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Relative Clauses

Relative clauses provide additional information about a person or thing mentioned in the main clause. Defining relative clauses are used to identify a specific person or thing, while non-defining relative clauses provide extra context without being essential to the meaning. Relative pronouns like who, which, that introduce the clause and can function as subject or object. Relative clauses are placed close to the word they refer to for clarity.

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200 views

Relative Clauses

Relative clauses provide additional information about a person or thing mentioned in the main clause. Defining relative clauses are used to identify a specific person or thing, while non-defining relative clauses provide extra context without being essential to the meaning. Relative pronouns like who, which, that introduce the clause and can function as subject or object. Relative clauses are placed close to the word they refer to for clarity.

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wladypauly
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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RELATIVE CLAUSES A relative clause gives more information about someone or something referred to in a main clause.

Some relative clauses (defining relative clauses) are used to specify which person or thing we mean, or which type of person or thing we mean: The couple who live next to us have sixteen grandchildren. Andrew stopped the police car that was driving past. Notice that we don't put a comma between the noun and a defining relative clause. Relative clauses begin with a relative pronoun: a wh-word (who, which, etc.) or that. However, sometimes we omit the whword I that and use a zero relative pronoun (see B below): We went to a restaurant (which/that) Jane had recommended to us. We prefer to put a relative clause immediately after or as close as possible to the noun it adds information to: The building for sale was the house which had a slate roof and was by the stream. (rather than The building for sale was the house by the stream which had a slate roof.) B When we use a defining relative clause, the relative pronoun can be the subject or the object of the clause. In the following sentences the relative pronoun is the subject. Notice that the verb follows the relative pronoun: Rockall is an uninhabited island which/that lies north west of mainland Scotland. We have a friend who/that plays the piano. In the following sentences the relative pronoun is the object. Notice that there is a noun (or pronoun) between the relative pronoun and the verb in the relative clause. In this case, we can use a zero relative pronoun: He showed me the rocks (which/that) he had brought back from Australia. That's the man (who/that) I met at Allison's party. We can also use whom instead of who as object, although whom is very formal: She's an actress whom most people think is at the peak of her career. We use that as subject after something and anything; words such as all, little, much, and none used as nouns; and superlatives. (Which is also used as subject after something and anything, but less commonly.) We use that or zero relative pronoun as object after these: These walls are all that remain of the city, (not ...all which remain...) She's one of the kindest people (that) I know, (not ...who I know.) Is there anything (that) I can do to help? (rather than ...anything which I can do...) You can't add a subject or object to the relative clause in addition to the relative pronoun: The man who gave me the book was the librarian, (not The man who he gave me...) *Notice also that adding a pronoun to the main clause in addition to the relative clause is unnecessary, although it is found in speech: A friend of mine who is a solicitor helped me. (or, in speech A friend of mine who is a solicitor - she helped me.) Some relative clauses are used to add extra information about a noun, but this information is not necessary to explain which person or thing we mean: Valerie Polkoff, who has died aged 90, escaped from Russia with her family in 1917. We received an offer of 80, 000 for the house, which we accepted. These are sometimes called non-defining relative clauses. We don't use them often in everyday speech, but they occur frequently in written English. When we use a non-defining relative clause to add information about a person or people: we use who as the subject of the clause One of the people arrested was Mary Arundel, who is a member of the local council. we use who or whom as the object of the clause, although whom is more formal and rarely used in spoken English: Professor Johnson, who(m) I have long admired, is to visit the university next week. When we use a non-defining relative clause to add information about a thing or group of things, we use which as the subject or object of the clause: These drugs, which are used to treat stomach ulcers, have been withdrawn from sale. That Masters course, which I took in 1990, is no longer taught at the college. That is sometimes used instead of which, but some people think this is incorrect, so it is probably safer not to use it. We also use which to refer to the whole situation talked about in the sentence outside the relative clause: The book won't be published until next year, which is disappointing. I have to go to hospital on Monday, which means I won't be able to see you. We can also use whose in a non-defining relative clause:

Neil Adams, whose parents are both teachers, won first prize in the competition. Notice that we don't use zero relative pronoun in a non-defining relative clause. When we want to add information about the whole or a part of a particular number of things or people we can use a non-defining relative clause with of which or of whom after words such as all, both, each, many, most, neither, none, part, some, a number (one, two, etc.; the first, the second, etc.; half, a third, etc.) and superlatives (the best, the biggest, etc.): The speed of growth of a plant is influenced by a number of factors, most of which we have no control over. The bank was held up by a group of men, three of whom were said to be armed. The President has made many visits to Japan, the most recent of which began today. We can use the following phrases at the beginning of a non-defining relative clause: at which point/time, by which point/time, during which time, and in which case: It might snow this weekend, in which case we won't go to Wales. The bandages will be taken off a few days after the operation, at which point we will be able to judge how effective the treatment has been. The next Olympics are in three years, by which time Stevens will be 34.

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