+367.+ In our study of subordinate clauses, we have studied subordinate
clauses used as adverbs and as nouns. We have found that adverb clauses
can be used in the same way as adverbs, to describe the time, place,
manner, cause, condition or purpose of the action expressed in the verb.
We have found, also, that a noun clause may be used in any way in which
a noun can be used, as the subject of the sentence, the object of a verb
or preposition or as the predicate complement. But these are not the
only uses to which the subordinate clause may be put. Note the following
sentences:
_Wealthy_ men desire to control the education of the people.
Men _of wealth_ desire to control the education of the people.
Men _who are wealthy_ desire to control the education of the people.
Do you see any difference in the words which are used to modify the noun
_men_? In the first sentence, _wealthy_ is an adjective, modifying the
noun _men_. In the second sentence, _of wealth_ is a prepositional
phrase, used as an adjective modifying the noun _men_. In the last
sentence, _who are wealthy_ is a clause used in exactly the same way
that the adjective _wealthy_ and the adjective phrase _of wealth_ are
used, to modify the noun _men_.
We have expressed practically the same meaning in these three ways: by a
word; by a phrase; by a clause.
+368.+ +A word used to describe and modify a noun is an adjective.+
+A phrase used to describe and modify a noun is an adjective phrase.+
+A clause used to describe and modify a noun is an adjective clause.+
Note the difference between a phrase and a clause.
+369.+ A prepositional phrase, used as an adjective, consists of the
preposition and the noun which is its object, together with its
modifiers. A phrase never has either a subject or a predicate. _Who are
wealthy_, is a clause because it does contain a subject and a predicate.
The pronoun _who_ is the subject in the clause, and the predicate is the
copulative verb _are_ with the predicate complement, the adjective
_wealthy_.