cars), so the verbs in both the adjective clause and the main clause agree in number.
Exercise 19-Choosing the Right Verb
Choose the correct verb to complete the sentence according to the antecedent noun.
1.The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest ocean that _______ from the Artic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south.
a. extend
b. extends
c. extended
2. Michael Phelps, who _______ a champion swimmer, won eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympics.
a. is
b. are
c. being
3. Cacao, which _______ sold to chocolate-processing companies, _______ harvested by hand.
a. is, was
b. is, were
c. is, is
d. was, were
4. Sarah wants to buy the sofas that _______ in the window display of the department store.
a. is
b. are
c. was
5. The tools that _______ stolen _______ to be replaced.
a. is, needs
b. are, need
c. was, needs
d. were, need
6. The people who _______ late _______ marked absent.
a. was, was
b. was, were
c. were, were
Repeating the Subject or Object
When writing an adjective clause, the relative pronoun replaces the subject or object in the dependent clause. A common error is to write both the relative pronoun and the subject or object.
1. The man who he drove us home last night works for a taxi company.
2. The book that I bought it online arrives tomorrow.
In the first example, the relative pronoun who should replace the subject pronoun he, so both who and he should not be in the adjective clause. Also, in the second example the relative pronoun that replaces the object pronoun it.
Placement
Adjective clauses should be next to the nouns they modify. When they are not placed correctly, the meaning could be different than intended.
1. The restaurant served a plate to the woman that was dirty.
2. The restaurant served a plate that was dirty to the woman.
Because the adjective clause in the first example is next to the noun woman, then the reader thinks that the woman was dirty. However, the intended meaning was that the plate was dirty, so the adjective clause should be next to the plate (the noun it is modifying).
Exercise 20-Fixing Repeated Subjects/Object and Placement Errors
Copy and paste the numbered sentences below into a word processing document and track the changes as you fix errors relaxed to a repeated subject or object, or adjective clause placement. Watch this video on how to track changes in Microsoft Word, and this video on how to track changes using Google Docs.
1. The book that I bought it through Amazon arrived late.
2. I went to the shopping mall with my friend that is the biggest in America.
3. The rooms where they go to them will be prepared.
4. The photographer took pictures of our hiking trip who works for National Geographic.
5. The man changed my car’s tires whom I cannot find him now.
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