Lesson 10a – Relative clauses - KEY

 

Gethin Unit 8: Relatives (8A)

 

Fill in either missing letters or whole words:

a)   CLAUSE TYPE AFTER STATEMENTS = SENTENTIAL RELATIVE CLAUSE = refers back not to nouns or pronouns but to statements. In this case they are always non-defining introduced by  which :

What I heard was nearly all good, which was true.

It will then be easier for me to chase business contracts, which is the whole purpose of my trip.

b)   A second relative introduced by and or  but  is generally a wh- relative and not that , in defining as well as in non-defining clauses:
This is a fact that / which escapes many people’s notice and which Sir Thomas pointed out. 

It requires the very high temperatures that / which are found in the sun but which so far have been produced artifically only by the nuclear fission … .

c)   Defining clauses after superlatives (e.g. best, worst, …) are introduced by that and not by a wh- relative. The same is true after all, everything, nothing :

The worst thing that could befall the Hall is a similar fate.

‘All that glitters is not gold.’

d)   The relative what stands for ‘the thing(s) that’ and therefore, as it carries its own noun (thing(s), cannot follow a noun and always introduces a defining clause. This, unlike the other relative clauses, may come at the beginning of        a sentence:

What you say is quite true.

She doesn’t seem to worry at all about what others may think of her.

I bought what I wanted and hurried home.

e)   Introductory it:

= does not stand for anything but introduces or reintroduces words that may or may not have been mentioned before, and thus gives them emphasis.

When these emphasised words are adverbials of time or place, they are followed not by when or where but by  that . Although this is not a true relative, it is always used without commas like the relative that:

It is three years ago today that I first met my wife.

It was on 6^th August 1945 that man committed this destructive act.

It was also at the Blenkinsops’ party that I was introduced to Sheila.

X

When introductory it introduces nouns these, in contrast to adverbials, are followed by a true relative, which is defining:

It was Sir James who first had the idea of opening the gardens  to the public.

It was one of those rare occasions when Toby’s exuberance didn’t result in any damage.

 

Gethin Unit 8: Sentence building with relatives  (8B)

 

By replacing the words in italics with relatives, combine each group of sentences into one sentence:

The Maoris are now a peaceable people. At one time they were divided into many tribes. These were often at war with each other. The tribal system scarcely exists among them.

->   The Maoris, who at one time were divided into many tribes that / which were often at war with each other, are now a peaceable people among whom the tribal system scarcely exists.

 

In India I shall be spending most of my time in New Delhi. The shade temperature there can reach 45ºC in June. It drops appreciably after that because of the monsoon.

->   In India I shall be spending most of my time in New Delhi, where the shade temperature…in June, after which it drops appreciably because of the monsoon.

Japan deliberately cut herself off from the outside world from the early 1600s until 1853. So many of our consumer goods are now made in Japan. In 1853 Commander Perry of the United States re-established communication. As a result of this Japan has not only caught up industrially with the West but has overtaken it in some respects.

->   Japan, where so many of our consumer goods are now made, deliberately cut herself off from the outside world from the early 1600s until 1853, when Commander Perry of the US re-established communication, as a result of which Japan has not only caught up industrially with the West … .

=> there are a few prepositions which never follow realatives but which always precede them. They include during, according to, as a result of, among, after.

 

 The Taj Mahal is one of the greatest buildings in the world. It took twenty-two years to complete. And it is built of white marble, exquisitely carved and inlaid in places with semi-precious stones. (Many of these, incidentally, have been stolen.)

->   The Taj Mahal , which took 22 years to complete and which is built of white marble, exquisitely carved and inlaid in places with semi-precious stones (many of which / of which many , incidentally, have been stolen), is one of the greatest buildings in the world.

So far as we know, Shakespeare lived a fairly uneventful life. During it he apparently wrote thirty-three plays. Two of them consist of more than one part, making thirty-six full-length stage plays in all. ‘Hamlet’ and ‘King Lear’ are generally considered the greatest among these.

->   So far as we know, Shakespeare lived a fairly uneventful life(,) during which he app. wrote 33 plays, two of which / of which two consist of more than one part, making 36 full-length stage plays in all, among which ‚Hamlet‘ and ‚King Lear‘ are generally considered the greatest.

=> one can write either many of which OR of which many, two of which OR of which two to correspond with many of these and two of them. Similarly, one could write either most/many of whom OR of whom most/many….

 

 

Gethin Unit 8: Shortened constructions (8C)

 

Defining relative clauses beginning with the subject relative who, which or that can be shortened  by the use of   with  or  –ing  (present participle), or by omitting the relative + verb to be,  except when:

a)   they refer to a repeated action, a habit, or a hobby:

Isn’t that a girl who’s always saying she wants to be an actress?

People who fish have little time for other hobbies.

b)   they contain verbs that describe mental states, and which are therefore without progressive forms, such as know, believe or like:

Is there anyone here who understands Japanese?

But I hope there’s no one who thinks it’ll be an easy exam.

X

Anyone (who is) thinking of taking the exam should give his name to me.

c)   they contain the verb to be + noun (e.g.who is a keen fisherman), although such clauses can often be shortened by rewording as shown:

Anyone who is a keen fisherman likes to encourage others in the sport. =

= Any keen fisherman likes to ….

d)   they refer to an event completed before what is described in the rest of the sentence:

The boy who went fishing with Harry caught a sizeable fish.

Has the person who came to see us yesterday about the vacant post left her name and address?     

 

 

Non-defining relative clauses cannot normally be shortened except when:

a)   they refer to something happening at the same time as what happens in the rest of the sentence:

Marilyn, (who is) smiling all over her face, has just walked into the room waving her purse.

Several young mothers,( who all had) /all with babies in their arms, waited patiently at the clinic.

b)   they refer to the cause of what happens in the rest of the sentence:

Then Harry, (who knew) / knowing how disappointed David was, gave him some special bait.

Now Lady Blenkinsop, (who is) full of enthusiasm for her new life, gets up at five every morning to milk the cows.

c)   they provide information that relates closely to the rest of the sentence. The shortened construction is commonly in the form of a noun phrase (a keen fisherman) placed in apposition to the subject (Harry), but may begin with an adjective or verb participle:

Harry,( who is) married and with two children, is a keen family man despite his passion for fishing.

Harry, (who is) a keen fisherman, likes to encourage others in the sport.

Willie, (who is) a young architect, has just got his first client.

His client, (who is) a Japanese, cannot speak much English.