314A Form and use 31.1B Subjects and objects Relative clauses Relative clauses are subordinate clauses (> 30,3B) which refer to the noun of the main, Clause, identifying it or adding extra information. There are two types of relative | Slavse: defining clauses (identifying the noun or classifying it as part of a group) ang fon-deFining clauses (adding information about the noun). This unit examines both typgg) of relative clause and the pronouns and adverbs used to introduce relative clauses RELATIVE CLAUSES Relative clauses are subordinate clauses introduced by relative pronouns, stich as that, which or wiho (® 31.2), These clauses give information about someone or something ig the main clause, Compare these examples: J used to live in one of thase houses. They have now been demolished. | used to live in one of thoge houses (that have naw baer demo! main clause relative clause The relative pronoun is the subject or object af the relative clause (» 31.18). itis therefore unnecessary to repeat the noun from the main clause or introduce a personal Pronoun to replace it: ¥ /used to-live in one-of those houses that they have now been demolished We usualy put the relative clause as close as ; possible to the noun it refers to, otherwise the meaning tay not be clear: ¥ Jack hes prepared his tavounte dish from Jamie Smith's recipe book. which he is-about to. eat. ¥ Jack has prepared his favourite dish, Which he Is about to eat. from Jamie Smith's recipe book. We often avoid relative clauses in casual speech and writing, preferring sharter ways of defining or adding information People who come from Wales are often quite musical. (relative clause) Welsh people are often quite musical, (adjective) People from Wales are often quite musical. (prepositional phrase) A relative pronoun can be the subject of a relative clause: Last week | saw that fl which won alt tle Oscars. subject relative pronoun Here, the pronoun is the subject of the retative clause (the film won the Oscars), even though itis the object of the main clause (J saw the fle) AA relative pronaun can also be the object of a relative clause Last week I saw the Him which you made at catfege object relative pronoun Here, the pronoun is the object of the subordinate clause (you made the film) {np defining relative clauses ( 31.1C) we can omit the relative pronoun when it is the ‘object of the relative clause, but not when it is the subject ¥ Last week save the film wor all-the Oscars, ¥ Last Week f saw the film you made at college.BIC Defining relative | clauses 31.1 Nor-defining relative clauses B1IE Punctuation and pausing BIE Prepositions with relative clauses A defining relative clause identifies or classifies a noun ar pronoun in the main clause: + Identifying relative clause: Is this the book that you were looking for? + Classifying relative clause: Would alf those who have booked dinner please go to the restaurant now? (in the second example, the relative clause classifies the members of @ group.) In defining relatives, the relative clause gives information which iS necessary for the sense of the sentence. In the first example above, if we say just /s this the book?. this does not convey the key meaning of the whole sentence, i.e. the book that you were looking for We often use defining relative clauses to describe an important quality of someone or something: Van Gogh was an artist who used a lot of bold, vibrant colours. ‘We offen use a relative clause with the same pattern for emphasis, with introductory st (© 34.18). It is always viotent crime that provokes the most extreme reaction from the public ‘We usually use non-defining relative clauses to add extra information about the subject, ‘of a main clause: ITV's News at Ten, which occupied the mid-evening siot for many years, was a very popular prograrnnve. (main clause = /TV's News at Ten was a very popular programme.) We can also use non-defining relative clauses to show consecutive actions: Heskey passed the ball to Owen, who scored a magnificent goal, We use non-defining relative clauses mainly in writing and formal speech We usually use commas to separate the relative clause from the main clause in non- defining relatives, but we do not use them in defining relatives The tribespeople, who traded with the settlers, retained their and. (All of the tribespeople retained their land, and, incidentally, they traded with the settlers.) The tribespeople who traded with the settlers retained their land. (nly some of the tribespeople retained their and — this defines a group.) The use of commas reflects the way we say the two types of relative clause. tn defining relative clauses, there is no pause Detween the main Clause and the relative clause: We asked for the double room which had a seq view. In non-defining relatives. there is a short pause after the main clause or between the two parts of the main clause: We were given a lovely double room ( ), which had @ seq view: | first met Harry Gardiner (_), who eventually became my father-in-law ( ), at a Law Society meeting We can use prepositions with relative pronouns. Where we put the preposition depends ‘on formality (» 29.38), + Informal: Have you seen the litle case thatiwhich | Keep my contact lenses in? + Formal: This system provides a case in which the contact lenses can be hept @ We do not put a preposition before the relative pronoun that: X This system provides @ case-in-that the contact lenses-can be kept It we put a preposition before who, the pronaun always becomes whom. Compare: The people who this repart is addressed to will have to consider carefully the ‘consequences of the proposed cuts The people to whom this report is addressed will have (0 consider carefully the consequences of the proposed cuts ‘We can often use here (for places) or when (for times) instead of which + preposition (> 31.2A) This is the house where I grew up/which | grew up inlin which | grew up300 BIG Recluced relative clauses 312A General use We often ‘reduce’ a relative clause, ie, we shorten it by omitting the pronoun ang We can dlo this with a participle phrase (» 13.1. 