Several people were injured this morning when a lorry carrying concrete pipes overturned in the centre of town and hit two cars.. Ambulances called to the scene took a long time to get[r]
(1)RELATIVE CLAUSES: PARTICIPLE AND TO-INFINITIVE A Relative clauses with a participle
Read this news report about an accident
Several people were injured this morning when a lorry carrying concrete pipes overturned in the centre of town and hit two cars Ambulances called to the scene took a long time to get through the rush hour traffic The accident happened in Alfred Road, where road repairs are under way People who saw the accident say that the lorry hit the cars after it swerved to avoid a pile of stones left in the road The traffic chaos caused by the accident has meant long delays for people travelling to work Carrying concrete pipes, called to the scene, etc are relative clauses: they relate to a noun Carrying concr ete pipes tells us something about a lorry
We can form these clauses with an active participle, e.g carrying, ora passive participle, e.g called
The participles can refer to the present or the past B Active - Passive
There are delays this morning for people travelling to work (= people who are travelling to work)
A lorry carrying concrete pipes has overturned (= a lorry which was carrying pipes) the path leading to the church (= the path which leads / led to the church)
The active participle means the same as a pronoun + a continuous verb, e.g which is / was carrying, or a
pronoun + a simple verb, e.g which leads / led
But we NOT use the active participle for a single action in the past The police want to interview people who saw the accident NOT people seeing the accident
Relative clauses with a to-infinitive Look at this structure with the to-infinitive
New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote (= the first country which gave women the vote)
Melanie was the only person to write a letter of thanks (= the only person who wrote a letter of thanks)
Here are some more examples
The guest on our show is the youngest golfer to win the Open
Emma Thompson is the most famous actress to appear on stage here
We can use a to-infinitive with these words: first, second, etc…; next and last; only; and superlatives, e.g
youngest, most famous
We can leave out the noun (except after only) if the meaning is clear The captain was the last to leave the sinking ship
PRACTICE
I Relative clauses with a participle Complete the definitions Put in an active or passive participle of these verbs: add, arrive, block, own, play, take, tell, watch, wear e.g
- A competitor is someone taking part in a competition - Your property is everything owned by you
1 Baseball is a game mainly in the US played 2 A wrist-watch is a watch on your wrist worn 3 A latecomer is a person late arriving
(2)5 A spectator is someone a game or an event watching 6 An extension is a new part on to a building added An obstacle is something your way blocking
II Relative clauses with a participle Write each news item as one sentence Change the part in brackets
into a clause with an active participle (e.g costing)or apassive participle (e.g found) -.A new motorway is planned (It will cost £500 million.)
A new motorwaycosting £500 million is planned
- Some weapons belong to the IRA (They were found at a flat in Bristol.) Some weapons found at a flat in Bristol belong to the IRA
1 Families have been evicted (They were living in an empty office building.) Families ……… living in an empty office building have been evicted. A chemical company has gone bankrupt (It employed 4,000 people.)
A chemical company……… employing four thousand people has gone bankrupt. A bridge has been declared unsafe (It was built only two years ago.)
A bridge……… built only two years ago has been declared unsafe. People have marched to London (They are protesting against pollution.) ……… People protesting against pollution have marched to London.
5 Tennis fans have been queuing all night at Wimbledon (They hope to buy tickets.) ……… Tennis fans hoping to buy tickets have been queuing all night at Wimbledon. A new drug may give us eternalyouth (It was developed at a British university.) ……… A new drug developed at a British university may give us eternal youth. III Relative clauses with a infinitive Comment on each situation Use the to-infinitive structure
e.g David offered his help No one else did David was the only person to offer his help
1 Olivia's daughter swam a length of the pool No other girl as young as her did that Olivia's daughter was ……… the youngest girl to swim a length of the pool.
2.The secretaries got a pay rise No one else did
The secretaries were ……… the only people to get a pay rise. The pilot left the aircraft Everyone else had left before him ……… The pilot was the last person to leave the aircraft.
4 Mrs Harper became Managing Director No other woman had done that before ……… Mrs Harper was the first woman to become Managing Director.
