Review of relative clauses

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 538.

GRAMMAR IN USE

A)A relative clause is also known as an adjective clause. It is a subordinate clause with the function of modifying a noun/ noun phrase or a pronoun.

Example:

1. Science (pure science) is a term which is used to denote systemized knowledge in

any field.

2. Applied science is the term that is used to refer to the search for practical uses of scientific knowledge.

3. Neil Armstrong was the first person who walked on the Moon.

4. Here, we should distinguish pure science from technology through which

applications are realized.

5. Newton whom many of us, scientists have respected used not to be a good student at all.

6. Newton, whose discovery of the theory of gravity was very strange, has been the

pioneer in Mechanics Physics.

7. The book of which the cover has been torn is a very famous one written by David

Halliday.

From the above examples, we can see that the noun phrases a term, the term, the first person; technology and Newton are respectively modified by relative clauses

1. whichis used to denote systemized knowledge in any field.

2. thatis used to refer to the search for practical uses of scientific knowledge.

3. whowalked on the Moon.

4. through whichapplications are realized.

5. whommany of us, scientists have respected.

6. whosediscovery of the theory of gravity was very strange.

7. of whichthe cover has been torn.

B)You can easily realize that these clauses begin with which/ that/ which/ who/ whom/

whose.These are called relative pronouns.They function as pronouns, and at the same time, show the relationship between the modified noun/pronoun and other elements in the sentence.

For example the first relative clause, listed above, shows the relationship between the subject and its complement (science and term).

By the functions and implications of these pronouns in each the above sentences, we can classify them into groups as in the following table.

Types

Functions

Subject: Who That Which

Object: Whom/Who That/Which

Possessives: Whose/of Which

C)Having a look at the example one, the relative clause is very necessary for the

meaningful existence of the sentence because if we read the sentence - Science is a term, it would be very difficult for us to understand what it means exactly: We know the word science and we know the word term but what is more about this term in relation with science is actually what we need to know. That's why a relative clause in this case works best. Such a relative clause is called a restrictive relative clause.This type of relative clause is sometimes known as defining relative clause.

Quite differently, from the fifth relative clause from the list we can see that the relative clause does not affect much to the meaning of the whole sentence, with or without this clause, the sentence still makes sense to us. In this case, the presence of a relative clause is only to give some extra information about Newton; such a relative clause is called a non-restrictive clauseor sometimes non-defining relative clause.

Other differences between these two types of relative clauses are as follow:

• Non-defining clause is more common in written style

• Non-defining relative clause must be put between two commas, except when it is at

the end of the sentence (the full stop replaces the second comma).

• Pronoun thatcan not be used in a non-defining relative clause

D)In example four, you can easily realize the preposition through should be put in front of the pronoun which.

• Here, we should distinguish pure science from technology through which applications are realized.

It is easy to see that the sentence can be understood in a simpler way by splitting it into two simple sentences – Here, we should distinguish pure science from technology.

Applications can be realized through technology. Now, it is obvious that the preposition through does not at all accompany the pronoun which randomly, actually, it accompanies the noun technology that the relative pronoun which replaces. Here, there is no change in position between the noun (now its replacing item) and its accompanying preposition.

In another case – Newton from whom we have been learning used not to be a good

student anyway – the preposition from is once more considered to be accompanying the noun Newton and it is also put before the pronoun whom(replacing Newton).

From both cases, it is deduced that, we can put a preposition in front of objective

pronouns, and this makes the sentence more formal. However, it is noted that,

• If a preposition is put in front of a pronoun, the pronoun can not be omitted.

• Prepositions can not be put in front of pronouns thatand who.

• If the preposition is a part of a phrasal verb, it can not separate from its main verb. E.g.

The progress of science is the topic which/that/ we are looking into.

• Such words as some, many, and most can go before of whomand of whichin a nondefining relative clause. E.g. The success of this theory is attributed to American scientists, many of whom did lose their lives for it.