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  Subordination: Adjective Clauses
      Sentences hold your thoughts. Craft them with care.

Adjective clauses are also dependent clauses. They are also called relative clauses because they relate or connect the clausal information to a noun. There are two types of adjective clauses:
    • Restrictive adjective clauses give essential information: they define, identify, or limit a noun.
    • Nonrestrictive adjective clauses give nonessential information, or extra details.

An adjective clause is introduced with a relative pronoun, which functions as the subordinator. The relative pronoun can be a subject, an object, or a possessive adjective. For editing practice, click to identify the subject and the verb in every clause of the example sentences. Click the pronoun and the book for explanations.

Restrictive Adjective Clauses: Commas are not used because the information is essential to the meaning of the sentence.
Relative Pronouns Example Sentences:
In each clause, click on the subject and the verb.
Note the placement of the clause right after the noun it modifies.
Grammar Notes
WhoseWhose is the possessive form of the relative pronoun. It can be used to refer to things, entities like corporations, and people. A PCPC isis a personal computer whose corecore isis the microprocessor, the brains of the computer.
Derivation:
A PC is a personal computer. Its core is the microprocessor. The microprocessor is the brains of the computer.

The relative pronoun (whose) replaces the possessive adjective its. The third sentence is reduced to an appositiveAn appositive is a noun phrase that gives more information about the noun that directly precedes it. (noun phrase) to avoid repetition.
thatThat is used as a subject or object of the relative clause. In this sentence it is a subject relative pronoun. It can refer to things, places, or people, but is used only in restrictive adjective clauses. The microprocessormicroprocessor is calledis called the central processing unit. The CPUCPU isis a general-purpose chip thatthat runsruns the operating system and performsperforms general computing tasks.
Derivation:
The CPU is a general-purpose chip. The general purpose chip runs the operating system and performs general computing tasks.

The repeated noun becomes the relative subject pronoun (that) and attaches the adjective clause to the sentence.
whichWhich is also used as a subject or object. It can refer to things, processes, or procedures but never to people. Which can be used in both restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses. The graphics chipgraphics chip (GPU) is a custom chip whichwhich createscreates an image for the screen.
Derivation:
The graphics chip is a custom chip. The custom chip creates an image for the screen.

The relative subject pronoun (which) replaces the repeated noun and attaches the adjective clause to the sentence.
whoWho is the subject relative pronoun used only for persons. ScientistsScientists whowho developdevelop chips for the two leading chip manufacturers are researchingare researching ways to put graphics and brains on one chip.
Derivation:
Scientists are researching ways to put graphics and brains on one chip.
Scientists develop chips for the two leading chip manufacturers.

The relative subject pronoun (who) replaces the repeated noun and attaches the adjective clause to the noun it modifies.
thatThat is the subject relative pronoun that refers to processing tasks. That and who have only one form, but their number (singular or plural) depends on the noun they modify. The verb in the adjective clause depends on the singular or plural meaning of the relative pronoun. The processing tasksprocessing tasks that GPUsGPUs handlehandle areare very different from those that CPUsCPUs handlehandle.
Derivation:
GPUs handle processing tasks. CPUs handle processing tasks. The processing tasks are very different.

The relative object pronoun (that) replaces the noun processing tasks in both adjective clauses.
whichWhich is the direct object of are using. Remember that in restrictive adjective clauses, which and that are interchangeable. The technique techniquetechnique which Intel and AMDIntel and AMD Intel and AMD are using are usingare using putsputs puts two microprocessors on the same chip.
Derivation:
The technique puts two microprocessors on the same chip.
AMD and Intel are using the technique.

The relative object pronoun (which) replaces the repeated noun technique and attaches the clause after the noun it modifies.

Direct object relative pronouns may be omitted.
The technique which Intel and AMD are using puts two microprocessors on the same chip.
whichWhich is the object of the preposition by. Which is not interchangeable with that when the relative pronoun is an object of a preposition. Ray tracing Ray tracingRay tracing isisis a process by which a computer computercomputer drawsdrawsdraws 3-D images quickly and efficiently.
Derivation:
Ray tracing is a process. By this process a computer draws 3-D images quickly and efficiently.

The relative pronoun which replaces the noun object of the preposition. The prepositional phrase attaches the adjective clause to the sentence.
whomWhom is the object relative pronoun used for persons. The personperson whom Intel and AMDIntel and AMD are makingare making very nervous isis Jen-Hsun Huang, CEOChief executive officer of Nvidia.
Derivation:
The person is Jen-Hsun Huang. Intel and AMD are making him very nervous. Hen-Hsun Huang is CEO of Nvidia.

Relative object pronoun (whom) replaces object pronoun him and moves to the front of the clause. The third sentence is reduced to an appositive phrase and attached with a comma.

As direct object of the verb, the relative pronoun may be omitted.
The person whom Intel and AMD are making nervous is...

Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses: Commas are required because the information is nonessential or extra information.

Relative
Pronoun		 Example Sentences: In each clause, click on the subject and the verb. Note the placement of the clause right after the noun it modifies.
Lessons
whoSubject relative pronoun who replaces the definite noun, Gordon Moore. Moore's LawMoore's law was postulated was postulated decades ago by Intel founder Gordon Moore, whowho favoredfavored the notion that two chipschips wouldwould eventually be combinedbe combined into one.
The adjective clause gives extra information about Gordon Moore, who is already identified by name. The extra information is set off by a comma.

The that clause following notion is an appositive (noun) clause. Whenever you can insert is that between the noun and what follows, the clause is an appositive.

