Level

 Six  Writing  Supplement  

Adjective  Clauses,  Adjectives  Clauses  with  Quantifiers  and  Adjective  Phrases  
 
Part  One:  Review  of  Adjective  Clauses    
Read  the  email  from  a  college  student  to  his  parents.  Correct  the  eight  errors  in  relative  pronouns  in  adjective  clauses.  
 
Dear  Mom  and  Dad,  
The  first  week  of  college  has  been  hectic,  but  it’s  turned  out  OK.  My  advisor  is  a  lady  she  is  also  from  Winnipeg,  so  
we   had   something   who   we   could   talk   about.   Since   I   haven’t   decided   on   a   major,   she   asked   me   to   take   one   of   those  
tests   show   you   what   you’re   most   interested   in.   She   also   gave   me   one   of   those   personality   inventories   that   they   tell  
you   what   kind   of   person   you   are.   According   to   these   tests,   I’m   a   person   whom   is   an   extrovert.   I   also   found   out   that  
I’m  most  interested  in  things  involve  being  on  the  stage  and  performing  in  some  way,  who  doesn’t  surprise  me  at  
all.   I   always   liked   being   in   school   plays,   remember?   I   signed   up   for   two   drama   courses.   Classes   start   on   Wednesday,  
and  I’m  getting  to  know  the  other  guys  which  live  in  my  dormitory.  It’s  pretty  exciting,  but  I  miss  you  lots.  
Nestor                                                                                                        From  Focus  on  Grammar:  An  Intermediate  Course  for  Reference  and  Practice  (Addison  Wesley  Longman,  2000)  
 
Read   the  pairs  of  sentences  and   then   make   one   sentence   from   two.   Use   an   identifying   adjective   clause   and  the  relative  
pronouns  who,  that,  which,  or  whose.  The  first  word  has  been  given  to  you.  
 
e.g.     A  car  was  stolen  from  Barranquilla.  It  was  found  in  Cartagena.  
    The  car  that  was  stolen  from  Barranquilla  was  found  in  Cartagena.  
 
1. A  neighbour’s  dog  barks  all  night.  The  neighbour  told  me  to  turn  down  my  music.  
The  neighbour...    
 
2. We  had  an  exam  a  few  weeks  ago.  It  was  really  challenging.  
The  exam…  
 
3. A  man  at  the  party  asked  for  my  phone  number.  He  won’t  stop  texting  me.  
The...  
 
 
Sometimes   the   relative   pronoun   in   an   identifying   adjective   clause   can   be   deleted.   However,   remember   that   if   the  
relative  pronoun  is  the  subject  of  a  clause,  it  can’t  be  deleted.  In  some  of  the  following  sentences,  you  don’t  need  who  
or  that.  If  you  don’t  need  these  words,  put  them  in  parentheses  like  this:  (who)  or  (that).  
   
1. The  people  who  we  met  at  the  party  were  very  friendly.  
2. The  people  who  work  in  the  office  are  very  friendly.  
3. What  have  you  done  with  the  money  that  I  gave  you?  
4. What  happened  to  the  money  that  was  on  the  table?  Did  you  take  it?  
5. It  was  a  terrible  movie.  It  was  the  worst  movie  that  I’ve  ever  seen.  
6. It  was  an  awful  experience.  It  was  the  worst  thing  that  has  ever  happened  to  me.  
 
Read   the   pairs   of   sentences   and   then   make   one   sentence   from   two.   Use   a   nonidentifying   adjective   clause   and   the  
relative  pronouns  who,  whom,  whose,  or  which.  
  
e.g.     We  ate  at  Crepes  and  Waffles.  (Julia  recommended  it  to  us.)  
    We  ate  at  Crepes  and  Waffles,  which  Julia  recommended  to  us.  
 
1. You  should  go  to  Parque  Tayrona.  (It’s  a  beautiful  national  park  on  the  Colombian  coast).  

 
2. I  spoke  with  my  English  professor.  (She  recommended  that  I  get  a  tutor  and  go  to  Language  Gyms.)  

 
3. Jorge  is  one  of  my  hardest-­‐working  friends.  (I  have  known  him  since  first  semester.)  

 
 
Part  Two:  Reading  From  Focus  on  Grammar:  An  Intermediate  Course  for  Reference  and  Practice  (Addison  Wesley  Longman,  2000)  
 
Have   you   ever   seen   the   movie   Titanic?   If   you   have,   would   you   recommend   the   film?   Why   or   why   not?   If   you   haven’t  
seen  Titanic,  are  you  intentionally  avoiding  the  movie?  Discuss  these  questions  before  reading  the  following  film  review.  
 
