Identify the Adjective Clause in the following sentence:
We visited my grandmother who had returned from a world tour last week.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → who had returned
An adjective is a word that describes a noun or a pronoun, for example a tall tree, the food is tasty.
Adjective clause:
- An adjective (relative) clause describes a noun or pronoun, as an adjective does.
- It has its own subject and verb and usually begins with a relative pronoun: who, whom, whose, which, that.
- This sentence: "who had returned" (from a world tour) describes the noun "grandmother". "Who" is the relative pronoun and "had returned" the verb.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: we visited my grandmother — Incorrect. This is the main (independent) clause. It can stand alone as a sentence.
Option 3: from a world tour — Incorrect. It is a phrase (preposition + noun) with no subject or verb, so it is not a clause.
Option 4: last week — Incorrect. It is an adverbial phrase of time, not a clause.