Raccourcissez vos phrases : Propositions subordonnées relatives réduites
streamline, efficient, punchy.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Reduced relative clauses allow you to remove the relative pronoun and 'be' verb to create concise, professional-sounding sentences.
- Active: Remove 'who/which/that' + 'be' and use the -ing form. Example: 'The man (who is) sitting there.'
- Passive: Remove 'who/which/that' + 'be' and use the past participle. Example: 'The car (which was) stolen yesterday.'
- Prepositional: Remove 'who/which/that' + 'be' before a preposition. Example: 'The book (that is) on the table.'
Overview
The report that was submitted by the team, un locuteur natif préférera The report submitted by the team. C'est plus direct, plus professionnel, et cela évite les lourdeurs syntaxiques.who, which, that) et l'auxiliaire be parce que le contexte suffit à les rétablir.-ing). S'il subit l'action, tu utilises le participe passé (-ed ou irrégulier).The book that I read), tu ne peux pas réduire de la même manière. C'est une distinction cruciale.be, et on ne garde que le participe.The man who is standing there | The man standing there |The cake that was made by her | The cake made by her |The box that is on the table | The box on the table |- Actif :
The company that is hiring new staffdevientThe company hiring new staff. - Passif :
The project that was finished yesterdaydevientThe project finished yesterday. - Prépositionnel :
The girl who is in the cornerdevientThe girl in the corner.
The documents that are attached to this email, dis The documents attached to this email.relative pronoun + verb. C'est une économie de mots qui améliore la cadence de tes phrases.that ou which, qui peuvent alourdir un paragraphe. C'est une technique de style : plus tu réduis, plus ton information est dense et percutante. C'est particulièrement efficace pour décrire des objets ou des personnes dans un récit.- 1Confusion entre Actif et Passif : L'erreur classique est d'utiliser
-ingpour une action subie. Exemple :The email sending yesterday(incorrect) au lieu deThe email sent yesterday(correct). En français, nous avons tendance à calquer notre structure, mais en anglais, le participe passé est obligatoire pour le passif.
- 1Réduction forcée : Certains apprenants tentent de réduire des phrases où le pronom est l'objet. Exemple :
The friend that I metne peut pas devenirThe friend meeting. CommeIest le sujet, la réduction est impossible. C'est une interférence de la langue maternelle où l'on cherche une règle universelle là où il y a des contraintes syntaxiques.
- 1Oubli des irréguliers : Les francophones ont tendance à ajouter
-edpartout.The report writedest une erreur majeure. Il faut impérativement connaître ses verbes irréguliers (written,done,taught,seen) pour ne pas commettre de fautes de grammaire grossières qui décrédibilisent ton niveau B2.
The book [that] I read | On enlève juste le pronom, le verbe reste conjugué. |The book written by me | On enlève pronom + auxiliaire, le verbe devient participe. |-ing au lieu de -ed ? Oui, radicalement. -ing signifie que le nom fait l'action, -ed signifie qu'il la subit. C'est la différence entre the man painting (l'homme qui peint) et the man painted (l'homme qui a été peint).Who's the guy standing over there? est beaucoup plus naturel que la version longue avec who is.How to Reduce Different Verb Types
| Original Verb Type | Full Relative Clause | Reduced Relative Clause | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Continuous
|
The man who is working
|
The man working
|
Drop 'who is'
|
|
Past Continuous
|
The girl who was singing
|
The girl singing
|
Drop 'who was'
|
|
Simple Present
|
The path that leads home
|
The path leading home
|
Change verb to -ing
|
|
Simple Past
|
The person who saw it
|
The person seeing it
|
Change verb to -ing
|
|
Passive Voice
|
The book which was written
|
The book written
|
Drop 'which was'
|
|
Prepositional
|
The cat that is on the mat
|
The cat on the mat
|
Drop 'that is'
|
Meanings
A reduced relative clause is a relative clause that is not marked by an explicit relative pronoun (like who, which, or that) or a finite verb. It functions as an adjective to modify a noun, making the sentence more compact.
Active Voice Reduction
Used when the noun is performing the action. The relative pronoun and 'be' verb are removed, leaving the present participle (-ing).
“People living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.”
“The woman leading the parade is my aunt.”
Passive Voice Reduction
Used when the noun is receiving the action. The relative pronoun and 'be' verb are removed, leaving the past participle (-ed/irregular).
“The house built in 1920 is being renovated.”
“Items purchased on sale cannot be returned.”
Prepositional Phrase Reduction
Used when the relative clause contains a prepositional phrase. Only the pronoun and 'be' verb are deleted.
“The keys on the counter are mine.”
“The man in the suit is the CEO.”
Adjective Phrase Reduction
Used when the relative clause consists of an adjective or adjective phrase. Usually occurs with adjectives that follow the noun.
“The person responsible for the mess should clean it.”
“We need a room large enough for fifty people.”
