Lesson Content
Grammar Focus
Reduced Adjective Clauses: How to Make Sentences Shorter and More Natural
A reduced adjective clause is a shorter way to describe a noun. It helps your sentences sound more fluent and natural—something native speakers do all the time. You can reduce an adjective clause when the noun being described is also the subject of the clause. This makes your language more concise and descriptive.
How to Reduce an Adjective Clause:
1. Active Voice (Present Participles):
Use –ing to replace clauses with who/that is/are + verb.
- Full: The students who are taking the test look nervous.
- Reduced: The students taking the test look nervous.
- Full: People who are walking down the street stopped to buy food.
- Reduced: People walking down the street stopped to buy food.
- Full: The vendors who are preparing food attract many customers.
- Reduced: The vendors preparing food attract many customers.
- Passive Voice (Past Participles):
Use the past participle when the clause is in passive voice.
- Full: The documents that were signed today are important.
- Reduced: The documents signed today are important.
- Full: The food that was served at the stall looked delicious.
- Reduced: The food served at the stall looked delicious.
- Full: The bags that were displayed in the window are new.
- Reduced: The bags displayed in the window are new.
When You CANNOT Reduce an Adjective Clause:
✘ The adjective clause has a different subject from the noun it describes.
✘ The clause uses future or perfect tenses, which are not reducible.
✘ The clause refers to a whole idea or sentence, not a single noun.
Examples where you cannot reduce:
- ❌ The man who I met yesterday is my uncle. (✘ “I” is not the subject of “met” → no reduction)
- ❌ The teacher who has been teaching for years retired. (✘ Present perfect tense → awkward if reduced)
- ❌ She needs a job that she will enjoy. (✘ Future tense → cannot reduce)
🔹 Correct Examples of Reduced Clauses (From Real-Life Scenes):
- The man waiting outside is my uncle.
- People walking through the street stopped to buy souvenirs.
- The food served at the stall smelled amazing.
- Students studying for the exam sat quietly in the classroom.
- A woman pushing a stroller smiled as she passed.
- The street lined with colorful shops was full of energy.
- I bought a hat made in Peru from one of the vendors.
⚠️ Quick Check Tip:
Only reduce the adjective clause if:
- The noun is the subject of the clause.
- The verb is in present continuous or passive voice.
- The sentence still makes clear and complete sense.
Using reduced adjective clauses correctly helps your English sound more natural, advanced, and descriptive—especially when talking about people, places, or things in detail, like in a busy street or a classroom.
🗣️ Why This Grammar Matters for Listening and Speaking
Reduced adjective clauses help speakers sound more natural and fluent. They are common in both casual and professional conversations, especially when giving details quickly without repeating words. Understanding them improves both your listening comprehension and spoken fluency.
Here are some real-life uses:
🔹 Describing people or things efficiently:
• “I spoke to a woman working at the front desk.”
• “We saw a house built in the 1800s.”
🔹 Making speech more concise:
• Instead of: “The students who are taking the test should stay quiet.”
• Say: “Students taking the test should stay quiet.”
🔹 In fast, native speech:
• “The people living next door are moving.”
• “The packages delivered today were all late.”
🔹 Listening tip:
In fast conversations, speakers often drop relative pronouns like who or that. Learning reduced clauses helps you catch meaning even when grammar is compressed.
Using these structures can help you:
- Speak more like a native speaker.
- Understand shortened forms in fast speech.
- Sound more polished in academic or workplace settings.
Let’s Practice
Language Game
Now, practice your language skills with this interactive game.
🎧🗣️ Listening & Speaking Practice Questions
Talk About People and Things with Descriptions
Use reduced adjective clauses (e.g., working at the store, made in Japan, studying at this school) to talk about people, things, and events in your life.
🔹 Talk About People in Your Life:
Who is someone living in your neighborhood that you talk to often?
➤ “There’s a man living across the street who always says hello.”
🔹 Describe Busy Places:
What are some things you see happening at your school?
➤ “I see students chatting with their friends.”
🔹 Talk About Interesting Things:
What is something you own that was made in another country?
➤ “I have a bag made in Italy. It was a gift.”
🔹 Your Daily Routine:
What do you often see happening on your way to work or school?
➤ “I see students walking to school and people sleeping on the train.”
🔹 Describe Your Classroom or Workplace:
Can you describe something or someone helping you learn or do your job better?
➤ “There’s a program designed to help us practice speaking.”