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Adjective / Relative Clauses

Definition :

A dependent clause used as an adjective within a sentence. Also known as an adjectival clause or a relative clause. An adjective clause usually begins with a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom, whose), a relative adverb (where, when, why), or a zero relative.

Examples :

The happy woman danced across the street.

Happy is an adjective modifying the noun woman.

It is telling us which woman.

(Remember that Which one? is one of the adjective questions.)

Which woman? The happy woman.

Now, look at this sentence :

The woman who looks happy danced across the street.

This time, a whole clause is modifying the noun woman.

The clause is still telling us which woman.

Which woman? The woman who looks happy.

This clause is an adjective clause. It is a group of words with a subject and a verb, and it is acting as one part of speech - an adjective.

Here are examples using these relative pronouns :

·         The person who made the mess needs to clean it. (modifying person)

·         The girl whom you teach is my sister. (modifying girl)

·         People whose cats shed need to vacuum often. (modifying people)

·         This is the house that Jack built. (modifying house)

·         The book which I had not read fell on my head. (modifying book)

Here are some examples of how to create an adjective phrase :

1.      Adjective Clause        : The books, which are lost, are not really necessary.

Adjective Phrase       : The books lost are not really necessary.

2.      Adjective Clause        : The girl who is running is my best friend.

Adjective Phrase       : The girl running is my best friend.

Here are several examples of sentences with the adjective clauses underlined :

·         Pizza, which most people love, is not very healthy.

·         The people whose names are on the list will go to camp.

·         Grandpa remembers the old days when there was no television. 

·         Fruit that is grown organically is expensive.

·         Students who are intelligent get good grades.

·         Eco-friendly cars that run on electricity save gas.

·         I know someone whose father served in World War II.

Article Containing Adjective Clauses :

Computers have invaded every aspect of education, from kindergarten through college. The figures show that schools have spent over two billion dollars installing two million new computers. Recently, with the explosive increase of sites on the Internet, computers have taken another dramatic rise. In just five years, the number of Internet hosts has skyrocketed from 2 million to nearly 20 million. It is not uncommon for 6th graders to surf the Net, design their own home pages, and e-mail their friends or strangers they have "met" on the Web. Computer literacy is a reality for many junior high students and most high school students.

In the midst of this technological explosion, we might well stop and ask some key questions. Is computer technology good or bad for education? Are students learning more or less? What, exactly, are they learning? And who stands to benefit from education's current infatuation with computers and the Internet?

In the debate over the virtues of computers in education, the technological optimists think that computers and the Internet are ushering us into the next literacy revolution, a change as profound as Gutenberg's invention of the printing press. In contrast, a much smaller but growing number of critics believe that cyberspace is not the ideal classroom. I agree with the critics. If you consider your own experience, you'll agree that the benefits of computer literacy are at best wildly overrated. At their worst, computers and the Internet pander to the short attention spans and the passive viewing habits of a young television generation.

The technological optimists sing a siren song of an enchanted new land where the educational benefits of computers and the Internet are boundless. First, they boast that children can now access information on every conceivable subject. If little Eva or little Johnny wants to learn about far-away cultures, they can access sites from their own homes that will teach them about the great languages and cultures of the world. Second, these starry-eyed optimists warble about how the Internet has created a truly democratic space, where all children--rich, poor, black, white, and brown--have equal access to information and education. Third, they claim that computers will allow students to have e-mail conversations with experts on any subject around the world. No longer will students be limited by their own classroom, their teacher, or their environment. Distance learning is the wave of the future, and classrooms will become obsolete or at least optional. In the words of John Sculley, former CEO of Apple Computer, the new technologies have created an "avalanche of personal creativity and achievement" and they have given students the "ability to explore, convey, and create knowledge as never before." Children who used to hate going to school will now love to learn to read and write, to do math and science. They will voluntarily spend hours learning on the Web instead of being bored to death by endless books and stodgy teachers.

Sound too good to be true? Let's examine these claims, one by one. First, promoters of computer learning are endlessly excited about the quantity of information available on the Internet. The reality, however, is quite a different story. If you've worked on the Internet, you know that finding and retrieving information from a Web site can sometimes be tedious and time consuming. And once you find a site, you have no idea whether the information will be valuable. Popular search engines such as Yahoo! are inefficient at finding relevant information, unless you just want to buy a book on Amazon.com or find a street map for Fargo, North Dakota. Information is definitely available on the Web, but the problem is finding relevant, reliable, and non-commercial information.

Next, the optimists claim that the Internet is truly a democratic space with equal access foreveryone. Again, the reality falls short. First, access to an Internet provider at home costs over a hundred dollars a month, once you add up service and long distance fees. And then there's the technology barrier--not every person has the skills to navigate the Web in any but the most superficial way. Equal access is still only a theoretical dream, not a current reality.

Exercises :

1.      I talked to the women. She was sitting next to me. (Who)

I talked to the women who was sitting next to me.

2.      I have a class. It begins at 8.00 AM. (Which)

I have a class which begins at 8.00 AM.

3.      The man called the police. His car was Stolen. (Whose)

The man called the police whose car was stolen.

4.      The building is very old. He lives there. (Where)

The building is very old where he lives.

5.      The woman was Ms. Silvy. I saw her. (Whom)

The woman whom I saw was Ms. Silvy.

