The adjectival phrase performs the same function as the adjective. In other words, it qualifies a noun or a pronoun. It provides additional information about a noun. The adjectival phrase is usually found in the subject and/or the object position. In the examples below, the subject and object are in bold type face but the adjectival phrases are underlined.  

The adjectival phrase will answer the question WHICH in a given sentence. The adjectival phrase defines the noun or noun phrase. It can also be said to limit the noun being described or to differentiate it from another. For example:

1a. The students in the classrooms have been shouting. 

(WHICH students have been shouting?) The students (those) in the classroom. 

1b. The students on the playground have been shouting. 

(WHICH students have been shouting?) The students (those) on the field.

1c. The students in the library have been shouting. 

(WHICH students have been shouting?) The students (those) in the library.

1d. The students with the Home economics teacher have been shouting. 

(WHICH students have been shouting?) The students (those) with the Home economics teacher. 

In each of the examples above, we can identify four students: those in the classrooms; those on the playground; those in the library; and those with the Home economics teacher. It is the adjectival phrase that helps to clarify and identify the students in each of the given sentences. 

2. Those on the streets are the extremely underprivileged.

3. The man over there is waiting to see you.

4. The region around the heart is delicate. 

All the examples above are examples of the adjectival phrase in subject position. 

Adjectival phrase in object position

5. The students read all the books on the shelf. 

6. We met the girls living across the street. 

7. I have seen the movies selected for the film festival. 

Adjectival phrase in both subject and object positions 

8. The students in the department of history are reading the books written on the Nigerian civil war. 

9. The governor of Lagos State visited the communities in the waterline areas. 

Conversion of the adjectival phrase to adjectival clause

How do you go about the conversion of an adjectival phrase to an adjectival clause? It is simple! All you need to do is to add an appropriate relativizer: that, which, who, etc together with an appropriate auxiliary verb which can be in the present or past tense form. For example:

WHO + are: 

1a. The students in the classrooms have been shouting. 

1b. The students (who are) in the classrooms have been shouting. 

THAT + were:

2a. I have seen the movies selected for the film festival. 

 2b. I have seen the movies (that were) selected for the film festival. 

WHO + is: 

3a: The man over there is waiting to see you.

3b: The man (who is) over there is waiting to see you.

Exceptions: 

WHO + lexical verb

Those (who live) on the streets are the extremely underprivileged.

WHO + is+ lexical verb: 

4a: The man over there is waiting to see you.

4b: The man (who is standing) over there is waiting to see you.

Attempt the following conversion: 

1. We the girls living across the street. 

2. The students in the department of history are reading the books written on the Nigerian civil war. 

3. The students read all the books on the shelf. 

4. The region around the heart is delicate.

5. The students with the Home economics teacher have been shouting