Transcript Document

Lecture 15 Relative clause
1. Restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses
2. Choice of relative words
3. Clauses introduced by “preposition + relative
pronoun”
Relative clause:
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a clause that is introduced by a relative word
A subordinate clause refers to the noun of the main clause
A clausal modifier identifying it or adding extra information
Attributive clause
• Harry was clever, diligent and willing to help others, for
which he was often praised by the teacher.
• The Prime Minister, who has been in office for three terms,
is running for another term in the forthcoming election.
1. Restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses
• A restrictive Relative clause:
• gives essential information about the meaning of the
antecedent
• forms an integral part of the noun phrase.
• is closely attached to the head.
• is not separated from the head by a break in
intonation, or by a comma in writing.
• A non-restrictive relative clause:
• does not restrict the referential meaning of
the antecedent
• Offers additional information which is not
needed to identify the antecedent.
• is not closely attached to the head.
• is separated from the head by a clear break
in intonation, or by a comma in writing.
• He is a man who means what he says.
• The book which you are reading is written by a contemporary
American novelist.
• She was awarded a gold medal, which the whole family considered a
great honour.
• He was left on a desolate island, where he stayed for as long as three
months.
• He has two sisters who are working in the city.
• He has two sisters, who are working in the city.
• He will wear no clothes which will distinguish him from his fellow
men.
• He will wear no clothes, which will distinguish him from his fellow
men.
• Any man who smokes cigarettes is risking his health.
• His speech, which bored everyone, went on and on.
• This position is open to anyone, whether old or young, who can read
and write.
2. Choice of relative word
• “relative words” : relative pronouns and relative
adverbs.
• The choice of relative pronouns
• 1. concerned with the referential meaning of the
antecedent which may refer to people or
inanimate things.
• 2. concerned with the syntactic function of the
relative pronoun, such as subject, object or
subject complement
• 3. related to the nature of the clause which may
be restrictive or non-restrictive.
• 4. in connection with the register or style
1. Choice of relative pronouns in restrictive clauses
• relative pronouns functioning as subject, object,
complement and prepositional complementation.
• general rule:
• Who, whom, or that for personal reference
• which or that for non-personal reference
• Whose for both
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The man ___ you saw just now is our manager.
Is there anything ___ I can do for you?
Who was the woman ___ you were talking with?
This is the only bus ___ there is to that park.
This is the girl with ___ he worked.
It is always the mouth ___ talks too much ____ arouses
troubles.
He is the only person ___ was present at the time.
People ___ came from Wales are often quite musical.
He is not the man ___ he was before.
This is the building ___ windows were all painted green.
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Who knows most says least.
Who works not shall not eat.
Who eats must pay.
Whom the God love die young.
Who marries a beauty marries trouble.
Who are thirsty drink in silence.
All that live must die.
All that glitters is not gold.
2. Choice of relative pronouns in non-restrictive
clauses
• General rule:
• Who, whom, whose for personal reference
• Which, as for non-personal reference
• She was very patient to the children, ___
her husband seldom was.
• My brother, ___ you met yesterday, is a
member of NBA all-star team.
• Bruce Wellis, ___ came on holiday with us,
is now in New York.
• ___ might be expected, John was admitted
to the university.
• ___ a poet points out, life is but a dream.
• He got up early, __ was usual with him.
• She married him, __ was unexpected.
Relative adverbs
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The place where
The time when
The reason why
He will always remember the day ___ they first met.
He will never forget the place ___ they departed.
I don’t know the reason ___ he didn’t come to the
meeting.
• I shall never forget the day ( when) we first met.
The reason ( why) he came so early is his own affair.
• Sometimes, the relative where can be replaced by
an appropriate preposition at the end position,
• The factory he worked in has been reorganized.
• The factory where he worked has been …
• The factory in which he worked has …
• That is the place where he stayed last night.
• That is the place at which he stayed/which he
stayed at/that he stayed at/he stayed at/where he
stayed/that he stayed/he stayed last night.
• That is the age ___ people live in peace and
happiness.
• This also applies to the collocation of “the
way in which”
• The way (in which) you answered the
questions was admirable.
• ?This is the way how he behaves.
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Relative clauses introduced by “preposition + relative pronoun”
Which, whom or whose
They tried to think of a plan by which they could fulfill their task
ahead of time.
I will now introduce the candidate in support of whom I wish to
speak.
The material of which the apparatus is made is a good nonconductor of heat.
Sound is a tool by means of which people communicate with each
other.
Jane spent four years in college, during which she studied
medicine.
I called her by the wrong name, for which I apologize.
I can’t remember the age at which he won the prize.
• Double relative clauses and embedded relative clauses
• A double relative clause refers to a postmodifier composed
of two relative clauses that share one and the same
antecedent.
• You’ll easily find us; just look for a house whose windows
need washing and whose fence needs repairing.
• She’s the only girl I know who can play the guitar.
• Embedded relative clauses
• An embedded relative clause is a clause that functions both
as the postmodifier of a noun phrase in the main clause and
as the object of another inserted clause, that is to say, the
relative clause is embedded in another clause, eg:
• She has an adopted child who she says was an orphan.
• This is the only book I bought which challenges
this common belief.
• He met a lady who he was sure was his new
teacher.
• You could expect to marry a man who makes a lot
of money but does not love you or who loves you
but does not make a lot of money but not a man
who both loves you and makes a lot of money.
• This is the man who drove the car which his wife
bought from the car dealer who was arrested by
the police that accused him for drunk driving.
The riddle of that for fun
• I said that that that that that man wrote should
have been underlined.