The  Titanic  Titanic    
by  Dartagnan  Fletcher  
 
         All   the   fanfare   surrounding   James   Cameron’s   blockbuster   movie   Titanic   was   rubbing   this   reviewer   the   wrong   way.  
When   Titanic   had   first   been   released   I’d   resisted   seeing   it   because,   to   be   frank,   I   just   didn’t   feel   like   watching   1,500  
people  drown.  I  was  even  more  turned  off  when  I  heard  James  Cameron  accept  his  Academy  Award  for  Best  Direction:  
“Tonight   I’m   the   king   of   the   world.”   “How   arrogant   can   a   person   be?”   I   wondered.   The   next   day   at   my   desk   at   the  
newspaper,   I   jotted   down   ten   reasons   why   I   shouldn’t   have   to   see   Titanic   and   write   a   review   of   it,   all   of   which   I  
eventually  threw  away  when  my  wife  dragged  me  to  the  picture.  It’s  a  good  thing  she  did.  Arrogance  aside,  Cameron,  
director  of  many  well-­‐known  movies,  including  Terminator  I  and  II  and  True  Lies,  has  done  it  again.  I  was  quite  pleasantly  
surprised.  My  advice  to  you  is  this:  Go  and  see  it.  Anyone  interested  in  cinema  should  experience  this  film.  
 
         Titanic,  said  to  have  cost  at  least  $200  million  to  make,  is  well  on  its  way  to  becoming  the  highest-­‐grossing  movie  of  
all   time.   Before   seeing   the   picture   I   was   aware   that   many   people   have   gone   back   again   and   again   to   see   it,   and   I  
wondered  why.  “It  must  be  because  of  the  special  effects,”  I  said  to  myself.  There’s  much  more  to  Titanic  than  special  
effects,   however.   What   really   makes   the   picture   work   is   the   story-­‐within-­‐the-­‐story   framework.   As   the   film   opens,   we  
focus   on   a   modern   day   treasure   hunter   who   has   mounted   an   expedition   in   which   divers   will   attempt   to   recover   a  
famous   and   very   valuable   necklace   reported   to   have   gone   down   with   the   Titanic   when   it   sank   on   April   16,   1912.   The  
expedition  just  happens  to  be  televised,  and  the  telecast  just  happens  to  be  watched  by  a  101-­‐year-­‐old-­‐woman  who  not  
only  was  on  the  Titanic  but  who  has  the  necklace.  Before  we  know  it,  the  woman  and  her  granddaughter  have  joined  the  
expedition,  at  which  time  they  proceed  to  tell  everyone  what  it  was  really  like  the  night  of  the  disaster.  Once  the  old  
lady  begins  telling  her  tale,  the  film  proceeds  in  flashbacks  of  her  recollections.  
 
         One   of   Titanic’s   strengths   is   its   full   panoply   of   actors,   most   of   whom   distinguish   themselves.   Leonardo   DiCaprio   plays  
Jack  Dawson,  the  young  man  on  the  ship  who  meets  and  rescues  Rose  DeWitt  Bukater  (a  young  woman  played  by  Kate  
Winslett)  from  an  impending  marriage  about  which  she  is  despairing.  There’s  an  interesting  chemistry  between  DiCaprio  
and   Winslett.   Gloria   Steward   does   a   wonderful   job   of   playing   Winslett’s   character   at   age   101.   Particularly   effective   is  
Kathy  Bates,  who  plays  the  role  of  Molly  Brown  of  unsinkable  Molly  Brown  fame.  But  the  real  standout  for  this  reviewer  
is  Billy  Zane,  who  plays  to  perfection  the  role  of  Rose’s  incredibly  arrogant  and  stuffy  fiancé  whom,  of  course,  Rose  does  
not  marry  in  the  end.  
 