Test it: The notion is that two chips would eventually be combined into one. In other words, that two chips would eventually be combined into one does not describe or modify the noun notion; it is the notion. Therefore, the clause is a noun clause functioning as an appositive. Another test is to place the clause in subject position: That two chips would eventually be combined into one The noun clause is the subject of the sentence. is a notion that was first postulated by Gordon Moore....that was first postulated by Gordon Moore is not the notion itself. The clause gives information that is essential to the meaning of the sentence and modifies notion. As such, it's an adjective clause.
whichSubject relative pronoun which replaces CPU and GPU. The CPUCPU and the GPUGPU havehave different processing styles. The CPUCPU, whichwhich operates operates at a very high speed, handleshandles tasks one after another. The GPUGPU, whichwhich operatesoperates at slower speeds, handleshandles dozens of tasks at once.
The adjective clauses give extra information about nouns that have already been identified--the CPU and the GPU. Commas are necessary. Because the clause is nonrestrictive, that cannot be used in place of which.
whichThe subject relative pronoun which refers to the proper noun, ATI Technologies. Chip makerChip maker ATI Technologies, whichwhich makesmakes chips for high-end entertainment and game computers, was boughtwas bought by AMD in the summer of 2006 for $5.4 billion dollars.
The sentence makes sense without the adjective clause. Note that two commas are necessary to set off a nonrestrictive clause in the middle of a sentence.
whoseWhose is the possessive form of the relative pronoun. Intel executivesexecutives, whose own chip designerschip designers havehave already producedproduced "chip sets" with built-in graphics functions, believe believe they can make GPUs obsolete.
Whose refers to the Intel executives. It means their own chip designers. The adjective clause gives extra information and must be set off with commas.
whichWhich is the object of the preposition for. ATI TechnologiesAti Technologies, for which AMDAMD paidpaid $5.4 billion, waswas the leading producer of GPUs for computer games.
Which refers to ATI Technologies. The adjective clause means that AMD paid $5.4 billion for ATI Technologies. After a preposition, the only relative pronoun choices are which or whom. For which moves to the front and attaches the clause.
whichHere which is used with an expression of quantity, both of which. IntelIntel and Advanced Micro DevicesAdvanced Micro Devices, bothboth of which are racingare racing to combine the CPU and the GPU on a single chip, are creatingare creating headaches for the graphics chip maker Nvidia.
Expressions of quantity are often used in nonrestrictive adjective clauses. Both of which refers to the two companies mentioned in the main clause. The expression of quantity includes the subject, both, and the prepositional phrase, of which.
whoseWhose is the possessive adjective pronoun and refers back to executives. ExecutivesExecutives at Nvidia, whose aimaim isis to keep the GPU a stand-alone chip, acknowledgeacknowledge that a combined chipchip would bewould be cheaper but do not believedo not believe it would havewould have the best performance.
Executives at Nvidia acknowledge that a combined chip would be cheaper but do not believe it would have the best performance. Their whose aim is to keep the GPU a stand-alone chip.

Whose replaces their , and the adjective clause must now be placed after the noun phrase it modifies.
Executives at Nvidia, whose aim is...

The clause following the verb acknowledge is a noun clause. It's the direct object following the verb.
whichWhich is the object of the preposition with and refers back to manufacturer or its appositive, Intel. The leading manufacturermanufacturer of computer chips, Intel, with which AMDAMD isis in fierce competition, believesbelieves itit isis close to shifting graphics processing from the graphics chip to the microprocessor.
The adjective clause means that AMD is in fierce competition with Intel. With which moves to the front of the nonrestrictive adjective clause.

The clause after the verb believes is a noun clause because it follows a verb and functions as the direct object.
 
Eample Sentences with Relative Adverbs Where and When
  
whereWhere is the relative adverb that replaces there. Students, engineers, and scientistsStudents, engineers, and scientists from around the world still comecome to Silicon Valley, where there isis an infrastructureinfrastructure of specialized skills and social networks thatthat makemake technological innovation happen very quickly.
The adjective clause means "There is an infrastructure of specialized skills and social networks there." Where replaces the adverb there, not the filler subject there, and moves to the front of the adjective clause...where there is...

Note that a restrictive clause modifies infrastructure, which is modified by a prepositional adjective phrase (of specialized skills and social networks) that precedes the adjective clause (that make technological innovation happen very quickly). The shorter unit (the phrase) always comes before the longer unit (the clause).

...technological innovation happen very quickly is a two-part object after the causative verb make. Happen is a non-finite base form in this context.
whenWhen is the relative adverb meaning then. Chip makers Chip makers anticipateanticipate a time in the near future when combined chipschips will becomewill become a large part of overall sales.
Chip makers anticipate a time in the near future. Combined chips will become a large part of overall sales then. When replaces the adverb then and moves to the front of the clause as the relative adverb subordinator. The clause modifies the noun time.

Note that the shorter phrase, in the near future, precedes the longer clause.

   Practice: Select the correct relative pronoun and indicate if the clause is restrictive (essential information) or nonrestrictive (extra information).

Sentences with adjective clauses: select the correct relative pronoun.
Type of clause
In September 2006, Intel announced it would cut 10,500 jobs, amounts to the company's biggest cubtack in 20 years.
The job cuts were announced by Paul Otellini, is Intel's chief executive officer.
The workers are being cut will most likely receive severance pay.
The downsizing is due to decreased industry sales and competition from a rival has gained market share, AMD.  (Note)The rival is a company, not a person!
Workers entire livelihood depended on Intel will have to scramble for jobs.
Intel, now has 102,000 employees, wants to reduce its headcount to 92,000.
Management, marketing, and information technology are the areas will be hardest hit this year.
The layoffs will be apportioned across multiple locations, and in Silicon Valley, 1 out of 17 Intel workers are located, the ratio will remain the same.
The 1980s was the decade Intel decided to focus on microprocessors. At that time, it laid off 7,000 employees.
The series of new products Intel has produced this summer haven't been enough to offset AMD's gains in market share.

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