Relative clause

A relative clause is a kind of subordinate clause, one of whose arguments shares a referent with a main clause element on which the subordinate clause is grammatically dependent. Most typically, a relative clause modifies a noun or noun phrase, and uses some grammatical device to indicate that one of the arguments within the relative clause has the same referent as that noun or noun phrase. For example, in the sentence I met a man who wasn't there, the subordinate clause who wasn't there is a relative clause, since it modifies the noun man, and uses the pronoun who to indicate that the same "man" is referred to within the subordinate clause (in this case, as its subject). In many European languages, relative clauses are introduced by a special class of pronouns called relative pronouns;[1] such as who in the example just given. In other languages, relative clauses may be marked in different ways: they may be introduced by a special class of conjunctions called relativizers; the main verb of the relative clause may appear in a special morphological variant; or a relative clause may be indicated by word order alone.[2] In some languages, more than one of these mechanisms may be possible. Types of relative clause Bound and free A bound relative clause, the type most often considered, qualifies an explicit element (usually a noun or noun phrase) appearing in the main clause, and refers back to that element by means of some explicit or implicit device within the relative clause. The relative clause may also be called the embedded clause; the main (or higher-level) clause in which it is embedded is also called the matrix clause. The noun in the main clause that the relative clause modifies is called the head noun, or (particularly when referred back to by a relative pronoun) the antecedent. For example, in the English sentence "The man who I saw yesterday went home", the relative clause "who I saw yesterday" modifies the head noun man, and the relative pronoun who refers back to the referent of that noun. The sentence is equivalent to the following two sentences: "I saw a man yesterday. The man went home." Note that the shared argument need not fulfill the same role in both clauses; in this example the same man is referred to by the subject of the matrix clause, but the direct object of the relative clause. A free relative clause, on the other hand, does not have an explicit antecedent external to itself. Instead, the relative clause itself takes the place of an argument in the matrix clause. For example, in the English sentence "I like what I see", the clause what I see is a free relative clause, since it has no antecedent, but itself serves as the object of the verb like in the main clause. (An alternative analysis is that the free relative clause has zero as its antecedent.)

Restrictive and non-restrictive Bound relative clauses may or may not be restrictive. A restrictive, or defining, relative clause modifies the meaning of its head word (restricts its possible referent), while a nonrestrictive (non-defining) relative clause merely provides supplementary information. For example:

The man who lives in this house has not been seen for days. This (who lives in this house) is a restrictive relative clause, modifying the meaning of man, and essential to the sentence (if the clause were omitted, it would no longer be known which man is being referred to). The mayor, who lives in this house, has not been seen for days. This is a nonrestrictive relative clause, since it provides supplementary information about the mayor, but is not essential to the sentence if the clause were omitted, it would still be known which mayor is meant.

In speaking it is natural to make slight pauses around non-restrictive clauses, and in English this is shown in writing by commas (as in the examples). However many languages do not distinguish the two types of relative clause in this way. Another difference in English is that only restrictive relative clauses may be introduced with that or use the "zero" relative pronoun (see English relative clauses for details). A non-restrictive relative clause may have a whole sentence as its antecedent rather than a specific noun phrase; for example:

The cat was allowed on the bed, which annoyed the dog.

Here, which refers back (presumably) not to the bed or the cat, but to the entire proposition expressed in the main clause, namely the circumstance that the cat was allowed on the bed. Finite and non-finite Relative clauses may be either finite clauses (as in the examples above) or non-finite clauses. An example of a non-finite relative clause in English is the infinitive clause on whom to rely, in the sentence "She is the person on whom to rely." Ways of forming relative clauses Languages differ in many ways in how relative clauses are expressed: 1. How the role of the shared noun phrase is indicated in the embedded clause. 2. How the two clauses are joined together. 3. Where the embedded clause is placed relative to the head noun (in the process indicating which noun phrase in the main clause is modified). For example, the English sentence "The man that I saw yesterday went home" can be described as follows:

1. The role of the shared noun in the embedded clause is indicated by gapping (i.e. in the embedded clause "that I saw yesterday", a gap is left after "saw" to indicate where the shared noun would go). 2. The clauses are joined by the complementizer "that". 3. The embedded clause is placed after the head noun "the man". The following sentences indicate various possibilities (only some of which are grammatical in English):

