Year 6 English Relative clauses and expanded noun phrases: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Find the noun that the second sentence describes, then add the clause after it.

1. Find the noun. The boy is a person.
   The boy
2. Add the clause. The clause who lives in Leeds describes the noun, so it follows the noun.
   who lives in Leeds
3. Join the sentences. The main sentence keeps its verb, and the clause sits in the middle.
   The boy who lives in Leeds is my cousin.
4. Write the answer.
   The boy who lives in Leeds is my cousin.

Check. The relative clause who lives in Leeds follows the noun. ✓

Watch out. Do not keep the pronoun he, she, it or they in the joined sentence. Replace it with the relative pronoun.

Method. Find the noun that the second sentence describes, then add the clause after it.

1. Find the noun. The lake is the place.
   We visited the lake.
2. Add the clause. The clause where ducks swim describes the noun, so it follows the noun.
   where ducks swim
3. Join the sentences. The main sentence keeps its verb, and the clause sits in the middle.
   We visited the lake where ducks swim.
4. Write the answer.
   We visited the lake where ducks swim.

Check. The relative clause where ducks swim follows the noun. ✓

Watch out. Do not keep the pronoun he, she, it or they in the joined sentence. Replace it with the relative pronoun.

Method. Find the words that begin with the relative pronoun, and copy them.

1. Find the relative pronoun. When is the relative pronoun for a time.
   when
2. Copy the clause. The clause is the words from when to the end of the clause.
   when we won the match
3. Write the answer.
   when we won the match

Check. when we won the match is the relative clause. ✓

Watch out. A relative clause tells you which person, thing, place or time is meant.

Method. Find the noun, then the two or three words that come straight after it.

1. Find the noun. The noun is the thing the clause describes.
   food
2. Copy the words that follow. The words after the noun form the clause, even though no pronoun is written.
   they cooked
3. Write the answer.
   they cooked

Check. they cooked describes the noun. ✓

Watch out. You can leave out who, which or that when it is the object of the clause: the book [that] I read.

Method. Find the noun that the other words describe.

1. Find the phrase. The phrase is the narrow road that winds up the hill.
   the narrow road that winds up the hill
2. Find the main noun. Road is the noun that the other words describe.
   road
3. Write the answer.
   road

Check. road is the main noun. ✓

Watch out. The main noun is the word that the other words are about. Adjectives and clauses describe it.

Method. Find the pronoun that describes a place.

1. Find the place. The village is a place.
   village
2. Find the pronoun. Where describes a place.
   where
3. Write the answer.
   where

Check. where describes the village. ✓

Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.

1. Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
2. Test the choice. Whose shows that the books belong to the author.
   whose fits
3. Reject the other choices. Who would not show that the books belong to the author.
   who do not fit
4. Write the answer.
   whose

Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓

Method. Add an adjective, a phrase or a relative clause after the noun.

1. Keep the noun. The noun is girl, and it stays in the phrase.
   girl
2. Add the detail. Add words that tell which one, what kind, or what it does.
   the quiet girl with the red scarf
3. Write the answer.
   the quiet girl with the red scarf.

Check. The phrase gives the reader more information about the girl. ✓

Watch out. A good expanded noun phrase adds detail without making the sentence too long.

Method. Find the noun, and join the clause with that.

1. Find the noun. Dog is the noun.
   dog
2. Join the sentences. That belonged to the farmer describes the dog.
   that belonged to the farmer
3. Write the answer.
   A dog that belonged to the farmer barked.

Check. that describes the dog. ✓

Method. Say what it has, and what it does.

1. Say what it has. It has a noun with extra describing words.
   extra words
2. Say what it does. It gives more information in one phrase.
   more information
3. Write the answer.
   A noun phrase with extra words, such as adjectives or a relative clause, that give more information about the noun.

Check. The phrase gives more information. ✓

Method. Find the person, then join the clause with who.

1. Find the person. The teacher is a person.
   The teacher
2. Join the sentences. Who helps everyone describes the teacher.
   The teacher who helps everyone is kind.
3. Write the answer.
   The teacher who helps everyone is kind.

Check. who describes the teacher. ✓

Method. Find the relative pronoun, and the words that follow.

1. Find the pronoun. That is the relative pronoun.
   that
2. Copy the clause. The clause is that hangs in the hall.
   that hangs in the hall
3. Write the answer.
   that hangs in the hall

Check. that hangs in the hall describes the painting. ✓

Method. The castle is a place, so use where.

1. Find the noun. The castle is a place.
   castle
2. Choose the pronoun. Where describes a place.
   where
3. Write the answer.
   where

Check. where describes the castle, a place. ✓

Method. Find the noun, then copy the words after it.

1. Find the noun. The cake is the noun.
   cake
2. Copy the clause. The words after cake are my friend baked.
   my friend baked
3. Write the answer.
   my friend baked

Check. my friend baked describes the cake. ✓

Method. Find the noun that the other words describe.

1. Find the words. Thick and about ancient Egypt describe the book.
   thick, about ancient Egypt
2. Find the noun. Book is the main noun.
   book
3. Write the answer.
   book

Check. book is the main noun. ✓

Method. Find the time, then join the clause with when.

1. Find the time. The day is the time.
   the day
2. Join the sentences. When we won the match describes the day.
   I remember the day when we won the match.
3. Write the answer.
   I remember the day when we won the match.

Check. when describes the day. ✓

Method. Check the job of the pronoun in its clause.

1. Find the subject. Who is the subject of lives.
   who lives
2. Decide. Without who, the sentence does not make sense, so the pronoun must stay.
   stays
3. Write the answer.
   Who is the subject of lives, so the pronoun must stay.

Check. who is the subject. ✓

Method. Add an adjective before the noun, and a clause after it.

1. Keep the noun. Boat is the noun.
   boat
2. Add an adjective. Old describes the boat.
   the old boat
3. Add a clause. That rocked on the waves tells more about the boat.
   that rocked on the waves
4. Write the answer.
   the old boat that rocked on the waves

Check. The phrase has an adjective and a clause. ✓

Method. Find the place, then join the clause with where.

1. Find the place. The bus stop is the place.
   bus stop
2. Join the sentences. Where the bus leaves describes the bus stop.
   The bus stop where the bus leaves is near the school.
3. Write the answer.
   The bus stop where the bus leaves is near the school.

Check. where describes the bus stop. ✓