RELATIVE CLAUSES

BASIC LEVEL 2

RELATIVE CLAUSES: Relative clauses are subordinate

clauses.

Relative clauses function as adjectives:The blue jacketThe jacket which is blue

But the relative clause comes after the noun, while adjectives usually come before the noun.

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES: They give important information about a noun or

pronoun: they define exactly who or what we are talking about:

The man who has brown hair is my brother.Without the information of the relative clause “who has

brown hair” we can’t identify the man.However, in the following sentence: My brother, who has brown hair, is very young.“Who has brown hair” doesn’t help us identify the man. We don’t put a comma between the noun and the

defining relative clause:It’s a book which tells you how to relax. They are introduced by subordinators:- Relative pronouns: who, which, that- Relative adverbs: where, why, when

SUBORDINATORS IN DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES: WHO - it is the subject in the relative

clause and makes reference to a person: The boy who lives next door has gone into hospital. THAT:

1) It is the subject in the relative clause and makes reference to a person:

The boy that lives next door has gone into hospital.

2) It is the subject in the relative clause and makes reference to a thing:

I bought the coat that was in the shop window.

SUBORDINATORS IN DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES: WHICH:1) It is the subject in the relative clause and makes

reference to a thing: I bought the coat which was in the shop window.2) WHICH … PREPOSITION: it can be:- an adverbial of place and makes reference to a place:The hotel which we stayed in was very comfortable.- a prepositional complement:This is the car which I paid $ 2,000 for.3) PREPOSITION + WHICH: It’s formal. It can be:- an adverbial of place and makes reference to a place:The hotel in which we stayed was very comfortable.- a prepositional complement:An MP3 is something with which you listen to music.

SUBORDINATORS IN DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES:

WHERE: it is an adverbial of place and makes reference to a place:

The hotel where we stayed was very comfortable.

WHEN: it is an adverbial of time and makes reference to a time expression:

I’ll never forget the day when I first met him.

WHY: it is an adverbial of reason and it always makes reference to the word “reason”:

The reason why Nick came was that he wanted to see Rita.

RELATIVE CLAUSES

BASIC LEVEL 2

Created by:Carmen Luisa Pérez Amaro