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As the relative pronouns relate to another noun preceding it in the sentence, they connect a dependent clause to an antecedent a noun that precedes the pronoun.. Object pronouns can be d

1 INTRODUCTION

Relative clause is an important matter in English grammar We userelative clauses to give additional information about something withoutstarting another sentence By combining sentences with a relative clause, ourtext becomes more fluent and we can avoid repeating certain words

Relative clauses are mentioned in many of English grammar books.However, most of them only discuss a part of relative clauses Therefore,learners become confused when they hear and read many types of relativeclause

Nowaday, English becomes international language, writing andspeaking English grammatically is very necessary, especially when we userelative clauses

For all these reasons, I have chosen the topic “Relative clauses in English ”.

The aims of this study are :

- To present and classify all the cases of relative pronoun

in English

- To suggest some sorts of exercises with the hope toprevent the errors

2 DEVELOPMENT 2.1 Definition

- A relative clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun.

It decribes, identifies, or gives further information about noun or pronoun It is a

subordinate clause that begins with a question word (e.g who, which, where) or

the word that A relative clause is also called an adjective clause.

E.g: The school where I taught is called Alboraya English Centre.

My sister, who lives near London, is coming to visit me soon

2.2 Forms of relative clauses

2.2.1 Relative pronouns and relative adverbs

2.2.1.1 Relative Pronouns

We use the relative pronouns to refer to a noun mentioned beforeand of which we are adding more information As the relative pronouns relate

to another noun preceding it in the sentence, they connect a dependent clause

to an antecedent (a noun that precedes the pronoun.) Therefore, relativepronouns acts as the subject or object of the dependent clause

Subject and object pronouns cannot be distinguished by theirforms - who, which, that are used for subject and object pronouns You can,however, distinguish them as follows:

- If the relative pronoun is followed by a verb, the relative pronoun is a

subject pronoun Subject pronouns must always be used.

- If the relative pronoun is not followed by a verb (but by a noun or

pronoun), the relative pronoun is an object pronoun Object pronouns can be dropped in defining relative clauses, which are then called Contact Clauses.

For example:

- The chef who won the competition studied in Paris.

* Here, "who" relates back to (or is relative to) the noun "Chef" "Who" also acts as the subject of the dependent clause and the verb "won".

- The shirt that Carl bought has a stain on the pocket.

* Here, "that" relates back to (or is relative to) the noun "shirt" "That" is also the object of the verb "bought"

Relative

Who subject or object pronoun for people

I told you about the

woman who lives next

door

Which subject or object pronoun for

animals and things

Do you see the cat which

is lying on the roof?

Which referring to a whole sentence He couldn’t read, which

surprised me

Whose possession for people, animals and

things

Do you know the boy

whose mother is a nurse?

Whom

object pronoun for people, especially in non-defining relative clauses (in defining relative clauses

we colloquially prefer who)

I was invited by the

professor whom I met at

the conference

subject or object pronoun for people, animals and things in defining relative I don’t like the table that

2.2.1.2 Relative Adverbs

A relative adverb can be used instead of a relative pronoun pluspreposition This often makes the sentence easier to understand

E.g This is the shop in which I bought my bike.

→ This is the shop where I bought my bike.

Relative

when in/on

which refers to a time expression

I’ll never forget the daywhen I met you

where in/at which refers to a place The building where he

live is very old

why for which refers to a reason

I don’t know the reason

why you didn’t go to

school yesterday

In defining relative clauses why and when, unlike where can be omitted

E.g: I'd like to know the reason (why) he decided not to come.

- February is the month (when) many of my colleagues take skiing holidays.

- BUT! She always had wanted to go to a place where she could speak

her native tongue.

When, where and why are not omitted in non-defining relative clauses.

2.2.2 Defining Relative Clauses and Non-Defining Relative

Clauses

2.2.2.1 Defining Relative Clauses

Defining relative clauses (also called identifying relative clauses

or restrictive relative clauses) give detailed information defining a generalterm or expression The purpose of a defining relative clause is to clearlydefine who or what we are talking about Without this information, it would

be difficult to know who or what is meant Defining relative clauses are notput in commas

E.g: The team that wins will receive a cup and 1,000 €.

