relative clauses?

[inkkedbree]

I've googled for examples of relative clauses, but they tend to make it more complicated for me to know what makes it a relative clause and how to identify one to be a relative clause. I'm not that sure what is a relative clause.

[mara_ce]

I'm not that sure what is a relative clause.

Hi inkkedbree,

You´ll find here a clear definition and example:

Relative Clause - Glossary Definition - UsingEnglish.com

[TheParser]

I've googled for examples of relative clauses, but they tend to make it more complicated for me to know what makes it a relative clause and how to identify one to be a relative clause. I'm not that sure what is a relative clause.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Inkkedbree,

(1) Key Member Mara Ce has given you and me an excellent link.

(2) I think that another term for "relative clause" is "adjective clause."

(3) An adjective, as you know, modifies (describes) a noun, as in

A beautiful girl. (The adjective "beautiful" modifies the noun "girl.")

You can also say: The girl who is beautiful is Mona.

Then we call "Who is beautiful" a relative/adjective clause because it

modifies the noun "girl." It describes the girl.

(4) Here are some more examples from my favorite grammar book:

(a) Any man who would steal would lie.

It does not say that any man would lie. It describes what kind of man

would lie. (The kind of man who would steal.)

(b) Have you read the book that I gave you? "That I gave you"

describes which book. The word "that" is called a relative pronoun.

Why? Because it "relates" to the word "book" and it is a substitute for the

word "book." It is "bad" English to say: Have you read the book book I

gave you." So we have to change the second "book" to "that." When

people speak, sometimes they delete (drop) the relative pronoun:

Have you read the book I gave you?

(c) I remember the house where I was born.

(i) what words describe the noun "house."

(ii) Answer: where I was born. So we call those three words a

relative/adjective clause.

(d) Paris, which is located in France, is one of the most beautiful

cities in the world.

(i) Can you identify the relative/adjective clause?

(ii) Which words refer to "Paris"? Answer: which is located in France.

We call "which" a relative pronoun.

(5) If you study Mara Ce's link very carefully, you will soon come to

understand relative clauses. Whenever you have a question, just

post a question here.

My favorite book: Homer C. House & Susan E. Harman, Descriptive

English Grammar (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1950).

[mara_ce]

(b) Have you read the book that I gave you? "That I gave you"

describes which book. The word "that" is called a relative pronoun.

Why? Because it "relates" to the word "book" and it is a substitute for the

word "book." It is "bad" English to say: Have you read the book book I

gave you." So we have to change the second "book" to "that." When

people speak, sometimes they delete (drop) the relative pronoun:

Have you read the book I gave you?

Hello The Parser,

Thanks for this useful post. I´d like to add something else about the omission of relative pronouns.

Murphy´s book: “English Grammar in Use”, says:

“Sometimes who / that / which is the object of the verb. For example:

* The woman who I wanted to see was away on holiday.
I wanted to see the woman.

who (= the woman) is the object
I is the subject

* Have you found the keys that you lost.
You lost the keys.

that (= the keys) is the object
you is the subject

When who / that / which is the object, you can leave it out. So you can say:

The woman I wanted to see was away. or The woman who I wanted to see…

Have you found the keys you lost? or … the keys that you lost?”

[TheParser]

Hello The Parser,

Thanks for this useful post. I´d like to add something else about the omission of relative pronouns.

Murphy´s book: “English Grammar in Use”, says:

“Sometimes who / that / which is the object of the verb. For example:

* The woman who I wanted to see was away on holiday.
I wanted to see the woman.

who (= the woman) is the object
I is the subject

* Have you found the keys that you lost.
You lost the keys.

that (= the keys) is the object
you is the subject

When who / that / which is the object, you can leave it out. So you can say:

The woman I wanted to see was away. or The woman who I wanted to see…

Have you found the keys you lost? or … the keys that you lost?”

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Thank you, Mara, for the nice note.

And as you already know, "The woman who I wanted to see ...."

should be -- according to the rules that most people ignore nowadays

-- "The woman whom [objective form] I wanted to see ...." I hear

that most teachers have surrendered and now accept "who" --

at least in speech!!! But, of course, university-level writing should

hopefully insist on the "correct" form.