13.2} Marilyn was the woman living in the flat underneath us at the time. (= .. wis livedwas tiving in.) The clauses struck aut of the agreement were ail unimportant. (= .. which were struck outiwhich we struck out.) Another possibilty is to use an infinitive phrase (» 13.3, 13.4) Newton wos the first person t0 really understand the laws of gravity. (=... who really understood.) RELATIVE PRONOUNS AND ADVERBS ‘This table lists relative pronouns and adverbs and how they can be used: ia ica used for used as 3 oronauns a | | who people. animals: v v v rel whom people: x v v v z 2 which ‘objects, animals v v v v $ wich ideas oes - a 5 thot people, objects, animals ¥ v x q suose —roatonshps, posussons Vw 5 no people, things, animals x v v x j Bronoun adverbs a where places vow ow 4 7 when times v a v v : 8 why reasons v v v v ‘nominal pronoun : ° what ‘objects, ideas (means v v v x ‘the thing that) Notes on the table: | We sometimes use wha to refer to animals, particularly domestic pets: 1s Sheba the dog who was run over and neorly killed last year? Whom Is formal and we rarely use i in speech. We now mainly use it ater prepositions (\ 31.1F): Jom referring to the person with whom you were seen on that evening ? Note that we always use which (not who} to refer to inanimate objects. ‘We can also use witich to refer to the ‘idea’ of a whole clause: When he came home, ne was unusually attentive, which made her very suspicious. Here, which refers to the fact that ‘he was unusually attentive’ + We can use that to refer to people or objects, but we usually prefer to use who for 2 person when the pronoun is the subject of the relative clause (Ms Harrison is the lawyer who/that has been chosen to represent you @ We do not use that in non-defining relative clauses: X This offer, that will not be repeated, must end next weet @ in US Engish that is more common than which or who in defining relative clauses31.28 Modifying a relative pronoun! adverb 31.2¢ Whichever, whenever, etc & {tis possible, though not very common, to use hose to refer to objects. “EF it would only be possible to colonise planets whose atmosphere contained enough ‘oxygen to sustain human life. (= the atmosphere of which) 5 We often omit a relative pronoun when it refers to the object of a defining relative clause (> 31.18), The girl (who) | met in the florist's was at the party. (=! met the girl.) We cannot omit the pronoun if it is the subject of the clause: X The-girk works for the florist in-the High Street was-at the party V The girl who works for the florist in the High Street was at the party. @ We cannot omit an object relative pronoun in non-defining relative clauses, x Last year's winner presented the cup,-each holder keeps-for the-year. V Last year's winner presented the cup. which each holder keeps for the year. © We can use which or that + a preposition instead of where (» 31.1F): ‘Mozart's birthplace and the house where he composed ‘The Magic Flute’ are both ‘now museums. Mozart's birthplace and the house that he composed ‘The Magic Flute’ in are both snow museums. 7 We can use that as an alternative to when in defining relative clauses: remember ~ it was the day when/that the heatwave started. |We can use which or that + a preposition instead of when (m 31.1F] ‘The attacks continued up to the day on which the agreement was signed. ‘The only noun which takes wiy as a relative pronoun is reason: ‘Sometimes he thought her clear morality was the reasom why/that he loved her. We can use which + for instead of why; High taxation is often the main reason for which governments fol. @ tris possible to use relative adverbs without the noun to which they refer: It's (the place} where that rock festival is held every year. ® We use what to mean ‘the thing thatwhich’. The clause containing what js a nominal clause, ie. the whole clause acts as 2 noun, either a subject or an object. While what isn't used In the same way as that or which it can fulfil the same functions as the other relative pronouns: Why don't you tell the police what you told me yesterday? In this example what you told me yesterday is the object of the verb fell. it means the same as: Why don't you tell the police the story (that) you told me yesterday. We cannot use what to replace who, which oF that: 1X It was-the-money-what /-wanted. not the fame. ¥ It was the money (that) | wanted, not the fame. ‘This could be expressed as: The money was what | wanted. not the fame. he thing that | wanted) We often use modifiers. such as ail of and many of before witich or whom in a non defining relative clause to refer to the subject or object of the clause: The supermarket removed from the shelves all ofits jars of tomato puree, several of which were found to contain fragments of glass The college entered over a hundred students for the exam, all of whom passed. We interviewed fourteen applicants for the post, none of whom we thought suitable. In defining relative clauses we can modify the pronoun or adverb with -ever to give the meaning of anything, anyone. anywhere. etc. Use whichever phione you want ~ they all have outside lines. Fd like to meet whoever dic that to the garden hedge! You can put the photo wherever you think it looks best. | con't mind. 301