6. E-mail did not become popular until the 1990s. (It was first created in 1972.) 7. Pierre Omidyar had to charge money for each sale. (His idea started to become popular.) 8. Saujani’s focus is on the area of computer science. (Few women work there at the moment.)
7.10 Descriptive Phrases Compare sentences (a) with an adjective clause to sentences (b) with a descriptive phrase. EXAMPLES
EXPLANATION
(a) There are millions of items that are listed on eBay. (b) There are millions of items listed on eBay.
This descriptive phrase begins with a past participle.
(a) I sold some things that were taking up space in my closet. (b) I sold some things taking up space in my closet.
This descriptive phrase begins with a present participle (verb -ing).
(a) Pierre Omidyar, who is the founder of eBay, is one of the richest men in the world. (b) Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay, is one of the richest men in the world.
This descriptive phrase is a noun phrase. It gives a definition or more information about the preceding noun. This kind of descriptive phrase is called an appositive.
(a) Pierre Omidyar, who is from France, created eBay. (b) Pierre Omidyar, from France, created eBay.
This descriptive phrase begins with a preposition (with, in, from, of, etc.).
Notes: 1. We can only shorten an adjective clause to a descriptive phrase if the relative pronoun is followed by the verb be. I often use the computers that are in the library. 2. A descriptive phrase can be essential or nonessential. A nonessential phrase is set off by commas. I have two computers. The computer in my bedroom is newer. (Essential) The Amazon office, in Seattle, has over 100,000 employees. (Nonessential) 3. An appositive is always nonessential. Amazon, an online retailer, is a well-known company.
Adjective Clauses, Descriptive Phrases Copyright 2021 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
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