Reduced Relative Clauses

B2 · Upper IntermediateRelative Clauses

The man who is standing by the door → the man standing by the door. Shorter, just as clear.

What you'll learn

  • A reduced relative clause drops the relative pronoun and the verb 'be'
  • Active meaning (who is/was + -ing) reduces to an -ing participle
  • Passive meaning (that is/was + past participle) reduces to an -ed/-en participle
  • The participle phrase still comes after the noun, not before it like an adjective

Dropping the pronoun and 'be'

Many relative clauses that use a form of 'be' plus a participle can be shortened, or 'reduced,' by removing the relative pronoun and 'be' entirely, leaving just the participle. This is common in both writing and speech for a more concise style.

"The man who is standing by the door is my uncle."
"The man standing by the door is my uncle."

-ing participle for active meaning

When the relative clause has active meaning ('who is/was doing something'), it reduces to an -ing participle.

"People living near the airport hear constant noise."
"The woman sitting next to you is my colleague."

-ed / past participle for passive meaning

When the relative clause has passive meaning ('that is/was done to something'), it reduces to an -ed or irregular past participle.

"The cake baked by my mother was delicious."
"The report written by the intern had several errors."

Word order: after the noun

A reduced relative clause still comes after the noun it describes — even though it looks like an adjective, it isn't placed before the noun. This keeps it distinct from a simple adjective and lets it carry its own complement, like 'by my mother' or 'near the airport.' (For a broader look at non-finite clauses in general, see Finite vs. Non-Finite Clauses.)

"The players chosen for the team celebrated."
"The guests invited to the party arrived early."

Real English

"The documents signed yesterday are on my desk."
"The children playing in the yard are my nephews."
"The car damaged in the accident was repaired."
"The letter left on the table is for you."

Watch out

✗The cake baking by my mother was delicious.
✓The cake baked by my mother was delicious.

Passive meaning ('the cake was baked') needs the past participle 'baked,' not the -ing form.

✗The invited guests to the party arrived early.
✓The guests invited to the party arrived early.

A reduced relative clause with its own complement (to the party) goes after the noun, not before it like a simple adjective.

✗The man stood by the door is my uncle.
✓The man standing by the door is my uncle.

Use the -ing participle for active, ongoing meaning — a finite past-tense verb like 'stood' doesn't work in a reduced clause here.

Real life — Pointing someone out

"Which one is your brother?"

"The guy standing near the window, in the blue jacket."

"Oh, the one talking to the woman invited by Sarah?"

"Yes, exactly."

Practice

Exercise 1 · Choose the correctly reduced sentence

Choose the correctly reduced version of 'The man who is standing by the door is my uncle.'

Exercise 2 · Choose the correctly reduced sentence

Choose the correctly reduced version of 'The documents that were signed yesterday are on my desk.'

Exercise 3 · Choose the correct participle type

Which participle form reduces an active relative clause (who is/was + verb-ing)?

Exercise 4 · Choose the correct participle type

Which participle form reduces a passive relative clause (that is/was + past participle)?

Exercise 5 · Choose the correctly reduced sentence

Choose the correctly reduced sentence.

Exercise 6 · Choose the correctly reduced sentence

Choose the correctly reduced sentence.

Exercise 7 · Choose the correct word order

Choose the correct word order — where does the participle phrase go relative to the noun?

Exercise 8 · Choose the correctly reduced sentence

Choose the correctly reduced sentence.

Exercise 9 · Reduce the relative clause

Reduce this relative clause: 'The players who were chosen for the team celebrated.'

Exercise 10 · Reduce the relative clause

Reduce this relative clause: 'The woman who is sitting next to you is my colleague.'

Exercise 11 · Sort into groups

the man standing by the door
the cake baked by my mother
people living near the airport
the report written by the intern

0 / 4 sorted

Quick challenge

Five quick questions to check what stuck.

Question 1 / 5

Score: 0/0

Choose the correctly reduced version of 'The children who are playing in the yard are my nephews.'

You learned

  • A reduced relative clause drops the relative pronoun and the verb 'be.'
  • Active meaning reduces to an -ing participle.
  • Passive meaning reduces to an -ed/-en participle.
  • The participle phrase still comes after the noun, not before it like an adjective.

Related grammar lessons

Upper IntermediateRelative Clauses

Advanced Relative Clauses

Learn two advanced relative clause patterns: quantifier + relative pronoun (two of whom, most of which) and 'which' referring to a whole preceding clause.

Upper IntermediateRelative Clauses

Prepositions in Relative Clauses

Learn the two ways to place a preposition in a relative clause: formal (preposition + whom/which up front) and informal (preposition stranded at the end).

IntermediateRelative Clauses

Relative Adverbs: Where, When, and Why

Learn to use where, when, and why as relative adverbs — natural, one-word replacements for 'in/at/on which' and 'for which'.

IntermediateRelative Clauses

Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Learn how non-defining (non-restrictive) relative clauses add extra, non-essential information — always with commas, and never with 'that'.

View all lessons in this category