That
Adding Descriptive Clauses for Inanimate Things
An adjective can be one word, a phrase or a clause:
- The new car is tiny. (adjective)
- The car on top of the Hummer is tiny. (prepositional phrase)
- The car that holds two passengers is tiny. (adjective clause)
| WORD MODIFIERS | PHRASE OR CLAUSE MODIFIERS |
|---|---|
A word or series of modifying words (adjectives) come before the noun. |
A modifying phrase or clause comes directly after the word. A pronoun, that, joins the modifer to the main clause. In the example below, the subject of the modifying clause is replaced by that. |
We traded in our gas-consuming car for a new, electric car. |
We traded in our car that was old for a new car. |
trade in (v.) – to give something old as partial payment for something new
Subject Modifiers

Replace the subject-noun (in the modifying clause) with that
and insert the clause next to the word it modifies in the main clause.
Joining the Subject of a Modifying Clause
| JOIN THE SENTENCES: | MAIN CLAUSE | MODIFYING CLAUSE | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Replace the subject-noun It with that. |
The car is economical to drive. |
It is very small. |
|
that is very small |
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2 |
Insert the clause into the main sentence. |
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The car that is very small is economical to drive. |
Common Mistake
| ERROR | FIX |
|---|---|
The car is very economical that holds just two passengers. |
The car that holds just two passengers is very economical. |
Object Modifiers

Replace the object-noun (in the modifying clause) with that
and move it forward and next to the word it modifies in the main clause.
Joining the Object of a Modifying Clause
| JOIN THE SENTENCES: | MAIN CLAUSE | MODIFYING CLAUSE | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Replace the object-noun it with that |
The car is economical to drive. |
I want to buy it. |
|
I want to buy that |
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2 |
Move the relative pronoun to the front of the sentence. |
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3 |
Insert the clause into the main sentence. |
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Option: "that" can be omitted if the clause helps to identify the noun it modifies. more info |
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The car (that) I want to buy is economical to drive. |
Common Mistake
| ERROR | FIX |
|---|---|
The car that I want to buy it is economical to drive. |
The car (that) I want to buy is economical to drive. Delete it. Otherwise, there are two pronouns referring to the car. |
Practice
Considering a "Smart" Car
- Join the two sentences into one sentence.
- Change the second sentence into a clause. (Leave the prepositions at the end of the sentence.)
Index Grammar-Quizzes | Previous Adjective Clause Summary | Next Who-Whom
