5.4 Relative Clauses and Noun Clauses
Key Takeaways
- Relative clauses modify nouns: restrictive (essential, often no commas, that/who/which) vs nonrestrictive (extra info, commas, who/which—not that in careful formal style).
- Choose who (people subject), whom (people object, formal), which (things), that (people/things in restrictive clauses), whose (possession), where/when/why (place/time/reason).
- Reduced relatives drop who/which/that + be (*the students selected*, *the policy adopted last year*) when meaning stays clear.
- Noun clauses act as subjects/objects with that, whether/if, or wh- words; after verbs like know, ask, wonder, keep statement word order (*I wonder where she is*, not where is she).
- Embedded questions never invert like direct questions; *Do you know what time it is?* not *what time is it* inside the clause without reinversion care—on iTEP, prefer subject–verb statement order after the wh- word.
5.4 Relative Clauses and Noun Clauses
Quick Answer: Relative clauses describe nouns (the student who applied); noun clauses act as nouns (I know that she applied / Whether she applied is unclear). iTEP tests marker choice (who/which/that/whose/where), restrictive vs nonrestrictive rules, reduced relatives, and embedded-question word order.
Relative clauses: job and position
A relative clause modifies a noun (the antecedent). It usually begins with a relative pronoun or adverb:
| Marker | Typical antecedent | Role |
|---|---|---|
| who | people | subject (and informal object) |
| whom | people | object (formal) |
| which | things / animals (non-person) | subject or object |
| that | people or things | restrictive clauses |
| whose | people or things | possession |
| where | place | the campus where… |
| when | time | the year when… |
| why | reason | the reason why… (sometimes reduced) |
Examples
- Subject: Applicants who submit late files are waitlisted.
- Object: The course that she recommended fills quickly. (object that can often be omitted: the course she recommended)
- Possession: Students whose scores improve may retest sooner.
- Place: The lab where the samples are stored needs renovation.
Restrictive vs nonrestrictive
| Type | Function | Commas | that |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restrictive (defining) | identifies which one | usually no commas | that or who/which OK |
| Nonrestrictive (non-defining) | adds extra info about a known noun | commas | prefer who/which; avoid that in careful formal style |
- Restrictive: The students who scored above 4.0 received scholarships. (only those students)
- Nonrestrictive: My advisor, who scored above 4.0 on iTEP years ago, recommended daily practice. (extra fact about a unique advisor)
iTEP trap: Using that after a comma for nonrestrictive people/things: Paris, that is beautiful, → Paris, which is beautiful,
iTEP trap: which for people in careful academic English: prefer who for human antecedents when options contrast.
Omitting the relative pronoun
You may omit that/which/who(m) only when it is the object of the relative clause:
- The book that I borrowed → The book I borrowed (OK)
- The book that explains the method → cannot drop that (subject)
Error-ID items may mark a necessary subject relative as “missing,” or mark an incorrect object form (who vs whom) in formal stems.
Reduced relative clauses
Academic English often reduces who/which/that + be + adjective/participle:
| Full | Reduced |
|---|---|
| students who are enrolled in Core | students enrolled in Core |
| policies that were adopted in 2025 | policies adopted in 2025 |
| researchers who work on phonology | researchers working on phonology |
Active meaning: present participle (working). Passive meaning: past participle (adopted). Fill-in options may offer both; match voice and time.
Do not reduce when meaning collapses or when a full finite verb is required by the options set.
Noun clauses: subjects, objects, complements
A noun clause fills a noun slot:
- Object: Researchers claim that the sample is biased.
- Subject: That the sample is biased is controversial. / Whether funding continues remains unclear.
- Complement: The question is whether scores will rise.
- After adjectives: I am confident that she will pass.
Common openers
- that (statements; that often optional after many verbs: I think (that)…)
- whether / if (yes/no content; whether preferred before or not and in subject position)
- wh- words: what, who, whom, which, when, where, why, how, how much/many
Subject-position caution: That she passed surprised everyone is formal but correct. Starting with That… may feel heavy; on the exam, if the option is a full that-clause as subject, check verb agreement with the clause as a singular unit: That she passed was surprising.
Embedded questions (word order)
Direct question: Where is the testing center?
Embedded (noun clause): Do you know where the testing center is?
| Wrong (inverted inside) | Right (statement order) |
|---|---|
| I wonder where is she. | I wonder where she is. |
| Tell me what did they decide. | Tell me what they decided. |
| It is unclear why did scores drop. | It is unclear why scores dropped. |
This is one of the highest-yield advanced grammar traps on proficiency tests. If you see do/does/did or inverted is/are after a wh- word inside a larger sentence, suspect wrong embedded order.
Whether vs if: Both introduce yes/no noun clauses after many verbs (ask whether/if). Prefer whether before or not, after prepositions, and in subject position: Whether or not she retests is her choice.
Relative vs noun clause confusion
- Relative: modifies a noun already present. The policy that failed was revised.
- Noun: replaces a noun slot. I know that the policy failed.
If there is no antecedent noun for that/who to attach to, you are looking at a noun clause (or a missing head noun error).
Parallel academic patterns for drills
- The metric by which success is measured… (preposition + relative)
- The scholar to whom the award was given… (formal whom)
- It is essential that each candidate submit a transcript (subjunctive preview; finite noun clause after essential that)
- What matters most is consistent practice (what-clause as subject; singular verb often)
Strategy for iTEP Grammar items
- Find the gap’s job: noun modifier (relative) vs noun replacement (noun clause) vs full sentence connector.
- Check antecedent: person → who/whom/whose; thing → which/that; place/time → where/when.
- Restrictive vs extra info: commas and that restrictions.
- Embedded question: after know, ask, wonder, explain, unclear, force subject + verb order.
- Reduced relative: match participle voice to active/passive meaning.
Relative and noun clauses let writers pack definitions, evidence, and uncertainty into single academic sentences—exactly the register iTEP Grammar samples. When options differ only by who/which/that or by is she / she is, apply these rules mechanically and save deliberation time for meaning-heavy reading and listening items later in the exam day.
Which option correctly completes: “The applicants ____ portfolios arrived after the deadline were not interviewed”?
Which sentence uses correct embedded-question word order?
Identify the error in formal academic style: “Lake Victoria, that supports millions of people, is under environmental stress.”
Which reduced form correctly matches “policies that were adopted last year”?