[Grammar] where

[tkacka15]

"That is the place where he was last seen" (From http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000377.htm website.)

Is "where he was last seen" an adjectival clause or an adverb one in the above sentence?

Is "where" a relative adverb in that sentence?

Thank you.

 

[Matthew Wai]

http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/adjectiveclause.htm
Having read the above, I think it is an adjectival clause, where the word 'where' is a relative adverb, but I am not a teacher.

 

[TheParser]

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

Hello,

One of my favorite books classifies "where" in that kind of sentence as a relative adverb.

a. "Any adverb ... employed as a substitute for a prepositional phrase containing a relative pronoun may be called a relative adverb."

That book gives this example: "I remember the house where I was born."

That book explains it means: "I remember the house in which I was born." (my emphasis)


Credit: House and Harman, Descriptive English Grammar (copyright 1931 and 1950).

(P.S. The relative pronoun indicates that we should classify the clause as adjectival.)

 

[MikeNewYork]

I agree with Matthew and TheParser. The clause is obviously modifying "place", so it is adjectival.

 

[Matthew Wai]

'A policeman will search his office, where he was last seen.'
I think it is an adverbial clause modifying 'search'. Am I right or wrong?

 

[MikeNewYork]

You are probably correct, but a case could be made for "office".

 

[Matthew Wai]

'That is his office, where he was last seen.'
What does the adverbial clause modify?

 

[tzfujimino]

What do you think, Matthew?

I'd like to state my opinion on this before we hear Mike's.

That is his office, [where he was last seen].

The relative adverb "where" functions as an adverb within the relative clause shown in the brackets. However, the whole clause describes the office, which is to say it functions adjectivally.
The same goes for the sentence in your post #5, in my opinion.

 

[Rover_KE]

Are there still ESL exam syllabuses which require candidates to know this stuff?

Most native speakers will have no idea what you're talking about as long the sentence is understandable.

 

[Matthew Wai]

However, the whole clause describes the office, which is to say it functions adjectivally.

I consider it adverbial because I have read the following, but I am not a teacher.
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/adverbclause.htm

 

[tzfujimino]

Well, if I were asked "Where are the missing eyeglasses?", I would answer "In the refrigerator".
In other words, I disagree with the explanation given in that link.
(I'm not saying I am correct. I'm just stating my opinion.)

 

[MikeNewYork]

'That is his office, where he was last seen.'
What does the adverbial clause modify?

I would say that it modifies "office" and is therefore adjectival.

 

[Matthew Wai]

'A policeman will search where he was last seen.'
Is it an adverbial clause modifying 'search' or a noun clause that is the direct object of 'search'?

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would say it is an adverb there.