Reducing Adjective Clauses to Adjective Phrases: Learn English Grammar with JenniferESL

Hi everybody! It’s Jennifer here with a question to lead into our next grammar lesson.

What's more important to you when it comes to work?

Earning a lot of money?

Earning recognition?

Doing something for a good cause?

Growing personally and professionally?

Or doing what you love?

It’s a question I’ve talked about with my brothers, one of whom had a professional hockey career.

My younger brother, now a hockey coach, remains an excellent skater.

His skill on the ice is something he worked on from a young age.

He never went on to earn millions in his professional career, but he was able to do what he loved for many years – play hockey.

Now he’s passing his knowledge and skills on to young athletes interested in playing hockey at the highest level possible.

So what’s the ideal job for you? Feel free to tell me what’s important to you in the comments.

But here’s the challenge. You need to use at least one adjective phrase.

What’s that? It’s a reduced adjective clause.

Reduced means there’s less of something. So we shorten an adjective clause to get an adjective phrase.

Remember a clause has a subject and a verb. A phrase doesn't.

We only do reduce an adjective clause when the relative pronoun is the subject.

And we can only reduce the adjective clause when the relative pronoun is WHICH, THAT, or WHO.

The easiest way to reduce a clause is to remove the relative pronoun and any form of the verb BE.

You might be left with a noun phrase, a prepositional phrase, or a present or past participle.

Look at these examples.

Notice how we keep the commas if there are any.

Here's the next example.

Notice how this reduced adjective clause doesn’t need commas.

If there isn’t a form of BE in the adjective clause, then we change the main verb to a present participle.

Again, we take out the relative pronoun.

Watch how I reduce this adjective clause.

You try. I’ll give you an adjective clause. Reduce it to an adjective phrase if possible.

I'll give you six practice sentences.

Can we reduce the adjective clause?

The relative pronoun WHO is the subject of the adjective clause.

Let's remove it...and the form of BE.

Here's our new sentence with an adjective phrase.

First, find the adjective clause.

What's the relative pronoun?

Whose.

So can we make an adjective phrase?

No. It's not possible to reduce this adjective clause.

First, find the adjective clause.

What's the relative pronoun?

Is it the subject?

Yes. So let's reduce this clause.

Our new sentence with an adjective phrase is...

First, find the adjective clause.

What's the relative pronoun?

Is it the subject?

Yes, it is. Let's reduce this clause.

And here's our new sentence with an adjective phrase.

Do you see the adjective clause?

It should be easy to spot. Commas set it off.

And how about the relative pronoun?

Is it the subject?

It is. So it is possible to reduce this adjective clause. Try it.

Our new sentence is...

The adjective clause is set off by commas again, so it's very easy to spot.

How about the relative pronoun?

Is it the subject?

No. The subject of the clause is the Pittsburgh Penguins,

so it's not possible to reduce this adjective clause.

I hope you’re feeling more confident about reducing adjective clauses to adjective phrases.

Remember that not every clause can reduce, and we don’t have to reduce every adjective clause.

We sometimes use adjective phrases to be more concise, especially in our writing.

Would you reduce any of these clauses? Don’t just think about the rules. Think about what sounds clear and natural.

In sentence A, we could reduce the adjective clause.

But then we'll also have to change the word order.

Let's move the adjective before the noun.

Let's say...

Sentence B. I wouldn't try to reduce this clause.

Let's keep it as is. It's clearer that way.

Sentence C. We could certainly reduce this clause.

Let's say...

That's clear and concise.

Sentence D. We could leave it or reduce it.

If we reduce the clause to a phrase, we'll have...

I look forward to reading your examples about your ideal jobs.

Remember to tell me in the comments what’s important to you: money, recognition, purpose, growth, passion for your work?

Be sure to use an adjective clause. Then tell me if you can reduce it.

Here's my example.

Do you see my adjective clauses?

Can I reduce them?

I could say...

Before I end, I’m going to throw one more challenge your way.

Here’s another thought I have on finding the ideal job. I want you to listen closely for my use of adjective clauses.

How many adjective clauses did you catch?

Here's the first.

Note that I didn't repeat the relative pronoun that with the second verb "gives."

If you have longer ideas, then you might repeat the relative pronoun to make it all clear for your audience.

Here's the second adjective clause.

I kind of have two adjective clauses put together.

The first full clause could be written like this.

There also has to be sufficient financial reward, which is a fact.

But I reduced that clause, and I'm left with a noun phrase: a fact.

Now I need to identify the fact, so I follow with a full clause.

...a fact which we may not be encouraged to talk about.

This pattern in non-restrictive adjective clauses is more common in writing than in speaking because it sounds formal.

"A fact which" is by far the most common example, but other nouns fit into this structure.

Here's one more example.

Perhaps you'll find use for this kind of adjective clause in your answer to my question about the ideal job.

That's all for now. Please remember to like this video if you found it helpful.

In our next lesson, I'll review what we've learned.

I'll test your understanding of adjective clauses and phrases.

I'll see you again soon.

Thanks for watching and happy studies.