B. Foundations of Language · Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation

Complex Sentences with Adjective (Relative) Clauses

B3.1 B3.3About 45 minutes

Learning goals

I can find an adjective clause (also called a relative clause) and the noun it describes.
I can build complex sentences with who, whom, whose, which, that, where and when.
I can tell whether a clause is essential or extra, and use commas only around extra information.
I can combine sentences with relative clauses to show how ideas are related.

Words to know

adjective clause
A dependent clause that describes a noun, like an adjective does. It's also called a relative clause.

relative pronoun
A word that starts an adjective clause and points back to a noun: who, whom, whose, which, that.

relative adverb
where, when or why starting an adjective clause about a place, a time or a reason.

essential clause
A clause the sentence needs to show which person or thing you mean. No commas.

non-essential clause
A clause that adds extra information. It is set off with commas.

Remember from Grades 4 and 5

In Grade 4 you used the relative pronouns who, whom, whose, which and that to join ideas. You learned that a dependent clause has a subject and a verb but can't stand alone. In Grade 5 you built complex and compound-complex sentences.

In Grade 6, the curriculum asks you to use and create complex sentences with adjective or relative clauses to show how ideas are related.

What is an adjective clause?

An adjective describes a noun: the tall girl. An adjective clause does the same job, but it's a whole clause with a subject and a verb: the girl who won the race.

An adjective clause:

starts with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that) or a relative adverb (where, when, why),
comes right after the noun it describes,
can't stand alone. (Who won the race by itself is a question, not the same idea!)

The adjective clause who won the race comes right after the noun girl and tells which girl.

Word	Use it for	Example
who	people (doing the action)	The coach who trains us is strict.
whom	people (receiving the action)	The author whom we met signed my book.
whose	belonging to	The boy whose dog ran away made posters.
which	things and animals (often extra information)	Our canoe, which is green, is in the shed.
that	things, animals or people (needed information)	The book that I borrowed is overdue.
where	places	This is the rink where I learned to skate.
when	times	I remember the day when it snowed 40 cm.

Words that start adjective clauses

Essential or extra? The comma question

Essential clause (no commas): the sentence needs it to know which one you mean.

The students who finished early helped clean up. (Only the ones who finished early helped.)

Non-essential clause (commas): it adds extra information. The sentence still makes sense without it.

My sister, who is twelve, plays hockey. (You only have one sister, so who is twelve is extra.)

Test: cover the clause. Do you still know exactly which person or thing? If yes, the clause is extra: use commas. If no, it's essential: no commas.

Many Canadian writers use that for essential clauses and which with commas for extra information.

The cover test. Hide the dashed clause: if you can no longer tell which one, it's essential (no commas). If the meaning is still clear, it's extra (commas).

Worked example

Let's combine two sentences with a relative clause

Combine: The Rideau Canal is in Ottawa. In winter, part of the canal becomes a skating trail.

Find the noun both sentences share: the Rideau Canal.
Turn the second sentence into an adjective clause. It's a thing, so use which: part of which becomes a skating trail in winter.
Put the clause right after the noun.
Is it essential? There's only one Rideau Canal, so the clause is extra. Use commas.

The Rideau Canal, part of which becomes a skating trail in winter, is in Ottawa.

Worked example

Let's choose who or whom

The Elder (who / whom) our class invited shared a story about the land.

Look at the clause: ___ our class invited. The subject of the clause is our class.
The Elder is receiving the action (being invited). Turn it into a sentence: Our class invited her (not she).
her is an object pronoun, so use whom (both end in m: him/whom).

The Elder whom our class invited shared a story about the land.

Watch out

Put the clause right next to the noun it describes. The dog chased the cat that was barking is confusing: the clause should describe the dog.
Use who for people, not which: the girl who (not the girl which).
Use whose for belonging. Who's means who is.

Just for fun

The dog chased the cat that was barking. Wait... a barking cat? That's what happens when a clause sits next to the wrong noun. Put it right after dog and the cat can go back to meowing.

Hands-on activity

Sentence-strip builders

You need: paper strips (cut from scrap paper with a grown-up's help if you use scissors), a pencil and tape.

Write 6 short sentences about your family, pets or neighbourhood, one per strip. Example: Our neighbour shovels our driveway. Our neighbour is eighty years old.
Find two strips that share a noun.
Write a relative pronoun or adverb on a small square (who, whose, which, that, where, when).
Rebuild the two strips into one sentence with an adjective clause, taping the pieces in order: Our neighbour, who is eighty years old, shovels our driveway.
Decide: essential or extra? Add commas with a coloured pencil if it's extra.
Read your new sentences aloud to a grown-up. Do they sound smoother than the short ones?

Your turn

Find the adjective clause and the noun it describes: The trail that leads to the lake is closed.

Choose: The girl (who / which) sits beside me is from Iqaluit.

Choose: The man (whose / who's) car was stuck thanked us.

Add commas if needed: Lake Superior which is the largest of the Great Lakes is very cold.

Add commas if needed: Students who bring a permission form can go on the trip.

Combine with where: This is the arena. My dad played hockey there.

Combine with whose: I have a friend. Her mom is a paramedic.

More practice: warm-up

What job does an adjective clause do?

Which word do you use for things: who or which?

Which word shows belonging: whose or who's?

Find the clause: I remember the day when we moved here.

True or false: extra (non-essential) clauses are set off with commas.

More practice: on your own

Choose and explain: The doctor (who / whom) I called was helpful.

Combine with a relative clause: Maple syrup is a Canadian treat. Maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees.

Fix the sentence: The coach which helped us is retiring.

Essential or extra? My grandmother, who lives in Moncton, sends us letters. Explain the commas.

Fix the confusing placement: We gave the cake to our neighbour that we baked.

Challenge

Explain how the commas change the meaning: (a) The students who walked to school got wet. (b) The students, who walked to school, got wet.

Combine all three into one complex sentence with two adjective clauses: We visited a museum. The museum has a canoe. The canoe is 200 years old.

Write a sentence about a Canadian place using an extra (non-essential) adjective clause. Add the commas.

Check your understanding

Quiz

What is the adjective clause in The book that I borrowed is overdue?

Which sentence is correct?

Which sentence uses commas correctly?

Choose the word: The student ___ project won is my friend.

Which clause is essential (no commas)?

Choose: The friend ___ I invited is coming.

For parents and teachers

Big idea (B3.1, B3.3): The Grade 6 curriculum asks students to use and create complex sentences with adjective or relative clauses to express relationships among ideas. Commas around non-essential clauses connect to punctuation (B3.3).

How to help at home:

Play "Which one?": point to something and describe it with a clause (the mug that has a chip in it).
When your child writes short, choppy sentences, ask: "Can you tuck one of these ideas inside the other with who or which?"
Read a news article together and hunt for who and which clauses.

Common difficulties:

which for people (the girl which). Use who.
who/whom. Try the him/whom trick. Note that whom is formal; who is common in speech.
Commas. Use the cover test: if you still know exactly who or what, add commas.
Clauses in the wrong place, which can make silly meanings.