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Common ESL Errors Workbook |
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Adjective Clauses |
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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...
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.
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.)
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.
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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