Types of Reduced Relative Clauses

Types of Reduced Relative Clauses 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.   Much like adjectives, relative clauses, also known as adjective clauses, modify nouns. The man who works at Costco lives in Seattle.I gave a book, which was written by Hemingway, to Mary last week. In above  examples, who works at Costco modifies- or provides information about- the man who is the subject of the sentence. In the second sentence, which was written by Hemingway modifies the object book. Using a reduced relative clause we can reduce the first sentence to: The man working at Costco lives in Seattle. The second example sentence cannot be reduced because the relative clause which  was written by Hemingway modifies an object of the verb give. Types of Reduced Relative Clauses Relative clauses can also be reduced to shorter forms if the relative clause modifies the subject of a sentence. Relative clause reduction refers to removing a relative pronoun to reduce: An adjective/person who was happy:  happy personAn adjective phrase/man who was responsible for:  man responsible forA prepositional phrase/boxes that are under the counter:  boxes under the counterA past participle/student that was elected president:  student elected presidentA present participle/people who are working on the report:  people working on the report Reduce to an Adjective Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb (usually be, but also seem, appear, etc.).Place the adjective used in the relative clause before the modified noun. Examples: The children who were happy played until nine in the evening.  Reduced: The happy children played until nine in the evening.The house, which was beautiful, was sold for $300,000.  Reduced: The beautiful house was sold for $300,000. Reduce to an Adjective Phrase Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb (usually be, but also seem, appear, etc.).Place the adjective phrase after the modified noun. Examples: The product, which seemed perfect in many ways, failed to succeed in the market.  Reduced: 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.  Reduced: The boy, pleased by his grades, went out with his friends to celebrate. Reduce to a Prepositional Phrase Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb be.Place the prepositional phrase after the modified noun. Examples: The box, which was on the table, was made in Italy.  Reduced: The box on the table was made in Italy.The woman who was at the meeting spoke about business in Europe.  Reduced: The woman at the meeting spoke about business in Europe. Reduce to a Past Participle Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb be.Place the past participle before the modified noun. Examples: The desk, which was stained, was antique.  Reduced: The stained desk was antique.The man who was elected was very popular.  Reduced: The elected man was very popular. Reduce to a​ Past Participle Phrase Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb be.Place the past participle phrase after the modified noun. Examples: The car, which was purchased in Seattle, was a vintage Mustang.  Reduced: The car purchased in Seattle was a vintage Mustang.The elephant, which was born in captivity, was set free.  Reduced: The elephant born in captivity was set free. Reduce to a Present Participle Remove the relative pronoun.Remove the verb be.Place the present participle phrase after the modified noun. Examples: The professor who is teaching mathematics will leave the university.  Reduced: The professor teaching mathematics will leave the university.The dog that is lying on the floor wont get up.  Reduced: The dog lying on the floor wont get up. Some action verbs reduce to the present participle (-ing form) especially when the present tense is used: Remove the relative pronoun.Change the verb to the present participle form.Place the present participle phrase after the modified noun. Examples: The man who lives near my home walks to work every day.  Reduced: The man living near my home walks to work every day.The girl who attends my school lives at the end of the street.  Reduced: The girl attending my school lives at the end of the street.

Alioramus - Facts and Figures

Alioramus - Facts and Figures Name: Alioramus (Greek for different branch); pronounced AH-lee-oh-RAY-muss Habitat: Woodlands of Asia Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (70-65 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 20 feet long and 500-1,000 pounds Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Moderate size; numerous teeth; bony crests on snout About Alioramus An awful lot has been abstracted about Alioramus ever since a single, incomplete skull was discovered in Mongolia in 1976. Paleontologists believe this dinosaur was a medium-sized tyrannosaur closely related to another Asian meat-eater, Tarbosaurus, from which it differed in both its size and in the distinctive crests running along its snout. As with many dinosaurs reconstructed from partial fossil specimens, though, not everyone agrees that Alioramus was all that its cracked up to be. Some paleontologists maintain that the fossil specimen belonged to a juvenile Tarbosaurus, or perhaps was not left by a tyrannosaur at all but by an entirely different kind of meat-eating theropod (hence this dinosaurs name, Greek for different branch). A recent analysis of a second Alioramus specimen, discovered in 2009, indicates that this dinosaur was even more bizarre than previously thought. It turns out that this presumed tyrannosaur sported a row of five crests on the front of its snout, each about five inches long and less than an inch high, the purpose of which is still a mystery (the most likely explanation is that they were a sexually selected characteristicthat is, males with bigger, more prominent crests were more attractive to females during mating seasonsince these growths would have been completely useless as an offensive or defensive weapon). These same bumps are also seen, albeit in muted form, on some specimens of Tarbosaurus, yet more evidence that these may have been one and the same dinosaur.