Identifying Clause Type in a Sentence

The question asks us to identify the type of clause present in the brackets in the sentence: "Our neighbour (who moved in last year) wants to borrow the chainsaw." The clause in the brackets is "who moved in last year".

Analyzing the Clause: "who moved in last year"

Let's look closely at the clause "who moved in last year".

• It contains a subject ("who") and a verb ("moved"). This confirms it is a clause.
• The word "who" is a relative pronoun. It refers back to "Our neighbour".
• The clause "who moved in last year" provides extra information about "Our neighbour". It describes which neighbour is being talked about.

Understanding Different Clause Types

Let's consider the options provided:

• Noun Clause: A noun clause functions like a noun in a sentence. It can be the subject, object, or complement. Examples: What he said surprised me (subject); I know that you are here (object).
• Adverbial Clause: An adverbial clause functions like an adverb. It modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb, providing information about time, place, manner, reason, condition, etc. It is often introduced by subordinating conjunctions like 'because', 'although', 'when', 'if'. Examples: I waited until he arrived; She ran fast because she was late.
• Adjective Clause: An adjective clause functions like an adjective. It modifies a noun or pronoun, providing more information about it. Adjective clauses often begin with relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) or relative adverbs (where, when, why).
• Relative Clause: A relative clause is a type of adjective clause introduced by a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that) or a relative adverb (where, when, why). It relates back to a noun or pronoun (the antecedent) and modifies it.

Determining the Clause Type

The clause "who moved in last year" modifies the noun "neighbour". It tells us more about the neighbour. Since it modifies a noun, it functions like an adjective. Clauses that function as adjectives and are introduced by relative pronouns like "who" are called adjective clauses or, more specifically, relative clauses.

The clause is introduced by the relative pronoun "who", and it modifies the noun "neighbour". This perfectly fits the definition of a relative clause.

Therefore, the clause in the brackets is a Relative Clause.