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Relative clauses

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This document discusses relative clauses, including: 1. Relative pronouns such as who, which, that can introduce a relative clause to provide more information about a person or thing. 2. The relative pronoun can sometimes be omitted if it is not the subject of the relative clause. 3. Relative clauses can be either defining or non-defining - defining clauses are essential to the meaning while non-defining clauses provide extra information set off by commas.

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R el ative Clauses 1. Relative pronouns and adverbs 2. Omission of relative pronouns 3. Defining and Non-defining clauses
1. Relative pronouns and adverbs Sometimes, when talking about people or things it could be necessary to add more information. It is when we use a RELATIVE CLAUSE:
That is the house. The house house was built on the main road. That is the house which was built on the main road. which = the house The woman lives across the road. The woman is a professor. The woman who lives across the road is a professor. who = the woman
Relative clauses always follow the name they refer to (its antecedent). The most frequent relative pronouns are: who / whom people which objects where places and spatial references when temporal references that people / objects
whom is used in formal speech and it is only used when it refers to the direct object of the main clause: - This is the boy about whom you were asking me. whose expresses possession and cannot be omitted: - Whose book is this? (NEVER Of who?) - The children whose books you are using are my pupils.
whom and which are used after prepositions but in colloquial English we can omit the relative pronoun and place the preposition in a final position: - This is the boy about whom you were asking me. - This is the boy (who) you were asking me about. - I like the car about which you were asking me about. - I like the car (which) you were talking about.
There are other relative connectors that are not pronouns but adverbs, such as: where The house where I was born. when I remember the time when we lived there. why The reason why he is so sad is a mystery to us.
2. Omission of relative pronouns Relative pronouns cannot be omitted if they are the subjects of the clauses: - The man who visited us yesterday is a famous professor. We can omit the relative pronoun if it is not the subject of the clause: - The house (which/that) we bought is very big.
T A K E NOT E ! Relative pron. + verb Omission Relative pron. + subject Omission
3. Defining and Non-defining clauses The computer is very expensive. The computer which we bought is very expensive.
Those relative clauses that are NECESSARY to understand the meaning of a sentence are called DEFINING CLAUSES (especificativas) Thats the actor. Thats the actor who plays Hamlet.
The Queen of England, who lives in London, is called Elizabeth II. Those relative clauses that are NOT NECESSARY to understand the meaning of a sentence are called NON-DEFINING CLAUSES (explicativas)
Non-defining clauses: clauses 2. are separated by commas 3. never use that 4. never omit the relative pronoun 5. are used in writing or formal speech (so are less common)
Analyse these sentences: Non-defining: My uncle, who is a doctor, lives in Madrid. Mi tio, que (por cierto) es medico, vive en Madrid. Defining: My uncle who is a doctor lives in Madrid. Mi tio (de entre todos) el que es medico, vive en Madrid

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Relative clauses

  • 1. R el ative Clauses 1. Relative pronouns and adverbs 2. Omission of relative pronouns 3. Defining and Non-defining clauses
  • 2. 1. Relative pronouns and adverbs Sometimes, when talking about people or things it could be necessary to add more information. It is when we use a RELATIVE CLAUSE:
  • 3. That is the house. The house house was built on the main road. That is the house which was built on the main road. which = the house The woman lives across the road. The woman is a professor. The woman who lives across the road is a professor. who = the woman
  • 4. Relative clauses always follow the name they refer to (its antecedent). The most frequent relative pronouns are: who / whom people which objects where places and spatial references when temporal references that people / objects
  • 5. whom is used in formal speech and it is only used when it refers to the direct object of the main clause: - This is the boy about whom you were asking me. whose expresses possession and cannot be omitted: - Whose book is this? (NEVER Of who?) - The children whose books you are using are my pupils.
  • 6. whom and which are used after prepositions but in colloquial English we can omit the relative pronoun and place the preposition in a final position: - This is the boy about whom you were asking me. - This is the boy (who) you were asking me about. - I like the car about which you were asking me about. - I like the car (which) you were talking about.
  • 7. There are other relative connectors that are not pronouns but adverbs, such as: where The house where I was born. when I remember the time when we lived there. why The reason why he is so sad is a mystery to us.
  • 8. 2. Omission of relative pronouns Relative pronouns cannot be omitted if they are the subjects of the clauses: - The man who visited us yesterday is a famous professor. We can omit the relative pronoun if it is not the subject of the clause: - The house (which/that) we bought is very big.
  • 9. T A K E NOT E ! Relative pron. + verb Omission Relative pron. + subject Omission
  • 10. 3. Defining and Non-defining clauses The computer is very expensive. The computer which we bought is very expensive.
  • 11. Those relative clauses that are NECESSARY to understand the meaning of a sentence are called DEFINING CLAUSES (especificativas) Thats the actor. Thats the actor who plays Hamlet.
  • 12. The Queen of England, who lives in London, is called Elizabeth II. Those relative clauses that are NOT NECESSARY to understand the meaning of a sentence are called NON-DEFINING CLAUSES (explicativas)
  • 13. Non-defining clauses: clauses 2. are separated by commas 3. never use that 4. never omit the relative pronoun 5. are used in writing or formal speech (so are less common)
  • 14. Analyse these sentences: Non-defining: My uncle, who is a doctor, lives in Madrid. Mi tio, que (por cierto) es medico, vive en Madrid. Defining: My uncle who is a doctor lives in Madrid. Mi tio (de entre todos) el que es medico, vive en Madrid