UNIT 6 Relative Pronouns and Clauses PDF

6. Relative pronouns and relative clauses ESTRATEGIAS PARA LA COMUNICACIÓN ORAL Y ESCRITA EN LENGUA INGLESA II Facultad de Lenguas y Educación 2 3 4 6.1. Relative pronouns. 6.1.1. What is a relative pronoun? A relative pronoun is one which is used to refer to nouns mentioned previously, wh...

6. Relative pronouns and relative clauses ESTRATEGIAS PARA LA COMUNICACIÓN ORAL Y ESCRITA EN LENGUA INGLESA II Facultad de Lenguas y Educación 2 3 4 6.1. Relative pronouns. 6.1.1. What is a relative pronoun? A relative pronoun is one which is used to refer to nouns mentioned previously, whether they are people, places, things, animals, or ideas. Relative pronouns can be used to join two sentences and they are used to introduce relative clauses. There are only a few relative pronouns in English. The most common ones are which, that, whose, who, and whom. In some situations, the words what, when, and where can also function as relative pronouns. 5 Relative pronouns Used to refer to nouns mentioned previously. They can be used to join two sentences and they are used to introduce relative clauses. Retrieved from https://englishfl3eso.wikispaces.com/Relative+Clauses 6 6.1.2. List of Relative Pronouns and examples Pronoun Use WHO people and sometimes pet animals WHICH animals and things THAT people, animals and things; informal WHOSE possessive meaning; usually for people and animals; sometimes for things in formal situations WHOM for people in formal styles or in writing; often with a preposition; used instead of who if who is the object WHEN time WHERE place WHY reason no relative pronoun when the relative pronoun defines the object of the clause 7 Relative pronouns: examples The cyclist who won the race trained hard. The pants that I bought yesterday are new. Spaghetti, which we eat at least twice a week, is one of my favorite meals. The book, when it was finally returned, was torn. The store on the corner, where we usually buy all of our art supplies, burned to the ground. There was only one person to whom the old man spoke. He’s marrying a girl whose family don’t seem to like him. 8 6.1.3. Relative pronoun WHO Who is used in relative clauses to refer to people, and sometimes to pet animals. It is used to introduce defining and non-defining relative clauses: I think there would be a lot of children who would love to have a climbing wall in school. (defining) That’s the dog who doesn’t like me. (defining) This guy at work, who’s one of my friends, has never been on a train. (non-defining) 9 6.1.3. Relative pronoun WHO Who can act as the subject or the object of the relative clause: She’s going out with a guy who’s in the army. (who refers to a guy and is the subject of is in the relative clause) The woman who I saw yesterday was Amy. (who refers to the woman and is the object of saw in the relative clause) 10 6.1.3. Relative pronoun WHO Who can be the complement of a preposition: It was Tom who Ian gave the keys to. (who refers to Tom and is the complement of the preposition to) The preposition goes at the end of the relative clause instead of before who: Of all my friends, she’s the one who I know I can rely on. Not: … the one on who I know I can rely. 11 6.1.3. Relative pronoun WHO We often use who with collective human nouns such as committee, government, group, panel, police or team: Mary phoned the fire brigade, who then alerted the police. Who is not used for things: There are some very good art books which you can get ideas from. Not: There are some very good art books who you can get ideas from. 12 6.1.4. Relative pronoun WHOM Whom is used in formal situations or in writing to refer to people when the person is the object of the verb. It is much more common in writing: The response of those managers whom I have consulted has been very positive. (whom refers to those managers and is the object of consulted in the relative clause) The most common use of whom is with a preposition. We can use whom as the complement of a preposition: His first book was turned down by every publisher to whom it was sent. (whom refers to every publisher and is the complement of the preposition to) 13 6.1.4. Relative pronoun WHOM more formal less formal There was only one person to whom the There was only one person who the old man old man spoke. spoke to. She remembered the quiet scholar with She remembered the quiet scholar who she had whom she had shared a love of books. shared a love of books with. 14 6.1.5. Relative pronoun WHOSE Whose is normally used as a relative pronoun to indicate possession. We use whose before nouns instead of a possessive expression (my, your, his, her, its, our, their, x’s) in defining and non-defining clauses: He’s marrying a girl whose family don’t seem to like him. (The family of the girl he’s marrying don’t seem to like him.) It is a Tudor house, whose sitting room looks out over a wonderful garden. (The sitting room of the house looks out over …) We can use whose + noun as the complement of a preposition: Kate, whose sister I used to shared a house with, has gone to work in Australia. (whose sister refers to Kate and is the complement of with) 15 6.1.5. Relative pronoun WHOSE more formal more informal Thomas Goldney III, in whose house several Thomas Goldney III, whose house several generations of students have now lived, was generations of students have now lived in, was described as ‘a very curious gentleman’. described as ‘a very curious gentleman’. 