Plain clause + noun
JLPT N4:noun-modifying clause
A whole clause can describe a noun by coming straight before it, with no word for "that" or "who": 昨日買った本 (the book I bought yesterday).
How to form it
- Put the clause, in the plain form, directly before the noun: 私が昨日会った人 (the person I met yesterday).
- The subject inside the clause takes が or の, not は: 母が作った料理, 母の作った料理 (the food my mother made).
- The noun can play any role in the clause — the thing acted on, the doer or the place: 私が住んでいる町 (the town I live in).
- However long the clause is, it always comes before the noun.
Examples
昨日買った本は面白いです。
The book I bought yesterday is interesting.
私が昨日会った人は先生です。
The person I met yesterday is a teacher.
Notes
- The verb inside the clause normally stays plain even in polite speech: 昨日買った本です.
- The の version (友達の乗るバス) is common in both speech and writing. You only need to recognise it: が is always correct in its place.
Common mistakes
- Putting の or こと between the clause and the noun. Say 買った本, not 買ったの本.