5 Daniel applied for the job No other candidate as suitable as him applied ……… Daniel was the most suitable candidate to apply for the job. IV Decide which word or phrase is correct
0 What I really need is a long holiday
A.that B what C which D who At last I've found the information that I was looking A for B for it C for that D it Everyone, the building was searched by the police A enter B entered C entering D enters The plane has just taken off is an hour late
A it B what C which D who
4 I had just one reply Abco was the company to reply to my letter
A last B most C.only D second
5 My friend Nigel works in the City, earns much more than I
A.that B which C who D whose
(3)A him B.that C who D whom I'd like to see the photo
A.took B you took it C.that you took D.that you took it Atlanta is the city the Olympic Games were held in 1996
A.that B when C where D which It rained all the time was a great pity
A.that B what C which D who
10 We passed shops windows were decorated for Christmas
A.the B.their C which D whose
V Each of these sentences has a mistake in it Correct the mistakes and rewrite the sentence
e.g I've found the magazine who was missing I've found the magazine that was missing
1 This isn't the train on that I normally travel This isn't the train on which I normally travel. 2 The letter that I opened it wasn't for me The letter that I opened wasn't for me.
3 The reason because I didn't know was that no one had told me The reason (why/that) I didn't know was that no one had told me.
4 That we should is ring the police What we should is ring the police.
5 I didn't know the name of the man helped me I didn't know the name of the man who/that helped me.
6 Rupert knows the family who's house is for sale Rupert knows the family whose house is for sale.
7 Einstein who failed his university entrance exam discovered relativity Einstein, who failed his university entrance exam, discovered relativity.
8 The person we talked to were very friendly The person we talked to was very friendly or The people we talked to were very friendly
9 It's the President makes the important decisions It's the President who makes the important decisions.
10 I can't find my diary, what is real nuisnace I can't find my diary, which is a real nuisance. 11 Outside the door was a pair of boots covering in mud Outside the door was a pair of boots covered in mud.
12 Lake-Suiperior-, that lies-on-the US Canadian border is the largest-lake in-North-America Lake Superior, which lies on the US-Canadian border, is the largest lake in North America. VI Complete the story about a thief's punishment Write the missing words Use one word only in each
space
This is a true story (0) which is supposed to have happened somewhere in the US A man (1) was
accused of housebreaking appeared in court He had put his arm through the window of a house and stolen
some money (2) was lying on a table inside The argument (3) the man's lawyer put
forward wasn't very impressive He said that (4) was the man's arm (5) had committed the
crime and not the man himself 'You cannot punish a man for (6) his arm has done,' said the lawyer
Now the judge in (7) court the man was appearing wanted to show how stupid the lawyer's
(4)go with his arm or not, as he chooses,' the judge added, (8) made everyone laugh But (9)
the judge didn't know was that the man had an artificial arm He took the arm off, gave it to the judge - (10)
could hardly believe his eyes - and walked out of the court
1 who (Also possible: that) that/which that/which it that/which What whose 8.which what 10 who
VII Combine the two sentences into one
e.g.That man was Anna's brother He just walked past The manwho just walked past was Anna's brother The plane was twenty-five years old It crashed
The plane twenty-five years old that/which crashed was /, which crashed, was One day Tessa was ill in bed Martin rang
The day ill in bed (when/that) Martin rang (,) Tessa was Our offices are in Queen Street They are new
Our in Queen Street new offices are /offices, which are new, are Some documents have been found They were stolen from a car
The documents found stolen from a car have been or that/which were stolen from a car have been
5 That map is out of date You were looking at it
The map out of date (that/which) you were looking at is The King's Theatre is in the centre of town It dates from 1896
The King's in the centre of town Theatre, which dates from 1896, is A woman was terribly upset Her dog wasrun over
The woman terribly upset whose dog was run over was Janet solved the puzzle She did it before everyone else
Janet was the puzzle the first (person) to solve /the first (person) who solved A man was standing outside the building He was selling newspapers
A man outside the building selling newspapers was standing or who was selling newspapers was standing
10 The talk was very interesting Judy gave it
The talk very interesting (that/which) Judy gave was /, which Judygave, was 11 The house is empty now I used to live there