When and Where
"Flower Child" in San Francisco
in the 1960s.
Adding Descriptive Information for Time or Place
An adjective clause uses pronouns to connect the dependent clause to the independent clause.
- where (pronoun for place)
- when (pronoun for time)
When and Where - object pronouns
| WHEN - REPLACES AN OBJECT NOUN | WHERE - REPLACES AN OBJECT NOUN |
|---|---|
colorful = interesting and unusual |
decade = 10 year period; thrive = to live well and expand |
Adding a Clause with Where
| JOIN THE SENTENCES: | INDEPENDENT CLAUSE | DEPENDENT CLAUSE | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Replace the object pronoun San Francisco with where. |
The city is a colorful place. |
The "flower children" lived in this city. |
|
The "flower children" lived where |
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2 |
Move the relative pronoun to the front of the sentence. |
|
|
3 |
Insert the clause into the main sentence. |
||
|
|
|
The city where the "flower children" lived is a colorful place. |
Adding a Clause with When
| JOIN THE SENTENCES: | INDEPENDENT CLAUSE | DEPENDENT CLAUSE | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Replace the object pronoun 1960s with when. |
The time was a colorful decade. |
The "flower children" thrived in this time. |
|
The "flower children" thrived when |
||
2 |
Move the relative pronoun to the front of the sentence. |
|
|
3 |
Insert the clause into the main sentence. |
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|
|
|
The time when the "flower children" thrived, was a colorful decade. |
Where can replace:
| AT WHICH | ON WHICH | IN WHICH | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
exact address or residence |
street location, geographical place |
city, area, state, country |
|||
The building |
at which I work is nearby. |
The street |
on which I work is nearby. |
The city |
in which I work is nearby. |
The location |
at which I work (at home) |
The corner |
on which I work |
The state |
in which I pay taxes is Utah. |
The address |
at which I work (at 310 Elm St.) |
The island |
on which I work |
The country |
in which I pay taxes is the U.S.A. |
* no commas needed
When can replace:
| AT WHICH | ON WHICH | IN WHICH | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
hour, time of the day |
day |
month, season, year, decade, century |
|||
The time |
at which I eat lunch is noon. |
The day |
on which I was born was snowy. |
The month |
in which I pay taxes is April. |
The hour |
at which I eat lunch (at 12:00) |
The day |
on which I work (Tuesday) |
The season |
in which I pay taxes is spring. |
The time |
at which I eat lunch (at night) |
The day |
on which I quit (June 31) |
The year |
in which I will retire is near. |
Using Commas
Identifying vs. Non-identifying Clauses
| AN IDENTIFYING CLAUSE | A NON-IDENTIFYING CLAUSE |
|---|---|
No commas are used to set off a clause that provides information that helps identify the noun. |
Commas are used to set off a modifying clause that provides additional information about a noun that is already clearly identified. |
The area where the "flower children" lived was a colorful section of San Francisco. |
The Haight, where the "flower children" lived, was a colorful area in San Francisco. |
The years when the "flower children" thrived was a colorful decade. |
The 1960s, when the "flower children" thrived, was a colorful decade. |
Related pages: Identifying Clauses , Restrictive vs. Nonrestrictive clauses
Practice
- Change the sentence with "when' or "where" to a sentence with "in", "on" or "at which".
- Change the second sentence into a clause. (Leave the prepositions at the end of the sentence.)
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