We often use adjective clauses in English, for example, “I thanked the man who helped me with my car.” When a dependent clause modifies a noun or a pronoun, it is also called an adjective clause. Written English regularly places adjective clauses right after the nouns they modify.

Who is used for people

The man who bought the bike....

Which is used for things

The bike which was red....

That is used for things and sometimes for people in informal speech, but we try to avoid “that” for people in formal writing

The bike that was red...

Where is used for locations

The place where I grew up...

Placement of Adjective Clauses

Incorrect
Marie returned the bike to the store that she had borrowed. (the phrase to the storeseparates the noun bikefrom the clause modifying it, so it sounds like she

bought the store, not the bike.)

Revised
Marie returned the bike that she had bought to the store.

When to use that

Although the general rule is that dependent clauses begin with a subordinating conjunction word (that), the word “that” may be omitted when there is no possibility of misreading.

Missing that: Our boat leaked so badly had taken us safely to shore. (Without “that” to show “leaked so badly” is a dependent clause, the sentence is likely to be misread.)

Unnecessary that: At the concert last night, John showed the audience (that) he knows how to sing well. ("That” can be taken out without any chance of misunderstanding.)

Repeated Objects

When you use a dependent clause, be careful not to needlessly repeat (as the object of the dependent clause) the word the clause modifies:

Incorrect
Pedro saw the roller blades that he wanted it.

Revised
Pedro saw the roller blades that he wanted.

Repeated Adverbs

An error similar to repeated objects is repeated adverbs, or the echoing of the relative adverb ("where” or “when") that introduces a dependent (adverbial) clause:

Incorrect
Sue found her book where she had left it there.

Revised
Sue found her book where she had left it.

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Continue to Practice: Adjective Clauses.

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