Reduced Relative Clause

Reduced relative clauses

1. Relative Clauses

A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause introduced by a relative pronoun. For more information, please read the previous lessons in this section.

  • What is the name of that boy who just walked in?
  • The man who works at Costco lives in Seattle.

Here the clause ‘who just walked in’ is an example of a relative clause. It modifies the noun boy. Relative clauses are also called adjective clauses.
Much like adjectives, relative clauses, also known as adjective clauses, modify nouns.
2. Reduced relative clauses

Relative clauses are sometimes shortened.

Reduced relative clauses refer to the shortening of a relative clause which modifies the subject of a sentence. Reduced relative clauses modify the subject and not the object of a sentence.

  • The girl who sits next to Peter is my neighbor’s daughter.
  • The girl sitting next to Peter is my neighbor’s daughter.

 Reduce to an Adjective

1. Remove the relative pronoun.
2. Remove the verb (usually "be," but also "seem," "appear," etc.).
3. Place the adjective used in the relative clause or the adjective phrase before the modified noun.

  • The children who were happy played until nine in the evening.  => The happy children played until nine in the evening. (reduce "who", to be "were", place adjective before noun "children")
  • The house, which was beautiful, was sold for $300,000. => The beautiful house was sold for $300,000. 
  • The product, which seemed perfect in many ways, failed to succeed in the market. => The product, perfect in many ways, failed to succeed in the market.
  • The boy who was pleased by his grades went out with his friends to celebrate. => The boy, pleased by his grades, went out with his friends to celebrate.

Reduce to a Prepositional Phrase

1. Remove the relative pronoun.
2. Remove the verb "be".
3. Place the prepositional phrase after the modified noun.

  • The box, which was on the table, was made in Italy. =>  The box on the table was made in Italy.
  • The woman who was at the meeting spoke about business in Europe. => The woman at the meeting spoke about business in Europe.

Reduce to a Present Participle

If the verb is in the active voice, it gets reduced to a present participle phrase

Any active tense can be changed to a present participle phrase e.g. present simple, past simple, present continuous, present perfect etc.

1. Remove the relative pronoun.
2. Remove the verb "be" or auxiliary verb if there is any.
3. Place the present participle phrase after the modified noun.

  • The man who lives near my home walks to work every day. => The man living near my home walks to work every day. (simple present)
  • The girl who attends my school lives at the end of the street. => The girl attending my school lives at the end of the street. (simple present)
  • The professor who is teaching mathematics will leave the university. => The professor teaching mathematics will leave the university. (present continuous)
  • The dog that is lying on the floor won't get up. => The dog lying on the floor won't get up. (present continuous)
  • The people that exercised every day lost the most weight. => The people exercising every day lost the most weight. (simple past)
  • There were many employees who were working very hard. = There were many employees working very hard. (past continuous)
  • The people that did not exercise every day lost the least weight. = The people not exercising every day lost the most weight.

Reduce to a Past Participle

If the relative clause is in the passive voice.

1. Remove the relative pronoun.
2. Remove the verb "be" or any auxiliary verb if there is.
3. Place the past participle or past participle phrase before the modified noun.

  • The silk, which is imported from Thailand, is worth a lot. = The silk, imported from Thailand, is worth a lot
  • The desk, which was stained, was antique. => The stained desk was antique. (past)
  • The man who was elected was very popular. => The elected man was very popular. (past)
  • The car, which was purchased in Seattle, was a vintage Mustang. => The car purchased in Seattle was a vintage Mustang.
  • The elephant, which was born in captivity, was set free. => The elephant born in captivity was set free.

For Perfect Tenses

If you wish to emphasise the prior completion of the activity in the participle phrase.

1. Remove the relative pronoun.
2.Replace has/have/had by "having".
3. Place the past participle before the modified noun.

  • The girl who has asked  a question is very clever.  = The girl having asked  a question is very clever.(Perfect Participle)
  • The teacher who has been asked  a question is very clever.  = The teacher having been asked  a question is very clever.(Perfect passive participle)
  • Taiwan, which had been one of the first countries to close its borders, showed low numbers of Covid-19 deaths in March.  = Taiwan, having been one of the first countries to close its borders, showed low numbers of Covid-19 deaths in March

If you do not wish to emphasise in the particle phrase the prior completion of the activity, then it is more common to use the present participle. 

  • The students that have studied the hardest have the best results.  = The students studying the hardest have the best results

Reduce the verb have

When the verb “have” meaning possession, we can omit relative pronoun and “have” and use with(+) or without(-).

  • Students who have  enough knowledge and skills will be admitted.
  • Students with  enough knowledge and skills will be admitted.
  • People who don’t have  their ID cards can not get in.
  • People without  their ID cards can not get in. 

Use to - infinitive to replace pronoun

1. The only => to

  • John is the only  person who understands me.
  • John is the only person to  understand me.

2. Superlative => to

  • Tom is the most handsome  boy who came in this school.
  • Tom is the most handsome boy to  come in this school.

3. The first, last, second, next => to

Jack is the first  person who has handed in this exam.
Jack is the first person to have handed in this exam.

Some more examples?

  • Who is the girl who is sitting next to your brother?
  • Who is the girl sitting next to your brother?
  • A girl who works at a pub has won a lottery.
  • A girl working at a pub has won a lottery.
  • The lady  who lives next door throws numerous parties.
  • The lady living next door throws numerous parties.
  • Yesterday I read a book which was written by Hemingway.
  • Yesterday I read a book written by Hemingway.
  • Most people who were invited to the party didn’t turn up.
  • Most people invited to the party didn’t turn up.
  • Anyone who enters the garden without permission will be punished.
  • Anyone entering the garden without permission will be punished.

Reduced structures can also be used with the adjectives available and possible.