Author Topic: An extensive review of the types and workings of relative clauses  (Read 5205 times)

Ivan Ivanov

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I very much like the scheme/table (I am not sure what is the right word for it) in the topic about the noun clause (http://josecarilloforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=6289.0). Is there something like this on relative clauses? And how many types of them exist?

« Last Edit: October 06, 2014, 02:38:54 PM by Joe Carillo »

Joe Carillo

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Re: An extensive review of the types and workings of relative clauses
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2014, 02:27:33 PM »
Question by Ivan Ivanov, Forum member (October 5, 2014):

I very much like the scheme/table (I am not sure what the right word for it is) in the topic about the noun clause, “The forms and functions of the noun clause.” Is there something like this in the Forum on relative clauses? And how many types of them exist?

My reply to Ivan Ivanov:

Yes, there are a lot of discussions in the Forum about the workings of relative clauses; in fact, I would say that more than the noun clause, the relative clause is the most extensively and intensively discussed aspect of English grammar in the Forum. In a little while I’ll provide you with the links to several previous postings in the Forum about the relative clause, but to quickly put things in perspective, let’s first define the relative clause to clearly distinguish it from the noun clause.

By definition, relative clauses are those introduced in a sentence by the relative pronouns “who,” “which,” “that,” “whom,” “whoever,” “whomever,” “whatever,” or “whichever.” Each of these relative pronouns serves to relate a dependent or subordinate clause to an antecedent noun in the sentence, which can either be the subject or object of that dependent clause. Taken together, of course, the relative pronoun and the dependent clause introduced by it functionally constitute what’s known as the relative clause.

There are two types of relative clauses: the defining or restrictive relative clause, and the nondefining or nonrestrictive relative clause.

Defining or restrictive relative clause. This is of the type introduced by “who,” as in this example: “Politicians who profess their honesty and integrity the loudest are often the most dishonest and corrupt.” Here, the relative clause “who profess their honesty and integrity the loudest” can’t be taken out from that sentence, for to do so will seriously alter the sense and meaning of what’s being said. Indeed, if we drop that relative clause, we would end up with “Politicians are often the most dishonest and corrupt”—a sentence that unreasonably and illogically generalizes on the character of all politicians.

Nondefining or nonrestrictive relative clause. This is the type that isn’t essential to the idea or context of the main clause, as in the case of the clause introduced by “who” in this sentence: “The anticorruption committee decided to subpoena the recalcitrant public official, who has repeatedly snubbed its invitations to attend its hearings.” Here, when a comma separates the relative clause from the main clause, the main clause can stand on its own even if the relative clause is dropped altogether: “The anticorruption committee decided to subpoena the recalcitrant public official." In short, a nondefining or nonrestrictive relative clause—one that’s set off from the main clause by commas—is an optional or expendable element of the sentence.

There are only two types of relative clauses, but their usage is complicated by the fact that different relative pronouns are used when the antecedent subject is a person and when the antecedent subject is an animal, a place, an inanimate object, or a concept. The relative pronoun “who” is used to link the relative clause to a human antecedent subject, as in this example: “The woman who called me this morning was actually my wife.” On the other hand, the relative pronouns “that” or “which” is used to link the relative clause to a nonhuman antecedent subject, with the choice dependent on the kind of relative clause being used in the sentence: “The movie that we watched last night was very exciting.” “Tell me which of these cars you can afford to bjuy.”

There are major variations, too, in the choice of relative pronouns depending on whether American English or British English is being used. In American English, the relative pronoun “that” is used to link a defining or restrictive clause to a nonhuman antecedent subject, as in this example: “The stray puppy that we found in a street corner a year ago became our children’s beloved pet.” In British English, the relative pronoun “which” is used instead: “The stray puppy which we found in a street corner a year ago became our children’s beloved pet.”

Even if the variations in relative pronoun usage and style are few, they cause a lot of uncertainty or downright confusion among English students and teachers and even among professional media and business writers. This is why over the years, the most frequently asked questions here in the Forum and in my weekly English-usage column in The Manila Times have been about relative pronoun usage. My answers to those recurrent questions became the basis for the very extensive discussions on relative clauses that are listed below, and I am sure that going over them will make you much more knowledgeable and better equipped in constructing sentences that involve relative pronouns.

RELATED READINGS ON RELATIVE CLAUSES:
Learning to use the relative pronouns confidently
It’s time to get a more solid grasp of the usage of "that" and “which” (Three-part essay)
Making good use of free relative clauses
The relative importance of main clauses and subordinate clauses
« Last Edit: October 06, 2014, 02:39:15 PM by Joe Carillo »