"The man [that I saw yesterday] went home". (A complementizer linking the two clauses with a gapping strategy indicating the role of the shared noun in the embedded clause. One possibility in English. Very common cross-linguistically.) "The man [I saw yesterday] went home". (Gapping strategy, with no word joining the clausesalso known as a reduced relative clause. One possibility in English. Used in Arabic when the head noun is indefinite, as in "a man" instead of "the man".) "The man [whom I saw yesterday] went home". (A relative pronoun indicating the role of the shared noun in the embedded clause in this case, the direct object. Used in formal English, as in Latin, German or Russian.) "The man [seen by me yesterday] went home". (A reduced relative clause, in this case passivized. One possibility in English.) "The man [that I saw him yesterday] went home". (A complementizer linking the two sentences with a resumptive pronoun indicating the role of the shared noun in the embedded clause, as in Arabic, Hebrew or Persian.) "The man [that him I saw yesterday] went home". (Similar to the previous, but with the resumptive pronoun fronted. This occurs in modern Greek and as one possibility in modern Hebrew; the combination that him of complementizer and resumptive pronoun behaves similar to a unitary relative pronoun.) "The [I saw yesterday]'s man went home". (Preceding relative clause with gapping and use of a possessive particle as normally used in a genitive construction to link the relative clause to the head noun. This occurs in Chinese and certain other languages influenced by it.) "The [I saw yesterday] man went home". (Preceding relative clause with gapping and no linking word, as in Japanese.) "The man [of my seeing yesterday] went home". (Nominalized relative clause, as in Turkish.) "[Which man I saw yesterday], that man went home". (A correlative structure, as in Hindi.) "[I saw the man yesterday] went home." (An unreduced, internally-headed relative clause, as in Tibetan or Navajo.) With explicit relative pronoun Thats the man [who ran away]. Thats the man [who I saw yesterday]. Thats the man [who I gave the letter to]. Thats the man [who I was With omitted relative pronoun That's the man [I saw yesterday]. Thats the man [I gave the letter to]. Thats the man [I was In formal English Thats the man [who ran away]. Thats the man [whom I saw yesterday]. Thats the man [to whom I gave the letter]. Thats the man [about

Position Subject Direct object Indirect object Oblique

Genitive Obj of Comp

talking about]. Thats the man [whose sister I know]. Thats the man [who I am taller than].

talking about]. Thats the man [I am taller than].

whom I was talking]. Thats the man [whose sister I know]. Thats the man [than whom I am taller].

Some other examples:

Position Example Subject The girl [who came late] is my sister. Direct object I gave a rose to the girl [that Kate saw]. Indirect object John knows the girl [I wrote a letter to]. Oblique I found the rock [which the robbers had hit John over the head with]. Genitive The girl [whose father died] told me she was sad. Obj of Comp The first person [I can't run faster than] will win a million dollars. The Relative Clause Recognize a relative clause when you see one. A relative clausealso called an adjective or adjectival clausewill meet three requirements.

First, it will contain a subject and verb. Next, it will begin with a relative pronoun [who, whom, whose, that, or which] or a relative adverb [when, where, or why]. Finally, it will function as an adjective, answering the questions What kind? How many? or Which one?

The relative clause will follow one of these two patterns: relative pronoun or adverb + subject + verb

relative pronoun as subject + verb

Here are some examples: Which Francine did not accept Which = relative pronoun; Francine = subject; did accept = verb [not, an adverb, is not officially part of the verb]. Where George found Amazing Spider-Man #96 in fair condition Where = relative adverb; George = subject; found = verb.

That dangled from the one clean bathroom towel That = relative pronoun functioning as subject; dangled = verb. Who continued to play video games until his eyes were blurry with fatigue Who = relative pronoun functioning as subject; played = verb. Avoid creating a sentence fragment. A relative clause does not express a complete thought, so it cannot stand alone as a sentence. To avoid writing a fragment, you must connect each relative clause to a main clause. Read the examples below. Notice that the relative clause follows the word that it describes. To calm his angry girlfriend, Joey offered an apology which Francine did not accept. We tried our luck at the same flea market where George found Amazing Spider-Man #96 in fair condition. Michelle screamed when she saw the spider that dangled from the one clean bathroom towel. Brian said goodnight to his roommate Justin, who continued to play video games until his eyes were blurry with fatigue. Punctuate a relative clause correctly. Punctuating relative clauses can be tricky. For each sentence, you will have to decide if the relative clause is essential or nonessential and then use commas accordingly. Essential clauses do not require commas. A relative clause is essential when you need the information it provides. Look at this example: The children who skateboard in the street are especially noisy in the early evening. Children is nonspecific. To know which ones we are talking about, we must have the information in the relative clause. Thus, the relative clause is essential and requires no commas. If, however, we eliminate children and choose more specific nouns instead, the relative clause becomes nonessential and does require commas to separate it from the rest of the sentence. Read this revision: Matthew and his sister Loretta, who skateboard in the street, are especially noisy in the early evening.

Forming relative clauses

Combine the sentences using a relative clause. Use relatvie pronouns only where necessary. Note that you have to use commas in some of the sentences.
A holiday in Scotland 1. We spent our holiday in Scotland last year. Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. Last year we spent our holidays in Scotland, which is in the north of Great Britain. 2. People live in Scotland. They are called Scots. The people 3. We first went to Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. We first 4. Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh. He wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories. Arthur Conan Doyle 5. Then we visited a lake. It is in the Highlands. The lake 6. Loch Ness is 37 km long. People know it for its friendly monster. Loch Ness 7. There we met an old man. He told us that he had seen Nessie. An old man 8. We then travelled to a mountain. The mountain is near the town of Fort William. We then 9. The mountain is the highest mountain in Great Britain. It is called Ben Nevis. The mountain 10. I sent you a postcard. It was written on the summit of Ben Nevis. The postcard

1. A soldier is someone that works in the army. - A soldier is someone in the army. 2. A student is a person that goes to school. - A student is a person school. 3. An ostrich is a bird that cannot fly. - An ostrich is a bird

works

goes to

cannot fly.

4. A cook is someone that makes meals at a restaurant. - A cook is someone makes meals at a restaurant. 5. A tire is a thing that you can find on a wheel. - A tire is a thing on a wheel. you can find

6. A stick is a piece of wood that is long and thing. - A stick is a piece of wood is long and thing.