Adjective phrases are very similar to adjective clauses except they don't have a subject and a verb. People use them to shorten their sentences so that it's easier to say.
Adjective clause | Anyone who is interested in film should watch this movie. |
Adjective phrase | Anyone interested in film should watch this movie. (the relative pronoun who and the verb is are deleted, leaving a defining phrase modifying anyone). |
Reducing Adjective clauses
There are two ways to do this. If the adjective clause contains a form of the verb be, delete the relative pronoun, the form of be, and any accompanying auxiliaries.
Adjective clause | Avatar, which is said to have cost over 200 million to make, is well on its way to becoming the highest grossing movie of all time. |
Adjective phrase | Avatar, said to have cost over 200 million to make, is well on its way to becoming the highest grossing movie of all time. |
The second way to do this is. If the adjective clause does not contain a form of the verb be, delete the relative pronoun and change the verb to its present participial form.
Adjective clause | Avatar, which stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, is on its way to becoming the highest grossing movie of all time. |
Adjective phrase | Avatar, starring Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, is on its way to becoming the highest grossing movie of all time. |
In Which Case
Unlock full access by logging in. Registered users can explore the entire lesson and more.