         Watching   a   movie   like   this,   one   is   faced   with   the   inevitable   question   that   has   been   asked   many   times:   Is   it   more  
suspenseful  to  know  the  end  of  a  story  or  not  to  know  the  end  of  it?  I  come  down  on  the  side  of  the  former.  We  all  know  
what  happened  when  the  Titanic  sank:  1,500  people  died.  Somehow,  knowing  the  outcome  makes  the  suspense  greater.  
Once  we  have  gotten  to  know  the  characters,  our  knowledge  of  their  ultimate  fate  makes  the  experience  of  watching  
their  story  play  out  all  the  more  poignant.  Still,  if  you’re  James  Cameron  making  a  blockbuster  movie,  the  fact  remains  
that  1,500  people  died  in  the  disaster,  in  which  case  you’ve  got  to  figure  out  how  not  to  make  the  film  a  downer.  I  mean,  
you  can’t  just  end  it  with  1,500  dead  people  slipping  beneath  the  water,  can  you?  Cameron  had  to  find  a  way  to  end  
Titanic  in  an  uplifting  fashion,  and  he  did.  I’ll  leave  it  to  you  to  find  out  how  he  does  it.  
 
         By   the   way,   I   must   assure   my   readers   that   I   will   not   be   a   member   of   that   group   responsible   for   destroying   the  
pleasure  of  many  moviegoers  by  divulging  the  secret  of  what  happens  to  the  necklace.  Find  out  for  yourself  by  going  and  
seeing  the  movie.  Rumor  has  it,  though,  that  with  Titanic’s  reissue,  the  lines  to  get  in  are  long,  in  which  case  you  might  
want  to  take  along  a  sleeping  bag  and  a  picnic  lunch.  The  wait  will  be  worth  it.  Rating:  3.5  stars  out  of  a  possible  5.  
 
Part  Three:  Adjective  Clauses  with  Quantifiers  and  Adjective  Phrases  
 
Adjective  Clauses  with  Quantifiers  
 
One  of  Titanic’s  strengths  is  its  full  panoply  of  actors,  most  of  whom  distinguish  themselves.  
 
The  next  day  at  my  desk  at  the  newspaper,  I  jotted  down  ten  reasons  why  I  shouldn’t  have  to  see  Titanic  and  write  a  
review  of  it,  all  of  which  I  eventually  threw  away  when  my  wife  dragged  me  to  the  picture.  
 
 
Adjective  Phrases  
 
Rumor  has  it,  though,  that  the  lines  to  get  into  Titanic  are  long,  in  which  case  you  might  want  to  take  along  a  sleeping  
bag  and  a  picnic  lunch.  
 
Anyone  interested  in  cinema  should  experience  this  film.  
 
Titanic,   said   to   have   cost   at   least   $200   million   to   make,   is   well   on   its   way   to   becoming   the   highest-­‐grossing   movie   of   all  
time.  
 
Cameron,  director  of  many  well-­‐known  movies,  including  Terminator  I  and  II  and  True  Lies,  has  done  it  again.  
 
 
Notes     Examples  
     
1. Certain  nonidentifying  adjective  clauses  follow  the   • One  of  Titanic’s  strengths  is  its  full  panoply  of  
pattern  quantifier  +  preposition  +  relative  pronoun   actors,  most  of  whom  distinguish  themselves.  
whom  or  which.  These  relative  pronouns  refer  to  an   (Whom  refers  to  the  head  noun  actors.)  
earlier  head  noun.  
 
     
2. Another  adjective  clause  of  this  type  is  made  with  just   • Jack  Dawson  meets  and  rescues  Rose  DeWitt  
a  preposition  and  a  relative  pronoun.  Sentences  with   Bukater  from  an  impending  marriage  about  which  
of  whom  and  of  which  are  rather  formal  and  more   she  is  despairing.  
common  in  writing  than  in  speech.    
   
Sometimes  a  noun  can  appear  instead  of  a  quantifier.   • Cameron  has  directed  many  famous  movies,  
  examples  of  which  are  Terminator  I  and  II  and  True  
  Lies.  
   
Be  careful!  Remember  that  we  use  whom  to  refer  to   • One  of  Titanic’s  strengths  is  its  full  panoply  of  
people  and  which  to  refer  to  things.   actors,  most  of  whom  distinguish  themselves.  
(Not:  most  of  which  distinguish  themselves.)  
 
      
3. The  adjective  phrase  in  which  case  is  used  to   • Rumor  has  it,  though,  that  the  lines  to  get  into  
introduce  a  clause.  Use  this  phrase  when  you  could   Titanic  are  long,  in  which  case  you  might  want  to  
restate  the  phrase  by  saying  in  that  case,  in  that   take  along  a  sleeping  bag  and  a  picnic  lunch.  (In  
situation,  if  that  is  the  case,  or  if  that  happens.  The   which  case  can  be  restated  as  “If  it  is  the  case  that  
relative  pronoun  which  refers  to  an  idea  described   the  lines  are  long…”)  
earlier  in  the  sentence.  
 
