Relative Clauses - GE 9 Unit 4

RELATIVE CLAUSES

1. Defining Relative Clauses

- Give essential information so we know the thing the writer/speaker is talking about. Ex: who, which, that, whose, when.

- Do not use comma.

What

- Cannot be used in defining relative clauses.

- Can be used to mean “the thing/things that”.

  Can you tell me what he said?

Leaving Out 

- We can leave out who, that, which when these words aren’t the subject of the defining relative clauses.

- We never leave out whose.

- We can usually leave out where if we add a preposition at the end of the relative clause.

   That is the house where I was born. = That is the house I was born in.

- We can only leave out when if the time reference is clear.

  That is the day (when) the baby’s due.

 

Example	Leave out or not
These stories were the beginning of a writing career that has made him the successful author in history.	Must use that because it is the subject of the relative clause.
This is a wedding scenario  (that) she might have written for one of her novels.	We can leave out that cause it is the object of the relative clause.

2. Non-defining Relative Clauses

- Add extra non-essential information.

Steve, who came from a very poor family, began selling stories to friends at school when he just 12.

- We don’t use that.

- We cannot leave out: who, which, whose, etc.

- We must use comma.

- Are more common in written than spoken, particularly in stories and more formal types of writing.

Reduce Relative Clauses

• When contains a continuous or passive verb form, we can often leave out: who, that, or which, and the auxiliary.

• Very common in spoken English.

Example	Leave Out
In the end the students (who are bullying) X get what they deserve. (are bullying = present continuous).	In the end the students bullying X get what they deserve.
The second novel (that was) written by A is called “Rainbow.” (was written = past simple passive)	The second novel written by A is called “Rainbow.”

Example:

A wild sheep is the extraordinary novel that brought its author, Hussy, to public attention.

The book, which is set in Japan, begins simple enough.

A young man who works for an advertising agency gets a post cards from a friend.

He decided to use the postcard, which shows a photo of country scene, for an advertisement - his company is making.

However,  he doesn’t notice that in the photo there is a sheep which has a star on its back.

This photo attracts the attention of a strange man in black, who offers him a choice – find the sheep or lose everything.

The search for the sheep takes the main character, whose name is never revealed, from Tokyo to the mountains of northern Japan, where has to face a number of dangers.

Huss, whose other books are available in English, is now one of Japan’s best-known writers.