Reference Table
| Type de proposition | Exemple complet | Version réduite | Pourquoi c'est réduit |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Voix active
|
The student `who is talking` is my brother.
|
The student `talking` is my brother.
|
Le sujet (student) fait l'action.
|
|
Voix passive
|
The book `which was written` by her is great.
|
The book `written` by her is great.
|
Le sujet (book) subit l'action.
|
|
Voix active
|
The birds `that are singing` woke me up.
|
The birds `singing` woke me up.
|
Le sujet (birds) fait l'action.
|
|
Voix passive
|
The food `that was prepared` for the party was delicious.
|
The food `prepared` for the party was delicious.
|
Le sujet (food) subit l'action.
|
|
Voix active
|
The person `who is waiting` for the bus is late.
|
The person `waiting` for the bus is late.
|
Le sujet (person) fait l'action.
|
|
Voix passive
|
The products `that are sold` here are local.
|
The products `sold` here are local.
|
Le sujet (products) subit l'action.
|
Spectre de formalité
The gentleman wearing the azure shirt is my superior. (Workplace)
The man wearing the blue shirt is my boss. (Workplace)
The guy in the blue shirt is my boss. (Workplace)
The dude in the blue is the big man. (Workplace)
Relatives réduites : L'essentiel
Réduction active
- who is playing playing
- that are running running
Réduction passive
- which was built built
- who were injured injured
Éléments supprimés
- Pronom relatif who, which, that
- Verbe 'Be' is, are, was, were
Avantages
- Concision Phrases plus courtes
- Fluidité Anglais plus naturel
Relative complète vs Réduite
Puis-je réduire cette relative ?
La proposition décrit-elle un nom ?
Contient-elle un pronom relatif (who, which, that) ?
Y a-t-il un verbe 'be' suivi de V-ing ou Participe Passé ?
Les formes réduites en action
Actif (-ing)
- • The man `talking`...
- • The book `lying`...
- • The students `studying`...
Passif (-ed)
- • The car `damaged`...
- • The food `ordered`...
- • The documents `signed`...
Contextes courants
- • E-mails
- • Titres de presse
- • Descriptions
- • Écrits académiques
Exemples par niveau
The girl in the park is my friend.
La niña en el parque es mi amiga.
The man with the dog is tall.
El hombre con el perro es alto.
Look at the cat on the wall.
Mira al gato en la pared.
The coffee on the table is cold.
El café en la mesa está frío.
The people waiting for the bus are cold.
La gente que espera el autobús tiene frío.
I live in a house built in 1990.
Vivo en una casa construida en 1990.
The boy playing football is my brother.
El niño jugando fútbol es mi hermano.
Do you like the cake made by my mom?
¿Te gusta el pastel hecho por mi mamá?
The car parked outside belongs to the boss.
El coche aparcado fuera pertenece al jefe.
Anyone wanting to join the club should sign here.
Cualquiera que quiera unirse al club debe firmar aquí.
The letter sent yesterday was very important.
La carta enviada ayer era muy importante.
I saw a man running down the street.
Vi a un hombre corriendo por la calle.
The methodology used in this study is innovative.
La metodología utilizada en este estudio es innovadora.
Candidates applying for the job must speak English.
Los candidatos que soliciten el trabajo deben hablar inglés.
The issues discussed at the meeting were complex.
Los temas discutidos en la reunión eran complejos.
The bridge, damaged by the storm, is now closed.
El puente, dañado por la tormenta, está ahora cerrado.
The theory, first proposed in 1920, is still relevant.
La teoría, propuesta por primera vez en 1920, sigue siendo relevante.
The individual responsible for the breach has been identified.
El individuo responsable de la brecha ha sido identificado.
None of the participants, having been warned, chose to leave.
Ninguno de los participantes, habiendo sido advertidos, decidió irse.
The artifacts, discovered deep underground, are priceless.
Los artefactos, descubiertos a gran profundidad, no tienen precio.
The silence, broken only by the ticking clock, was eerie.
El silencio, roto solo por el tictac del reloj, era inquietante.
The legislation, as currently drafted, poses significant risks.
La legislación, tal como está redactada actualmente, plantea riesgos significativos.
The suspect, seen fleeing the scene, remains at large.
El sospechoso, visto huyendo de la escena, sigue prófugo.
The city, once thriving, is now a shadow of its former self.
La ciudad, una vez próspera, es ahora una sombra de lo que fue.
Facile à confondre
Both use the -ing form, but a gerund is a noun, while a reduced clause is an adjective.
In regular verbs, the -ed form looks the same for both.
Learners think dropping 'that' in 'The book (that) I read' is the same as reduction.
Erreurs courantes
The boy who in the garden.
The boy in the garden.
The car is red parked here.
The red car parked here is mine.
The man with dog.
The man with the dog.
The girl is sitting there is my sister.
The girl sitting there is my sister.
The cake making by my mom.
The cake made by my mom.
The people who waiting.
The people waiting.
I saw a movie was interesting.
I saw an interesting movie.
The man stolen the car was caught.
The man who stole the car was caught.
The book written I read it.
The book written by him was good.
The students not study failed.
The students not studying failed.
The results, having obtained, were analyzed.
The results, having been obtained, were analyzed.
