English Language Learner (ELL) Supplemental Practice Exam

An adjective clause is a dependent clause that describes a noun or pronoun, functioning like an adjective in the sentence. It starts with a relative pronoun such as who, whom, whose, which, or that, and it includes a subject and a verb, so it cannot stand alone. For example, in The book that she lent me was fascinating, the clause that she lent me describes the noun book. The clause can provide essential information (which book we’re talking about) or nonessential information (extra details set off by commas, as in The book, which I bought yesterday, is fascinating). Remember, an adjective clause is a clause—it has both a subject and a verb—rather than a noun or a punctuation mark, and it’s used to modify a noun.