     
4. Remember  that  a  phrase  is  a  group  of  words  which   • Anyone  who  is  interested  in  cinema  should  
doesn’t  have  a  subject  and  a  verb.  Adjective  clauses,   experience  this  film.  
both  identifying  and  non-­‐identifying,  are  commonly    
reduced  to  adjective  phrases.  Speakers  and  writers  do   • Anyone  interested  in  cinema  should  experience  
this  when  they  want  to  achieve  an  economy  of   this  film.  (The  relative  pronoun  who  and  the  verb  is  
language  while  maintaining  clarity  of  meaning.   are  deleted,  leaving  identifying  phrase  modifying  
anyone.)  
 
5. There  are  two  ways  of  reducing  an  adjective  clause  to      
an  adjective  phrase.  
 
a) If  the  adjective  clause  contains  a  form  of  the  verb     • I  will  not  be  a  member  of  that  group  [that  is]  
be,  delete  the  relative  pronoun,  the  form  of  be,   responsible  for  destroying  the  pleasure  of  many  
and  any  accompanying  auxiliaries.   moviegoers  by  divulging  the  secret  of  what  
  happens  to  the  necklace.  
 
• Titanic,  [which  is]  said  to  have  cost  at  least  $200  
million  to  make,  is  well  on  its  way  to  becoming  the  
highest-­‐grossing  movie  of  all  time.  
 
b) If  the  adjective  clause  does  not  contain  a  form  of     • Titanic,  which  stars  Leonardo  DiCaprio  and  Kate  
the  verb  be,  delete  the  relative  pronoun  and   Winslett,  is  on  its  way  to  becoming  the  highest-­‐
change  the  verb  to  its  present  participial  (-­‐ing)   grossing  movie  of  all  time.  
form.    
• Titanic,  starring  Leonardo  DiCaprio  and  Kate  
Winslett,  is  on  its  way  to  becoming  the  highest-­‐
grossing  movie  of  all  time.  
 
 
Part  Four:  Practice  with  Adjective  Clauses  and  Adjective  Phrases  
 
a) On   the   lines   provided,   write   five   adjective   phrases   from   “The   Titanic   Titanic”   which   have   been   reduced   from  
adjective  clauses  by  deleting  the  verb  be.  Then  write  each  phrase  as  a  clause  by  restoring  the  verb  be.  
 
Example:   …all  of  the  fanfare  surrounding  James  Cameron’s  blockbuster  movie.  
    …all  of  the  fanfare  that  is  surrounding  James  Cameron’s  blockbuster  movie.  
 
1
   
 
 
 
2
   
 
 
 
3
   
 
 
 
 4
   
 
 
 
5
   
 
 
 
 

b) Look   at   this   sentence.   Rewrite   it   as   two   sentences   by   changing   the   adjective   phrase   with   including   to   a   separate  
sentence.  
 
Cameron  is  the  director  of  many  well-­‐known  movies,  including  Terminator  I  and  II.  
 
 
 
 
c) Complete  the  following  statements  about  old  movies,  writing  adjective  clauses  in  the  form  quantifier  +  preposition  
+  relative  pronoun.  
 
1. Mel  Gibson  and  Danny  Glover,                both  of  whom  starred  in  Lethal  Weapon              ,  also  acted  together  in  Maverick.  
(both  /  star  /  in  Lethal  Weapon)  
 
2. Sean   Connery,   Roger   Moore,   and   Timothy   Dalton,   ________________________________________   ,   come   from  
Britain,  whereas  Pierce  Brosnan,  another  actor  who  played  Bond,  is  Irish.  
(all  /  have  /  play  /  the  role  of  James  Bond)  
 
3. Star   Wars,   The   Empire   Strikes   Back,   and   Return   of   the   Jedi,   ________________________________________   ,  
are  the  middle  three  films  in  a  nine-­‐part  series.  
(all  /  have  /  earn  /  over  $100  million)  
 
4. Saving  Private  Ryan  and  Schindler’s  List,  ________________________________________  ,  have  been  critical  as  
well  as  financial  successes.  
(both  /  be  /  direct  /  by  Steven  Spielberg)  
 
5. Walt  Disney’s  animated  productions,  ________________________________________  ,  are  known  worldwide.  
(most  /  be  /  loved  by  children)  
 
d) Complete  each  sentence  with  a  non-­‐identifying  adjective  phrase  for  each  film  mentioned.  
 