Source :

http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/adjclterm.htm

http://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/adjective-clauses.html

http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/standsum/com3a2a.cfm

http://examples.yourdictionary.com/example-adjective-clauses.html

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Girls' Generation TaeTiSeo

Girls' Generation-TTS (also known as Girls' Generation-TaeTiSeo, TaeTiSeo) is the first official sub-group of South Korean girl group, Girls' Generation, formed by S.M. Entertainment in 2012. The sub-group is composed of three Girls' Generation members, Taeyeon (leader), Tiffany, and Seohyun.

S.M. Entertainment's official press release regarding the group stated that the subunit's intention was to "grab the attention of fans with all aspects of music, performance, and fashion styles."Also hinting at the possibility of future subunits containing other members, elaborating, "by changing the members of the unit according to the music and concept of each new subunit album."

SM Entertainment revealed the thought process behind naming the unit "Girls’ Generation–TTS"”. The name "TaeTiSeo" is made up of the first syllables of Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun. This name has the letters "T" and "S", which have distinct sounds, giving a strong vibe of the team and also lets the fans recognize the members instantly.

TaeTiSeo's debut extended play, Twinkle, is scheduled for a offline physical release on May 2, 2012. A promotional image showing the three girls styled in out-landish clothing, and makeup, with brightly colored photoshopped textures around them, was released along with the unit's announcement. The first video teaser, which features Taeyeon, was released via SM Entertainment's official YouTube on April 25, 2012. Which a day later, on April 26, they released another video teaser, which features Tiffany, and also features a cameo of Kai, Sehun, Chanyeol and Baekhyun from EXO-K. Lastly, on April 27, the video teaser of Seohyun was released. Their debut title track "Twinkle" was released on iTunes worldwide on April 29, and the mini-album on April 30. They will begin promotions on music shows on May 3.

Track listing
1.     "Twinkle"
2.     "Baby Steps"
3.     "OMG" (Oh My God)
4.     "Library"
5.     "안녕" (Goodbye, Hello)
6.     "처음이었죠" (Love Sick)
7.     "체크메이트" (Checkmate)

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Active and Passive Sentences

Active Sentences

In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.

[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]

Examples:

Passive Sentences

In passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action.

[Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action]

Examples:

Examples Of Articles Containing A Passive Sentences

Mapping the chemical sequences for human DNA -- the chemical "letters" that make up the recipe of human life -- is a breakthrough that is expected to revolutionize the practice of medicine by paving the way for new drugs and medical therapies.

Ninety-nine percent of the human genome has been sequenced and 3.21 billion letters of genetic code have been assembled by Celera.

In the final step, each gene and its function must be identified. Scientists will look for the genetic variations in people -- variations that could be the cause of countless diseases.

That step is expected to take several years to complete. However, scientists said doctors one day would be able to study a person's genetic profile, determine his susceptibility to various diseases, and design a course of treatment to prevent illness.

Despite the potential for medical advancements, many Americans are divided over the implications of the genome project.

Source :

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/activepassive.html

http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/passiveart.html

 

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Subject Verb Agreement

BASIC RULE :
The basic rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb.
NOTE :  The trick is in knowing whether the subject is singular or plural. The next trick is recognizing a singular or plural verb.
Hint : Verbs do not form their plurals by adding an s as nouns do. In order to determine which verb is singular and which one is plural, think of which verb you would use with he or she and which verb you would use with they.
Example :
talks, talk
Which one is the singular form?
Which word would you use with he?
We say, "He talks." Therefore, talks is singular.
We say, "They talk." Therefore, talk is plural.

·         Rule 1 :
Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb.
Example :
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.

·         Rule 2 :
Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb as in Rule 1.
Example :
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.

·         Rule 3 :
When I is one of the two subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor, put it second and follow it with the singular verb am.
Example :
Neither she nor I am going to the festival.

·         Rule 4 :
When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Example :
The serving bowl or the plates go on that shelf.

·         Rule 5 :
When a singular and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb.
Example :
Neither Jenny nor the others are available.

·         Rule 6 :
As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.
Example :
A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

·         Rule 7 :
Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb.
Example :
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.

·         Rule 8 :
The pronouns each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be misled by what follows of.
Example :
Each of the girls sings well.
Every one of the cakes is gone.

·         Rule 9 :
With words that indicate portions—percent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, and so forth —look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.
Example :
One-third of the city is unemployed.
One-third of the people are unemployed.

·         Rule 10 :
The expression the number is followed by a singular verb while the expression a number is followed by a plural verb.
Example :
The number of people we need to hire is thirteen.
A number of people have written in about this subject.

·         Rule 11 :
When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs.
Example :
Neither of them is available to speak right now.

·         Rule 12 :
The words here and there have generally been labeled as adverbs even though they indicate place. In sentences beginning with here or there, the subject follows the verb.
Example :
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.

·         Rule 13 :
Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time.
Example :
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.

·         Rule 14 :
Sometimes the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject of a verb in the middle of the sentence. The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. So, if that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.
Example :
He is one of the men who does/do the work.
The word in front of who is men, which is plural. Therefore, use the plural verb do.

·         Rule 15 :
Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence.
Example :
The staff is in a meeting.
Staff is acting as a unit here.

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