The woman who lives in apartment No 34 has been arrested.

* Object pronouns in defining relative clauses can be dropped.(Sentences with a relative clause without the relative pronoun are called

Contact Clauses.)

E.g: The boy (who/whom) we met yesterday is very nice.

2.2.2.2 Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Non-defining relative clauses (also called non-identifyingrelative clauses or non-restrictive relative clauses) give additional information

on something, but do not define it In this type of relative clause, theinformation is not essential; it could be deleted without making the sentenceungrammatical and it would still be clear who or what we are talking about.Correct punctuation is essential in non-defining relative clauses If the non-defining relative clause occurs in the middle of a sentence, a comma is putbefore the relative pronoun and at the end of the clause If the non-definingrelative clause occurs at the end of a sentence, a comma is put before therelative pronoun

E.g: - My parents, who are retired, come to Spain every year

- I used to live in London, where I was born and went to school.

* Note: ‘That’ may not be used in non- defining relative clause.

* Object pronouns in non-defining relative clauses must be used

E.g: Jim, who/whom we met yesterday, is very nice.

* Non-defining clauses can be introduced by expressions like "all of", "many of" + relativepronoun:

either of + whom + which

For example:

 There were a lot of people at the party, many of whom I had known for years

 He was carrying his belongings, many of which were broken.

* Relative sentence :The relative pronoun "which" at the beginning of a

non-defining relative clause, can refer to all the information contained in the previous part of the sentence, rather than to just one word

For example:

 Chris did really well in his exams, which was a big surprise

( the fact that he did well in his exams was a big surprise )

 An elephant and a mouse fell in love, which is most unusual

( the fact that they fell in love is unusual )

2.3 SOME NOTES

2.3.1 Reducing relative clauses to adjective phrases:

Relative clauses with who, which, that as subject pronoun can bereplaced with a participle This makes the sentence shorter and easier tounderstand

- Relative clauses with active meaning can be reduced by presentparticipial phrase

Eg: Those people who are taking photos over there come from Sweeden.

 Those people taking photos over there come from Sweeden

- Relative clauses with passive meaning can be reduced by past

participial phrase

Eg:1 The boy who was given a present is my son.

 The boy given a present is my son

2.3.2 Some cases must use “that”

It is preferable to use that (not which) after the following words: all,

any(thing), every (thing), few, little, many, much, no(thing), none,some(thing), after superlatives and after the structure “ It is ….” When using

the pronoun to refer to the object, that can be omitted.

E.g: - Answers all questions that I asked you

- There were only a few that really interested him.

- There's something that you should know

- It was the best film that I've ever seen

- It is the teacher that decides what to read

2.3.3 Relative clauses and prepositions

If the relative pronoun is used as the object of a preposition, theprepositions can come before the relative pronoun In thiscase, only whom and which may be used A preposition is neverimmediately followed by that or who However, it much more common toplace prepositions at the end of the relative pronoun, especially in everydayusage

Example:

- She is the woman about whom I told you ( formal )

= She is the woman whom I told you about (informal )

- The music to which we listened last night was good ( formal )

= The music which we listened to last night was good

( informal )

2.4 Some suggested exercises:

A Complete the following sentences with WHO, WHICH, WHOSE,WHOM, THAT or WHERE

1 Whales and dolphins both make sounds……… in some ways are similar to

a language

2 People…….work with dolphins are often surprised at how intelligent theyare

4 Lilly was the director of an institute…….became famous for its research.

5 Another person…….work has become well known is Roger Fouts

6 Fouts, …… has studied the behaviuor of other animals, taught achimpanzee sign-language

7 This is the kind of language………is used by deaf and dumb people

8 “Dumb” is the word used in English for someone…….is unable to speak.

9 The chimpanzee, …… name was Washoe, learned about 160 signs

10 My father, …… is a doctor, is fifty years old now

11 The place…… I went to school is a quiet town

12 My brother, …….has a moustache, is studying architecture

13 The man……… I saw on TV is a famous writer

14 The day……….we left on our trip was Friday 13th

15 The time…… I broke my leg is one of my worst memories

16 My car,……… I’ve had since 1998, is a white Honda

17 The hotel Tyrol, …… I stayed wheen I was in Italy, was a really nicehotel

18 I’m working for film …… main office is in London

19 The firm …… employs five hundred people makes video recorders

20 The work …… increases a lot when the boss is away is alwaysinteresting

B Filling the gap with the suitable relative pronoun.

