“The Bourne Legacy” is a thrilling spin-off to the successful “Bourne” movie series. The new series takes place in the same universe but with a new main character named Aaron Cross. The action sequences are fantastic, with high-speed chases, hand-to-hand combat, and spy tactics that fans will love. Jeremy Renner delivers an excellent performance as Aaron Cross, showcasing his athleticism and determination. The series expands the world of the “Bourne” universe: it delves further into the controversial government operations of Treadstone and introduces new elements like Outcome, a program enhancing agents’ skills. However, some fans may miss the presence of Jason Bourne, played by Matt Damon. Although “The Bourne Legacy” doesn’t quite reach the storytelling and character development of the original trilogy, it’s still an entertaining experience for fans of the franchise.
Have you spotted any relative clauses? If not, don’t worry! We’ll come back to this review at the end of this lesson.
Reduced relative clauses are shortened forms of relative clauses that modify a noun or pronoun in a sentence. The new structure is called an adjective phrase, and it is more concise and commonly used in writing and speaking
We can reduce a relative clause when the relative pronoun (who, which, or that) is used as the subject of the clause.
There are two main ways to reduce relative clauses.
In relative clauses, a form of “be” is used with continuous tenses, passive forms, prepositional phrases, and adjective phrases.
| Omit the “relative pronoun” and “be” | “continuous” form |
|---|---|
| Full relative clause = | The man who is sitting next to me is my brother. |
| Adjective phrase = | The man sitting next to me is my brother. |
| Omit the “relative pronoun” and “be” | “passive” form |
|---|---|
| Full relative clause = | The book that was written by Mark Twain is a classic. |
| Adjective phrase = | The book written by Mark Twain is a classic. |
| Omit the “relative pronoun” and “be” | “prepositional phrase” |
|---|---|
| Full relative clause = | The phone that was on the table was mine. |
| Adjective phrase = | The phone on the table was mine. |
| Omit the “relative pronoun” and “be” | “adjective phrase” |
|---|---|
| Full relative clause = | The company fired the managers who were responsible for the failure. |
| Adjective phrase = | The company fired the managers responsible for the failure. |
Here are some more examples of reduced relative clauses when there is a form of the verb “be”:
The children who were playing in the garden found a golden ring. The children playing in the garden found a golden ring. I don't know the man who is talking to my father. I don't know the man talking to my father. Where is the armchair that was in my room? Where is the armchair in my room? I admire people who are interested in the arts. I admire people interested in the arts. Tourists visit the building which is being built near the lake. Tourists visit the building being built near the lake. Barack Obama, who is the 44th president of the US, was born in 1961. Barack Obama, the 44th president of the US, was born in 1961.
| Omit the “relative pronoun” … | and use present participle (Ving) form of the verb |
|---|---|
| Full relative clause = | People who work abroad may have some cultural problems. |
| Adjective phrase = | People working abroad may have some cultural problems. |
| Full relative clause = | The government will support the elderly living with their children. |
| Adjective phrase = | and use the present participle (Ving) form of the verb |
| Full relative clause = | The water that surrounds the field is contaminated. |
| Adjective phrase = | The water surrounding the field is contaminated. |
1. The boy who is running in the park is very fast.
2. I need someone who is experienced in web design for this project.
3. The car that is parked outside belongs to my neighbor.
4. The movie that was directed by Christopher Nolan won several awards.
5. She is the girl who was chosen as the team captain.
6. We visited the museum that is located downtown.
7. People who take photos all the time may sometimes be annoying.
8. They bought a flat which overlooks the sea.
9. Videos that help people exercise at home are very popular these days.
10. We need a superhero to punish those who steal from the poor.
1. The boy running in the park is very fast.
2. I need someone experienced in web design for this project.
3. The car parked outside belongs to my neighbor.
4. The movie directed by Christopher Nolan won several awards.
5. She is the girl chosen as the team captain.
6. We visited the museum located downtown.
7. People taking photos all the time may sometimes be annoying.
8. They bought a flat overlooking the sea.
9. Videos helping people exercise at home are very popular these days.
10. We need a superhero to punish those stealing from the poor.