16 6.1.6. Relative pronoun WHICH Which is used to refer to animals and things in both defining and non-defining relative clauses. We always use which to introduce relative clauses when they refer to a whole sentence or clause: You need to tick the box which says yes. (defining) He won’t have much time to prepare for the meeting, which is this afternoon. (non-defining) She had to walk to the other side of the room, which isn’t easy with a bad back. (which refers to the whole sentence before it) 17 6.1.6. Relative pronoun WHICH We use which or that, not what: Another activity which/that I have chosen is photography. Not: Another activity what I have chosen is photography. Which can be used as the subject or the object of the relative clause: The new sports complex, which will be built there, will provide facilities for cricket and soccer. (which refers to the new sports complex and is the subject of will be built in the relative clause) It was the same picture which I saw at the museum. (which refers to the same picture and is the object of saw in the relative clause) 18 6.1.6. Relative pronoun WHICH We can use which as the complement of a preposition: At the beginning of the academic course there is a reception at which you can meet staff and students.(which refers to a reception and is the complement of at) We can put the preposition immediately before the relative pronoun (more formal) or at the end of the relative clause (more informal). Compare: more formal more informal The poet knows himself to be separated I’ve never felt close to the from the community in which he grew up. community which I grew up in. 19 6.1.7. Relative pronoun THAT We use that instead of who, whom or which in relative clauses to refer to people, animals and things. It is only used to introduce defining clauses. That is more informal than who, whom or which: Last night we met somebody that did the therapy course two years after you. (refers to a person) The 9.30 is the train that you need to get. (refers to a thing) She blamed herself for everything that had happened. 20 6.1.7. Relative pronoun THAT That can act as the subject or the object of the relative clause: Don’t take money that doesn’t belong to you. (that refers to money and is the subject of belong in the relative clause) It’s the same wallet that my mother has. (that refers to the same wallet and is the object of has in the relative clause) That is often used after superlatives: Last final was the best game of tennis that I’ve ever seen. 21 6.1.7. Relative pronoun THAT That can refer to the complement of a preposition: We’ve got some tennis balls that you can play with. (that refers to some tennis balls and is the complement of the preposition with) Unlike which, whom and whose, we can’t use that with the preposition immediately before it: Not: We’ve got some tennis balls with that you can play. 22 6.1.8. No relative pronoun In informal styles, we often leave out the relative pronoun. This is only done in defining relative clauses, and when the relative pronoun is the object of the verb. Arabic is a language which I’ve found hard to learn or Arabic is a l anguage I’ve found hard to learn. (defining relative clause: which is the object) There’s a hill which begins some miles after the start of the race. (defining relative clause: which is the subject) Not: There’s a hill begins some miles after the start of the race. 23 6.1.8. No relative pronoun In defining relative clauses, we can also leave out the relative pronoun when it is the complement of a preposition. In this case, the preposition is always placed at the end of the relative clause: She was at the garden party which I was telling you about / She was at the garden party about which I was telling you / She was at the garden party I was telling you about. (defining relative clause: which is the complement of about) 24 6.1.9. Relative pronouns: WHEN, WHERE AND WHY Pronoun Use Examples where places I know a restaurant where the food is excellent. (… a restaurant at which the food is excellent) when times There isn’t a day when I don’t feel tired. (… a day on which I don’t feel tired …) why reasons Do you know the reason why this bar is closed today? (… the reason for which this bar is closed …) 25 6.1.10. Relative Pronoun Exercises 1. The festival, ______________ lasted all day, ended with a banquet. A. That B. Who C. Which D. What 26 2. I am looking for someone __________ can watch my dog while I go on vacation. A. Which B. Who C. Whom D. Whoever 27 3. The police needed details _____________ could help identify the robber. A. Who B. Whatever C. That D. What 28 4. I’d like to take you to a café _______________ serves excellent coffee. A. What B. Whatever C. Which D. Whichever 29 5. The clubhouse, in __________ the dance was held, housed about 200 people. A. Which B. Where C. That D. Whom 30 6. I saw the shoes __________ you bought last week. A. When B. What C. Who D. Whom 31 7. The winners, __________ known, will receive money and other prizes. A. Whoever B. Who C. When D. That 32 8. This is the place __________ we met. A. When B. Where C. Who D. That 33 9. The baby, ________ nap had been interrupted, cried. A. Whosw B. Whomever C. Whom D. Who 34 6.1.11. Relative pronouns: typical errors  We can’t use that instead of who, whom or which in non-defining relative clauses: It gives me a good chance to improve my German, which has become a little bit rusty. Not: It gives me a good chance to improve my German, that has become a little bit rusty.  