grammarOnline: adjective clause

Adjective Clause: When to use it

When do we use adjective clauses?

Adjective clauses are often used to make clear which person or thing we are writing or talking about. For example, you have a picture of three dinosaurs. Adjective clauses can help the reader or listener know which one you are referring to when you give their names.

Graphic of three dinosaurs

The dinosaur that is on the left is a brontosaurus.

The dinosaur that is in the middle is a tyranosaurus rex.

The dinosaur that is on the right is a stegasaurus.

When an adjective clause is used to tell the reader or listener "which one" or "which ones," no commas are used. All of the examples we have seen so far are this type of adjective clause.

Here is another example. We are discussing different groups of students. The adjective clauses explain which group we are referring to.

Breakfast Meal

The students who eat a good breakfast do better in class.

The students who skip breakfast cannot concentrate in class.

All the rules we have learned about adjective clauses so far are for this type of adjective clause.