Structures de phrases
The person ___ (verb-ing) is my ___.
I found a ___ ___ (verb-ed) in the ___.
Anyone ___ (verb-ing) to ___ must ___.
The ___, ___ (verb-ed) by ___, was ___.
Real World Usage
I am a professional dedicated to achieving results.
Thousands displaced by floods.
See the girl dancing?
The evidence presented in Chapter 2...
Pasta served with a creamy sauce.
Follow the signs pointing toward the exit.
Repère le verbe 'be' !
The man who is talking.
Actif vs Passif
The girl singing vs. The song sung.
Lis à voix haute !
The book written by her is great.
Sonne comme un natif
The car parked outside is mine.
Pratique avec les gros titres
Man arrested for theft.
Smart Tips
Try deleting them! 90% of the time, the sentence will sound better and more professional.
Use a prepositional phrase reduction instead of a full clause.
These are perfect for -ing reductions in technical writing.
Just keep the V3 (past participle) and lose the rest.
Prononciation
Reduced Stress
In reduced clauses, the participle (-ing or -ed) usually receives less stress than the noun it modifies.
Linking
The final consonant of the noun often links to the vowel of the participle.
Non-restrictive pause
The car, [pause] damaged in the crash, [pause] was totaled.
The pauses (commas) indicate the information is extra, not essential for identification.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Drop the 'Whiz' (Who/Which/That + Is/Was) to make your sentence a whiz!
Association visuelle
Imagine a pair of scissors cutting out the words 'who is' from a sentence strip, making the two remaining ends snap together perfectly.
Rhyme
If the noun is doing the act, use -ing to keep it compact. If the noun is being served, the -ed form is what's deserved.
Story
A busy editor named 'Red' (for Reduction) hates long sentences. Every time he sees 'who is' or 'which was', he deletes them with his red pen to make the newspaper fit on one page.
Word Web
Défi
Look at the last three emails you sent. Find one relative clause and reduce it. Does it sound better?
Notes culturelles
In Western academic culture, using reduced relative clauses is seen as a sign of high-level literacy and professional 'distance'.
Newspaper headlines in English-speaking countries almost always use reduced forms to save space and create a sense of urgency.
Legal documents use reduced clauses to be extremely precise about which 'party' or 'item' is being discussed without repeating 'which is' hundreds of times.
The term 'Whiz-deletion' was coined by generative grammarians in the 1970s to describe the deletion of 'Who/Which' + 'Is'.
Amorces de conversation
Do you know the person sitting next to you?
What's the most interesting book written in your language?
Have you ever seen a movie filmed in your hometown?
In your opinion, what are the main challenges facing the world today?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
The student ___ for the exam seemed nervous.
Find and fix the mistake:
The car damaging in the accident needed repairs.
Choisis la phrase correcte :
Score: /3
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesThe man who is standing by the window is my uncle.
The car ___ (repair) yesterday is working now.
Find and fix the mistake:
The girl who singing is very talented.
Anyone ___ (want) to leave early must ask for permission.
1. The book that is on the table. 2. The man who was arrested. 3. The path that leads home.
I saw a dog. It was barking at the mailman.
The cake eaten by the boy was chocolate.
Find the odd one out.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesThe old house ___ on the hill is haunted.
The decision making by the committee was controversial.
Laquelle de ces phrases est correcte ?
Traduis en anglais : 'Le document écrit par le professeur est très clair.'
Remets les mots dans l'ordre :
Associe les propositions :
The new phone `____` with advanced features is quite expensive.
The students discussing the project needs more time.
Quelle option est grammaticalement correcte ?
Traduis en anglais : 'L'information obtenue de l'enquête est cruciale.'
Crée une phrase :
Associe les phrases :
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
No. You can only reduce a relative clause if the relative pronoun (who, which, that) is the **subject** of the clause. If it's the object, you can't use this method.
Generally, no. It only changes the style and tone, making it more concise. However, in some cases, it can make a sentence feel more 'permanent' or 'characteristic'.
No, clauses starting with `whose` cannot be reduced using the Whiz-deletion method. They must remain full clauses.
Both are possible but have different meanings. 'The concerned people' means they are worried. 'The people concerned' (reduced clause) means the people involved in the matter.
Yes! 'The man who was running' becomes 'The man running'. The -ing form doesn't mean 'present'; it means 'active'.
They are used in both! However, they are especially common in formal writing (academic, legal) to save space and sound objective.
You change the main verb to its -ing form. 'The path that leads home' becomes 'The path leading home'.
Yes. Place 'not' before the participle: 'Students not living on campus must pay a fee.'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Participio adjetival
Spanish present participles cannot modify nouns directly.
Participe présent / passé
English reduced clauses are common in speech; French ones are mostly literary.
Partizipialattribut
Word order: German puts the reduced phrase before the noun.
連体修飾 (Rentai shuushoku)
No relative pronouns exist, and the modifier always comes first.
اسم الفاعل / اسم المفعول
Agreement in definiteness is required in Arabic.
的 (de) construction
Chinese modifiers always precede the noun and use 'de'.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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