RELATIVE CLAUSE

I/ Relative pronouns:
Who ,whom, which, where, when, whose ,why , what, that .
II/Relative clauses:
1/ The Relative pronounis the subject of the relative clause :
Ex : I don't like the man . He lives next door .
---> I don't like the man who lives next door.
I don't like the book . It tells about a famous actor.
---> I don't like the book which tells about a famous actor.
NOTE:"That" can replace " who" and " which"
The relative pronoun can't be omitted.
2/ The relative pronoun is the object of the relative clause :
Ex: Have you read the book ?. I lent you that book last week.
---> Have you read the book which I lent you last week ?
I like the shirt . You are wearing it.
--> I like the shirt which you are wearing.
NOTE:
"That" can replace " Who"," whom" and " which".
The relative pronoun can be omitted.
3/ The relative clause with preposition:
Ex:I don't like the hotel . We are living in that hotel
---> I don't like the hotel which we are living in.
(OR) --> I don't like the hotel in which we are living.
That girl is my sister.You are talking about her
--> The girl who/(whom)you are talking about is my sister.
(OR) --> The girl about whom you are talking is my sister.
NOTE:
" That"can replace "who" ," whom" and " which" when the preposition is at the end of the relative clause.
In formal English preposition are pled before the relative pronoun.
III/There are 3 kinds of relative clause : Defining, non- defining and connective.A/Defining relative clauses :
1/ A defining relative clause specifies which person or thing we mean . It can not be separated from the person or thing it describes
Ex:
The man who told me this refused to give me his name
( "Who told me this " is a defining relative clause . If we omit this . it is not clear what the man talking about )
Notice that there is no comma between a noun and a defining relative clause.
-Defining relative clause usually follow "the"+ Noun but they can be also be used with " a/an" + noun, plural nouns without "the" and the pronouns : all, none , anybody , somebody... and those .
-Clauses following " a/an"+ noun , plural nouns without "the/somebody/someone"...sometimes define their noun/ pronoun only indirectly.The noun/ pronoun in these cases is usually the object of a verb or preposition.
Ex:
A doctor is a person/ someone who gives patients medical treatment.
I met a person who said he knew you.
-Sometimes these clauses are separated from their noun/ pronoun by a word or phrase
Ex:
I saw something in the paper which would interest you
-But normally, relative clauses should be placed directly after their noun /pronoun
Ex :
Is there anything i can do to help ?
The noise that he made woke everybody up.
2/ Relative pronouns used in defining relative clauses :
+/ For persons -- Subject :who /that
-- Object : who/whom/that
--possesive : whose
a/ Subject : who/ that
"Who" is normally used but "that" is a possible alternative after " all/ everyone/ everybody/noone/ nobody/ those
Ex:
The man who has just come is our headmaster .
Only those who had booked in advance were allowed in.
b/ Object of a verb :Who/whom/that"Whom" is the Object form of " who" and is used formally in object clauses
Ex:
He is a person whom you can rely on
-However, this is noun felt to be excessively formal by most speakers and " who" is commonly used instead ( that is more usual than "who").And it is still more common to omit the object pronoun altogether.
Ex:
The man whom i saw told me to come back today.
(OR) The man who i saw..../The man i saw...../ The man that i saw ....
c/ With a preposition : Whom/ that
- In formal English " whom" has to be used if it follows a preposition.
Ex :
To whom Am I speaking?
-In formal speech , however, it is more usual to move the preposition to the end of the clause. "Whom" then is often replaced by " that", but it's still common to omit the relative altogether.
Ex:
The man to whon i spoke.
(OR) The man who/ whom i spoke to
(OR) The man that i spoke to/ The man i spoke to
-However , in everyday use, it's usual to avoid this kind of construction
Ex:
Who am i speaking to?
d/Possessive :
- Whose = " of whom" and "whose" is the only possible form
Ex:
Several guests whose rooms had been broken into complained to the manager.

For things :
-- Subject :which ,that
-- Object : which , that
-- Possessive : whose , of which
a/ Subject : Which/ that
-There are alternatives in a defining clause . although " which " is felt to be more formal
Ex :
By 9.30 there was only one painting that hadn't been sold . This is the picture which / that caused such a sensation .

b/Object of a verb : Which /that ( or no relative at all)
We use " that" instead of "which " because " which " is hardly ever used after "all , everything , little , much, none, no " and compounds of no or after superlatives . We can use "that" or omit the relative altogether , if it is the object of a verb .
Ex :
She is one of the kindest people ( that) i know .
Is there anything (that) he wants to be served ?
c/ Object of a preposition :
The formal construction is preposition + which , but it is more usual to move the preposition to the end of the clause , using " which /that" or omitting the relative altogether .
Ex :
The ladder on which I was standing began to clip .
(OR) The ladder which /that I was standing on began to clip.
d/ Possessive : "hose+ a clause" is possible but "with + a phrase is more usual .
Ex :
A house whose walls were made of glass
(OR) A House with glass walls
3/ Cleft sentences : It+ be + noun/ pronoun+ defining relative clause
-When the subject is a proper noun , "that" is more usual than "who".With all other objects , "that" is the correct form
Ex :
It's the girl that stole my money.
It's Anna that i saw.
-"That" is usual for non_ personal object .
Ex :
It's speed that causes accidents , not bad road .
B/Non-Defining R.C :
1/ A non-defining r.c contains extra information :

- In writing it is seperated by comma ,and in speech , if use " at all", is usually indicated by intonation .
Ex :
A train , which was already an hour late,broke down again .