1 Keswick, (1)…….lies at the heart of the Lake District, is the perfectplace for a holiday, and the Derwent Hotel, (2)…… overlooks the town, isthe perfect place to stay Peter and Debbie Jackson, (3) …… bought thissmall hotel three years ago, have already won a reputation for excellence.Peter, (4)…….cooking attracts people from far and wide, was once YoungChef of the Year The comfort of the guests, (5)…….the owners treat almost

as members of the family, always comes first Omar Sharif, (6)…….once

stayed at the hotel, described it as “marvelous” And the Lake District, (7)

……has so much wonderful scenery, will not disappoint you

2 People (1)……tell the truth about the properties they are sellingshould be given prizes for honesty A house (2)………is described as

“spacious” will be found to be too large Words like “enchanting ”,

“delightful”, “convenient”, “attractive”, (3)………are commonly used, all mean “small” The words “small” and “picturesque” (4)………are not so frequently used, both mean “too small” A “picturesque house” is one with a

bedroom (5)……… is too small to put a bed in and a kitchen (6)……….istoo small to boil an egg in

My prize for honesty goes to someone (7)………recently described ahouse (8)……… he was selling in the following way: This house, (9)…….issituated in a very rough area of London, is really in need of repair The house,(10)…… has a terrible lounge and a tiny dinning room, also has threemiserable bedrooms and a bathroom (11)……….is fitted with a leaky shower.The central heating, (12)…….is expensive to run, is unreliable There is ahandkerchief-sized garden (13)…… is overgrown with weeds Theneighbours, (14)…… are generally unfriendly, are not likely to welcome you

C Choose the best answer for each sentence.

1 Anyone …… scholastic record is above average can apply for thescholarship

2 Florida, …….the Sunshine State, attracts many tourists every year

a is b known as c is known as d that is known as

3 Is this the address to……… you want the package sent?

4 They expect that the new book will be bough by people… interested inEnglish history

5 “Do you have the book ……….the teacher?”

a that it belongs to b to which belongs to

c to which belongs d that belongs to

6 “Were you able to locate the person …… wallet you found?”

7 The movie …… last night was terrific

a I went b I went to c I went to it d that I went

8 I read a book about Picasso, ………… Spanish painter

9 I have seventeen students, most of …… speak English very well

a who b those c whom d which

10 “Is Dr Brown the person ……… you wish to speak?”

11 Dr Sales is a person ……… don’t have much confidence

a in whom I b whom I c in that I d I

12 The new shopping mall is advertised as a place………you can findanything you want to buy

13 Ann quit her job at the advertising agency, …….surprised everyone

14 I have always wanted to visit Paris, …… capital of France

a is the b that is the c which the d the

15 The voters were against the candidate ……….proposals called for highertaxes

a who his b whose c whom he had d that his

16 Some fish is frozen, but …………is best

a fish is fresh b fish fresh c fresh fish d fresh fish is caught

17 The government needs to establish more shelter to care for those …… have homes

a who don’t b who doesn’t c which don’t d which doesn’t

18 The people …… the acrobat turn circles in the air were horrified when

19 “Will everyone like the book?”

“No Only people ……… Interested in anthropolory.”

20 In the movie, a teenager ……… to pursue a singing career meetsresistance from his father

D Combine the sentences with relative clauses ( Decide whether to use commas or not )

1 I called to Luis He saw me He waved at me

2 The detective knew all the answers He solved the mystery

3 I met an old friend He told me all about a book he’d just read

4 Len is giving a big party Len has finally found a new job

5 An old school friend gave me a job

6 My cousin Pete helped me study for my history exam

7 The girls were hungry and decided to have a meal

8 This is Brenda She lives upstairs

9 Someone found the money and was given a reward

10 Jane is the woman Jane is going to China next year

11 Craig is hoping that Donna will be at the party Len has invited Craig

12 The new manager at the plastics factory wants Donna to work late one likes the new manager