When / 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 city with where. |
The city is a colorful place. |
The "flower children" lived in this city. |
|
|
||
2 |
Move the relative pronoun to the front of the sentence. |
|
where the "flower children" lived |
3 |
Insert the clause into the main sentence. |
The city |
where the "flower children" lived is a colorful place. |
4 |
Add punctuation if the clause is nonidentifying. |
San Francisco, |
where the "flower children" lived, is a colorful place. (Use commas.) |
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. |
|
|
||
2 |
Move the relative pronoun to the front of the sentence. |
|
when the "flower children" thrived |
3 |
Insert the clause into the main sentence. |
The time |
when the "flower children" thrived was a colorful decade. |
4. |
Add punctuation if the clause is nonidentifying. |
The 1960s, |
when the "flower children" thrived, was a colorful decade. (Use commas.) |
thrive (v.) – to become very successful or very strong and healthy
Where can replace:
| AT WHICH | ON WHICH | IN WHICH | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
exact address or residence |
floor, street location, geographical place |
city, area, state, country |
|||
the house |
at which I work is nearby. |
the floor |
on which I work is the twelfth. |
the room |
in which I work is here. |
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 address |
at which I work is nearby.(at 310 Elm St.) |
the corner |
on which I work |
the state |
in which I pay taxes is Utah. |
the location |
at which I work |
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. nonidentifying 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
Changing when or where to a which-clause
- Change the sentence with "when' or "where" to a sentence with "in which", "on which" or "at which".
- Change the second sentence into a clause. (Leave the prepositions at the end of the sentence.)