-Non-defining r.c are placed after nouns which are definitely "already" .They do not therefore define the noun, but merely add something to it by giving some more information about it .

-Unlike Defining r.c , they are not essential in the sentence and can be omitted without causing confusion .The pronoun can never be omitted in a non-defining clause .

NoTice that we put a comma between a noun and a non-defining clause and another comma at the end of this clause if it is not also at the end of the sentence .

2/Relative pronouns used in non-defining r.c :
---For Persons :

----Subject :Who
----Object :whom/ who
----Possesive :Whose

a/ Subject :who-We use "who" as the subject of the clause

Ex:
Peter ,who had been driving all day, suggested stopping at the next turn .
Notice that :
Clauses such as these ,which come immediately after the subject of the main verb . In spoken English we would be more likely to say :
Peter had been driving all day so he suggested stopping
at the next turn.

--Clauses following "a preposition +Noun " are also common .
Ex:
I passed the letter to Peter ,who was sitting next to me .
b/Object :who/whom

-We used "who/whom " as the subject of the main clause although "whom" is more formal and rarely used in spoken English .The pronoun can't be omitted .
Ex :
Peter , who/whom I admire , is going to visit the university next week .

--But non-defining clauses , coming later in the sentence , after the object of the main verb or after a preposition+noun , are common in conversation .
Ex :
She introduced me to her husband ,whom i hadn't met before .
c/ Object of a preposition

-The preposition is normally placed before "whom" and the pronoun can't be omitted .
Ex:
Mr Richard , for whom i was working , was vey generous.

--It is however possible to move the preposition to the end of the clause . This is commonly done in conversation and "who" then finally take the place of " whom"
Ex:
Mr Richard , who i was working for , was generous.

--If the clause contains the expression of time or place , this will remain at the end.
Ex:
John , with whom i played tennis last week, was fatter than me .
John , who /whom i played tennis with last week , was fatter than me .
d/Possesive:whose

Ex :Ann, whose children are at school all day , is trying to get a job .
Note:"All , both , most, few , several, some "+of + whom/ which<--------This form can be both used for people and things.

-When we want to add information about the whole or the part of a particular number of things or people , we can use the non-defining r.c with " of which/of whom" after words such as :"all,both,each,many,most,neither,none,part,som e , (a number ne ,two. thee,...,the first ,the second ,.... ,a half , a third ,...)and superlatives ( the best , the biggest,....)
Ex:
Her sons , both of whom study abroad , ring her up every week.
The busses, most of which are already full, were surrounded by an angry crowd.

For things:
--- Subject : which
--- Object: which
--- Possesive: of which / whose

a/ Subject : which
-That is not normally used to introduce a non-defining clause
-We also use " which to refer to the whole situation talked about in the sentence outside the r.c .

Ex:
The 8.15 train, which is usually very punctual, was late today.
The book won't be published until next year, which is disappointing.

b/Object: which
-That is not used here and "which" can never be omitted .

Ex: These books, which you can get at any bookshop , will give you all the things you need .

c/Object of a preposition:

The preposition comes before " which" or at the end of the clause ( more informally).

Ex:His house, for which he paid $ 1000 , is now worth $ 5000 .

d/Possessive:

-"Whose" is generally used both for people and things . "Of which" is possible for things , but it's unusual exept in very formal English .

Ex:
His house, whose windows were all broken , was a depressing sight .

3/ CAses of non- defining clauses:a/ The noun is the proper name:

Ex :
I live in Haiduong, which is in the North of VietNam .

b/The noun follows possessive adj.:

Ex :
My boyfriend, who is very handsome,active, is going out with another girl .

c/ Both the speaker and the listenner know the noun:

Ex:
Husband to wife:
The dog which is ill . doesn't want to eat anything .

d/We can use the following phrases at the beginning of a non-defining r.c.
Ex:
It might snow at the weekend , in which cases we wouldn't go to Wales.

NOTE::

Notice that we don't use Zero relative pronoun in a non-defining r.c
"That" can't replace relative pronoun
C/ Connective Relative Clauses:
1/ The pronouns are " who, whom, whose, which". Commas are used as with non-defining clauses .Connnective clause do not describle their nouns but continue the story. They are ususually placed after the object of the main verb, or after the preposition+nooun, or they can be placed by " and/but+ S".

Ex :
I told Peter, who said it wasn't his business
I threw the ball to Tom , who took no action.

Note :
It may be difficult to say whether a clause is non-defining or combine but there is no need to make the distinction as the two forms are the same.

