RELATIVE CLAUSES

RELATIVE CLAUSES

1. USE

   • To give additional information about something without starting another sentence

2. FORM

   • You put both pieces of information into one sentence. Start with most important thing
   • Example: A girl is talking to Tom. Do you know the girl?
     • Do you kno the girl who is talking to Tom
   • In the second part of the sentence replace it with a relative pronoun

3. RELATIVE PRONOUNS

   • Who: Subject or object pronoun for people
     • Example: I told you about the woman who lives next door
   • Which: Sunject or object pronoun for animals and things
     • Example: Do you see the cat which is lying on the roof?
   • Which: Referring to a whole sentence
     • Example: He couldn't read which surprised me
   • Whose: Possession for people, animals and things
     • Example: 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)
     • Example: I was invited by the professor whom I met at the conference
   • That: Subject or onject pronoun for people, animals and things in defining relative clauses (who or which are also possible)
     • Example: I don't like the table that stands in the kitchen

4. SUBJECT PRONOUN OR OBJECT PRONOUN

   • If the relative pronoun is followed by a verb, the relative pronoun is a subject pronoun. Subject pronouns must always be used
     • Example: The apple which is lying on the table
   • 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
     • Example: The apple (which) George lay on the table

5. RELATIVE ADVERBS

   • Can be used instead of a relative pronoun plus preposition. This often makes the sentence easier to understand
   • When: In/on which, refers to a time expression
     • Example: The day when we met him
   • Where: In/at which, refers to a place
     • Example: The place where we met him
   • Why: For which, refers to a reason
     • Example: The reason why we met him

6. DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

   • Give detailed information defining a general term or expression, are not put in commas
     • Example: Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?
   • Are often used in definitions
     • Example: A seaman is someone who works on a ship
   • Object pronouns can be dropped, are called Contact Clauses
     • Example: The boy (who/whom) we met yesterday is very nice

7. NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

   • Give additional information on something, but do not define it, are put in commas
     • Example: Do you kno the girl, who is talking to Tom?
   • Object pronouns must be used
     • Example: Jim, who/whom we met yesterday, is very nice
   • Who/which may not be replaced with that

8. SHORTEN RELATIVE CLAUSES

   • Relative clauses with who, which, that as subject pronoun can be replaced with a participle. This makes the sentence shorter and easier to understand
     • Example: I told you about the woman who lives next door - I told you about the woman living next door