We don’t use what as a relative pronoun: He can make himself easily understood in the two languages, which helps a lot. Not: He can make himself easily understood in the two languages, what helps a lot. 35 6.1.11. Relative pronouns: typical errors  We don’t use who for things: She’s written some great cookery books which have got pictures of delicious-looking recipes. Not: She’s written some great cookery books who have got pictures of delicious-looking recipes.  Take care to spell which correctly: not ‘wich’. 36 6.2. Relative Clauses Retrieved from https://segato2014.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/ingles/ 37 Defining Relative Clauses They tell which noun we are talking about: Example  I like the woman who lives next door (If we don't say ‘who lives next door, then we don’t know which woman we mean). Retrieved from https://englishfl3eso.wikispaces.com/Relative+Clauses 38  Non-defining Relative Clauses  They give us extra information about something. We don’t need this information to understand the sentence. Example  I live in London, which has some fantastic parks. (Everybody knows where London is, so ‘which has some fantastic parks’ Retrieved from is extra information). https://englishfl3eso.wikispaces.com/Relative+Clauses 39 6.2.1. Defining relative clauses A defining or restrictive relative clause provides essential information about the noun to which it refers. It cannot be left out of the sentence without affecting the meaning. The underlined section in the sentence below is a defining relative clause. If it was left out, the sentence would not make sense: It reminded him of the house that he used to live in. It reminded him of the house. [which house?] 40 6.2.1. Defining relative clauses Let’s consider when the relative pronoun is the subject of a defining relative clause. We can use who, which or that. We use who for people and which for things. We can use that for people or things. The relative clause can come after the subject or the object of the sentence. We can’t drop the relative pronoun. For example: I’m looking for a secretary who/that can use a computer well. She has a son who/that is a doctor. We bought a house which/that is 200 years old. I sent a letter which/that arrived three weeks later. 41  More examples (clause after the subject of the sentence): The people who/that live on the island are very friendly. The man who/that phoned is my brother. The camera which/that costs £100 is over there. The house which/that belongs to Julie is in London. 42  Now we are going to focus on the cases when the relative pronoun is the object of the clause. In this case we can drop the relative pronoun if we want to. Again, the clause can come after the subject or the object of the sentence. Here are some examples: She loves the chocolate (which/that) I bought. We went to the village (which/that) Lucy recommended. John met a woman (who/ that) I had been to school with. The police arrested a man (who/that) Jill worked with. 43  Clause after the subject: The bike (which/that) I loved was stolen. The university (which/that) she likes is famous. The woman (who/that) my brother loves is from Mexico. The doctor (who/that) my grandmother liked lives in New York. 44  (Retrieved from https://englishfl3eso.wikispaces.com/Relative +Clauses) 45 6.2.2. Non-defining relative clauses A non-restrictive or non-defining relative clause provides information that can be left out without affecting the meaning or structure of the sentence. The underlined section in the following sentence is a non-defining clause. If it was left out, the sentence would still make perfect sense: The items, which are believed to be family heirlooms, included a grandfather clock worth around £3,000. The items included a grandfather clock worth around £3,000. 46  We don’t use that in non-defining relative clauses, so we need to use which if the pronoun refers to a thing, and who if it refers to a person. We can’t drop the relative pronoun in this kind of clause, even if the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause: My boss, who is very nice, lives in Manchester. My mother’s house, which I grew up in, is very small. Clause comes after the object: Yesterday I called our friend Julie, who lives in New York. I really love the new Chinese restaurant, which we went to last night. 47  (Retrieved from https://englishfl3eso.wikispace s.com/Relative+Clauses) 48