1. E.T.,                directed  by  Steven  Spielberg              ,  was  the  top  earning  film  until  it  was  toppled  by  the  reissued  Titanic.  
(direct  /  by  /  Steven  Spielberg)  
 
2. Jurassic  Park,  ______________________________  ,  is  one  of  the  biggest  moneymaking  films  of  all  time.  
(base  /  on  /  Michael  Crichton’s  novel)  
 
3. The  Sound  of  Music,  ______________________________  ,  is  the  top-­‐grossing  non-­‐animated  musical  of  all  time.  
(star  /  Julie  Andrews  and  Christopher  Plummer)  
 
4. Star   Wars,   The   Empire   Strikes   Back,   and   Return   of   the   Jedi,   ______________________________   ,   were  
conceived,  written,  and  produced  by  George  Lucas.  
(feature  /  Harrison  Ford,  Carrie  Fisher,  and  Mark  Hamill)  
 
e) Combine  each  pair  of  sentences  about  types  of  movies  into  a  single  sentence  with  an  adjective  clause  or  phrase.  
 
1. Many   science   fiction   films   have   been   huge   financial   successes.   They   include   Jurassic   Park,   Independence   Day,  
and  Men  in  Black.  
 Many   science   fiction   films,   including   Jurassic   Park,   Independence   Day,   and   Men   in   Black,   have   been   huge  
financial  successes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              .  
 
2. Comedies   have   continued   to   be   extremely   popular   and   very   successful   financially.   Examples   include   There’s  
Something  about  Mary,  Mrs.  Doubtfire,  and  Liar,  Liar.  
 
 
 
3. Musical   animated   films   have   also   become   very   popular.   They   include   The   Lion   King,   Pocahontas   and   The  
Hunchback  of  Notre  Dame.  
 
 
 
4. It  looks  as  though  sequels  to  big  movie  hits  may  lose  their  appeal.  In  that  case,  moviemakers  will  be  forced  to  
become  more  creative.  
 
 
 
 
f) Read  the  email  and  correct  the  ten  errors  involving  adjective  clauses  and  adjective  phrases.  Delete  verbs  or  change  
relative  pronouns  where  necessary,  but  do  not  change  punctuation  or  add  relative  pronouns.  
 
Paige,  

Aida  and  I  are  having  a  great  time  in  Los  Angeles.  We  spent  the  first  day  at  the  beach  in  Venice  and  saw  where  Harry  and  

Tonto  was  filmed  –  you  know,  that  movie  filmed  a  few  years  ago  starred  Art  Carney  and  an  orange  cat?  Yesterday  we  

went  to  Universal  Studios  and  learned  about  all  of  the  cinematic  tricks,  most  of  them  I  wasn’t  aware  of.  Amazing!  The  

funny  thing  is  that  even  though  you  know  that  an  illusion  is  presented  on  the  screen  is  just  an  illusion,  you  still  believe  

it’s   real   when   you   see   the   movie.   Then   we   took   the   tram   tour   around   the   premises   and   saw   several   actors   working,  

some  of  them  I  recognized.  I  felt  like  jumping  off  the  tram  and  shouting  “Would  everyone  is  famous  please  give  me  your  

autograph?”  In  the  evening  we  went  to  a  party  at  the  home  of  one  of  Aida’s  friends,  many  of  them  are  connected  with  

the   movie   business.   I   had   a   really   interesting   conversation   with   a   guy   works   in   the   industry   who   claims   that   a   lot   of  

movies   are   made   these   days   are   modeled   conceptually   after   amusement   park   rides.   Just   like   the   rides,   they   start   slowly  

and  easily,  then  have  a  lot  of  twists  and  turns  are  calculated  to  scare  you  to  death,  and  end  happily.  Pretty  fascinating,  

eh?  What  next?  Sorry  to  babble  on  so  much  about  the  movies,  but  you  know  what  an  addict  I  am.  Anyway,  I  may  be  

coming  back  a  day  early,  in  that  case  I’ll  call  and  let  you  know  so  that  you  can  pick  me  up  at  the  airport.  

Chris