Reduced Relative Clauses: The People Waiting Outside
By the end: I can shorten clear noun descriptions without changing who acts or who is affected.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Choose a short recording.
Before you start
Describe a person waiting nearby and an object made by someone else.
Useful background: Relative Clauses; active/passive distinction; -ing and past participles.
An active description after a noun
An -ing phrase can describe a noun performing an activity. It often corresponds to who/which is or are doing in the transparent examples here. Its time is interpreted from context; -ing is not automatically present time.
The people waiting outside need directions.
The woman carrying the blue bag is our tutor.
A passive description after a noun
A past-participle phrase can describe a noun receiving an action. Include a by-phrase when the agent matters. The surrounding sentence or a time phrase supplies the time reference.
The forms signed yesterday are on the desk.
The photograph taken by Noor won the class vote.
Check meaning before shortening
Keep the modifier next to its noun and check the actor, voice and time. An object relative such as the report that I wrote cannot become the report writing: that would make the report the writer.
The report written by the editor is ready.
The students waiting yesterday eventually went home.
Guided practice
Say or write your answer first. Compare the meaning and form; the model is one possible answer.
1. Shorten: The man who is standing by the window is Ben.
Compare a model and explanation
The man standing by the window is Ben.
The active modifier describes the man.
2. Shorten: The boxes that were delivered this morning are empty.
Compare a model and explanation
The boxes delivered this morning are empty.
The boxes receive delivery; keep the time phrase.
3. Expand: The people using the computers are students.
Compare a model and explanation
The people who are using the computers are students.
The context supports a current activity.
4. Expand a past passive description: The letter sent yesterday arrived today.
Compare a model and explanation
The letter that was sent yesterday arrived today.
Restore the passive relative without changing time.
5. Correct: The photo taking by Lina is blurred.
Compare a model and explanation
The photo taken by Lina is blurred.
The photo is taken, not doing the taking.
6. Explain why the book that I wrote cannot simply become the book writing.
Compare a model and explanation
I am the writer; the book is the object. A passive modifier such as written by me preserves that relationship.
Shortening must preserve semantic roles.
7. Does an -ing noun modifier always refer to now? Explain with yesterday.
Compare a model and explanation
No. The people waiting yesterday were tired refers to a past activity.
Context supplies the time of a non-finite modifier.
8. Move the modifier to make the intended noun clear: We gave leaflets to the visitors in a box printed yesterday. Intended meaning: the leaflets were printed yesterday.
Compare a model and explanation
We gave the leaflets printed yesterday to the visitors. The leaflets had been kept in a box.
Place the modifier beside leaflets and separate unrelated location information.
A short conversation
Listen first if you can, then open the transcript when useful.
Open the conversation transcript
A: Are the people waiting by the entrance here for our workshop?
B: Yes. Give them the name cards printed this morning.
A: What about the forms left on the side table?
B: Those are for the visitors arriving later. The forms already signed can go in this folder.
Listening checks
Listen to each extract or open its transcript. These three questions have their own score.
Mastery quiz
Choose the best answer in each situation. Your score is out of eight.
Use it in your own words
Speaking task 1
Identify people and materials at a fictional workshop using three active and three passive noun descriptions.
Reveal a possible response
The people waiting outside need the badges printed this morning. The tutor carrying the green folder has the notes prepared by the assistant. The students using the front table need the forms signed yesterday.
Success check: Keep each modifier attached to its noun and preserve active/passive roles.
Speaking task 2
Describe a photograph without pretending that an -ing phrase always means the present moment.
Reveal a possible response
The people standing near the gate in this old photograph were waiting for a bus. The building shown behind them was later repainted.
Success check: Use the surrounding time context to locate the scene.
Speaking task 3
Shorten a description, then explain one relative clause you chose to keep in full for clarity.
Reveal a possible response
I can shorten the forms that were printed yesterday to the forms printed yesterday. I would keep the report that I said Maya had written in full because a quick reduction might obscure the reporting relationship.
Success check: Prefer clear meaning to maximum compression.
Take it with you
I can shorten clear noun descriptions without changing who acts or who is affected.