Ex:

He drank beer , which made him fat
=He drank beer and it made him fat
1/Whose ( of whom/of which):

-We use a relative clause begining with " whose+ noun" particularly in written English , when we talke about sth belonging to or associated with a person .

Ex :Steven is an designer whose designs have won international praise .

-We can use " whose " in both defining and non-defining R.C .

We sometimes use " whose" when we are talking about things, in particular when we are talking about towns , countries and organisations .

Ex: The film was made in Japan , whose wildlife parks are very large .

-We can also use " whose " when we are talking about particular items , although it is often more natural in spoken English to avoid sentences like this .

Ex :
I received a letter , whose poor spelling make me bored
( more natural would be : I received a letter , and its poor spelling made me bored ).

2/ Where / When/Why/Whereby:

-We often use these words as relative pronouns but in formal English " a phrase with preposition+ which can often be used instead .

NOTE :" When" can replace "on/in which" ( used of time)
Ex:
The year when ( in which ) he was born
Th day when ( on which) we got married

" When " can replace " in / at which " ( used of place ):
Ex:
-The Hotel where(in/at which)they were staying
"Whereby"can replace "by which means"or "in/by which "

Ex :
The government is to end the system whereby(by which means)farmers make more money from leaving land unplanted than from growing wheat .

-Why can replace "for which"and we can also use"why"as a relative pronouns.
After the word " reason"we can use "that"instead of "Why"

Ex:
I didn't get a pay rise but this wasn't the reason why (that) I left .
Note
a/-In a non defining clauses when and where follow a named time, place
Ex:
-Come back at9 when I am free
-I stopped in Manila where my parents live
b/- In defining clauses "when" follows words such as: the time, the day, the moment, the year .
Ex :
I'll never forget the day wen we first met.

"Where" follows words such as place: home ,city ,hotel ,house, street.
Ex : This is the street where I live .
3/ Who, what, whatever, whoever, whichever, whenever, wherever, however :

a/ We sometines use R. C begining with " who" or " what".

* In this case " who " = " the people that" and " what" means something like " the thing(s) that "

Ex :
I can't believe the things that you told me
I didn't know what to do next
Can you give me the list of who's been injured ?

Notice that :
* We can't use" what" in this way after a noun

Ex :
I managed to get all of the books that you asked for ( not " what you asked for ")

* Be careful , not to confuse the relative " What" with the connective relative " which" .

*Remember that " which " must refer to a word or group of words in the preceding sentences , while , " what" doesn't refer back to anything

*The Relative "what" is also usually the object a verb while " which " is usually the subject

Ex :
-He said he had no money , which was not true .
-The things we saw astonished us = What we saw astonished us
b/Relative clauses biginning with:
*Whatever : anything or it doesn't matter what
*Whoever:the person/ group who ---- any person/ group who
*Whichever ne thing or person from a limitted number of things or people are used to talk about things or people that are infinite or unknown

Ex :
I'm sure I'll enjoy eating whatever you cook
Whoever wins will go on to play Barcelona in the final

c/Whatever you do : is often placed before or after a request / command to emphasize its importance

Ex :
Whatever you do , don't mention my name .

d/However : is an adverb of degree and is used with an adjective or another adverb

Ex :
However hard i worked , she was never satisfied .

e/Whatever , whenever can indicate the speaker's ignorance of in difference

Ex:
He lives in London , wherever that is (I don't know where it is and i'm not interested )

f/ Who= the person / people who

Ex :
The person who goes first gives the Queen flowers
= Who goes first gives the Queen flowers

g/Which =The thing(s)

Ex :
She can choose the thing which she likes
= She can choose which/whichever she likes
Preposition in Relative Clauses !


*Informal styles we often put a preposition before the relative pronouns "which" and "whom "

Ex :
In the novel by Peter, on which the film is based, the main character is a teenager .

Her many friends, among whom I like to be considered , gave her encouragement

Notice that :
*Afer a preposition you can't use " who" instead of " whom" , and "that" or zero relative pronoun

Ex :
The valley in which the town lies is heavily polluted(Not the valley in that the town...)

*In formal English we usually put the preposition later in the relative clauses rather than at the beginning .

Ex :
The playground wasn't used by those children who it was built for .

*In this case we prefer " who" rather than " whom" . In defining , relative clauses we can also use "that" or zero relative pronoun instead of " who" or " which "

Ex :
The playground wasn't used by those children who it was built for
= The children(that) it was built for,......

II/ If the verb in the relative clauses is a two or three-word verb ( ex: come across, go through, fill in, look up to ...)we don't usually put the preposition before the relative pronoun .

Ex :
She is the one of the few people ( who/that) I look up to
( not : to whom i look up to)

NOTE : We can sometimes use " that...of, "instead of , "of which " . This is less formal than " of which " and is usually used in spoken English .

Ex :
The school that she is head of is closing down .
= The school of which she is head is closing down .

* Whose can come after a preposition in a relative clause . However it is more natural to put the preposition at the end of the clauses in less formal context and in spoken English

Ex :
We were grateful to Mark , in whose car we had travelled home
(= We were grateful to Mark ,whose car we had travelled home in )

thanks ^0^