What is the difference between relative clauses and adjective phrases?

Relative Clauses Questions Medium



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What is the difference between relative clauses and adjective phrases?

Relative clauses and adjective phrases are both used to provide additional information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence. However, there are some key differences between the two.

1. Structure: Relative clauses are introduced by relative pronouns (such as who, whom, whose, which, that) or relative adverbs (such as when, where, why). They contain a subject and a verb and can function as a separate clause within a sentence. Adjective phrases, on the other hand, are groups of words that modify a noun or pronoun but do not contain a subject and a verb. They are usually made up of an adjective and any accompanying words.

2. Placement: Relative clauses are typically placed immediately after the noun or pronoun they modify. For example, "The book that I read last night was amazing." Adjective phrases, on the other hand, can be placed before or after the noun they modify. For example, "The amazing book that I read last night" or "The book I read last night, which was amazing."

3. Function: Relative clauses provide essential information about the noun or pronoun they modify and cannot be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning. Adjective phrases, on the other hand, provide additional information but can be removed from the sentence without altering its core meaning. For example, "The car that is parked outside is mine" (removing the relative clause changes the meaning to "The car is mine") versus "The red car parked outside is mine" (removing the adjective phrase does not change the core meaning).

In summary, relative clauses are introduced by relative pronouns or adverbs, contain a subject and a verb, and provide essential information about the noun or pronoun they modify. Adjective phrases, on the other hand, do not contain a subject and a verb, can be placed before or after the noun they modify, and provide additional but non-essential information.