1/13/2013

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Active Learning Seminars

Presented by Nigel Veal

Whats your name?

on how to use

Relative Clauses

My name is Yen, which means My name is Yen, which is spelled small sea bird in Vietnamese. Y-E-N like the currency of Japan.

Relative pronouns
We form relative clauses using these relative pronouns: which, who, whom, whose, that. Which, who and that are used most often. The relative adverbs where, when and why are sometimes used instead of a relative pronoun.

Defining relative clauses

1. The relative clause identifies the person or thing we are talking about. It provides essential information and can/cannot be left out. 2. Who or which can/cannot be replaced by that 3. If the relative pronoun refers to the object, it can/cannot be left out. 4. Commas are/are not needed

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Non-defining relative clauses

1. The relative clause provides extra information and can/cannot be left out. 2. Who or which can/cannot be replaced by that. 3. The relative pronoun can/cannot be left out. 4. Commas are/are not required before and after the relative clause.

What is the difference in meaning between the two sentences? 1. My sister, who lives in Scotland, has three children. 2. My sister who lives in Scotland has three children.

Forming Relative Clauses

Combine the sentences using a relative clause. Use relative pronouns only where necessary.

1. We spent our holiday in Scotland last year. Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. Last year, we spent our holiday in Scotland, which Last year, we is in the north of Great Britain.

Forming Relative Clauses

People live in Scotland. They are called Scottish. The people live in Scotland The people who are called Scottish.

Forming Relative Clauses

3. We first went to Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. We first We first went to Edinburgh, which is the capital of Scotland.

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Forming Relative Clauses

4. Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh. He wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories. Arthur Conan Doyle, who Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories, was born in Edinburgh.

Forming Relative Clauses

5. Then we visited a lake. It is in the Highlands. The lake we The lake visited is in the Highlands.

Forming Relative Clauses

6. Loch Ness is 37km long. People know it for its friendly monster. Loch Ness, which is known Loch Ness for its friendly monster, is 37km long.

Forming Relative Clauses

7. Then we met an old man in a pub. He told us he had seen Nessie. An old man we met in a pub An old man told us he had seen Nessie.

Forming Relative Clauses

8. Then I picked up a newspaper. The newspaper contained an interesting article about Nessie Then I picked up Then I picked up a newspaper which contained an interesting article about Nessie.

Forming Relative Clauses

9. It reported that the mystery of Nessie has finally been solved. The mystery of Nessie has puzzled people for decades. ItIt reported that mystery of reported that the Nessie, which has puzzled people for decades, has finally been solved.

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Forming Relative Clauses

10. We stopped to listen to a highlander playing the bagpipes. The bagpipes are a traditional Scottish musical instrument.

Forming Relative Clauses

11. The next day, we climbed the highest mountain in Great Britain. It is called Ben Nevis. The next day, climbed the highest The next day we mountain in Great Britain, which is called Ben Nevis.

We stopped to listen to a highlander playing the bagpipes, We stopped which are a traditional Scottish musical instrument.

Forming Relative Clauses

12. I sent you a postcard. It was written on the summit of Ben Nevis.

Distinguishing between who and whom

This is the old man whom we met in a pub at Loch Ness.

The postcard you was written on the summit of The postcard I sent Ben Nevis. This is the old man who told us he has seen the Loch Ness monster.

Using whose to introduce a relative clause

Whose is used for showing that someone or something belongs to or is connected with the person or thing that you have just mentioned. Ex1: Help is needed for families whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane. Ex2: This family is living in a house whose roof could collapse at any time.

Common grammar mistakes

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Mistake 1: Forgetting relative pronouns

Mistake 2: Joining two sentences with a comma instead of using a relative pronoun.
Ex: There are many aspects to this problem, one Ex: There are many aspects to this problem, one of them is money. of which is money.

Ex: There are many people do not agree with with who do not agree the governments policy. the governments policy.

Be careful
Mistake 3: Forgetting that the relative pronoun replaces the object of the relative clause.
Ex: Pizza is the best food that I have ever tasted Ex: Pizza is the best food that I have ever tasted. it before.
Sometimes you can simplify a sentence by not using a relative clause! Ex: Men who were still unemployed five months after leaving university numbered fewer than 500. Fewer than 500 men were still unemployed five months after leaving university.

Defining relative clauses

Underline the best alternative. 0 = no relative pronoun
1. The results 0/that/who were published were later called into question. question. 2. The statistics who/which/0 the government used were inaccurate. 3. The percentage of adults who/that/0 had two jobs halved the following year. 4. The amount of air pollution who/that/0 was recorded in Los Angeles decreased slightly during that period. 5. There was an increase of 5% in the number of visitors to Canada which/that/0 came from Germany.

Non-defining relative clauses

Combine the two sentences using a relative clause.
virus, which is believed to have originated in 1.The computer virus has caused millions of pounds worth of Texas, has caused millions of virus is believed to have damage. The computerpounds worth of damage. originated in Texas.
2. Oxford University, which is place in the Times in the 2. Oxford University took first the oldest universityGood University English-speaking world, took first the oldest university in the Guide 2002. Oxford University is place in the Times Good University Guide world. English-speaking 2002. 3. Nurses who are not well paid in my Nurses are vital to paid 3. Nurses,are vital to the health service.country, are not wellthe in my country. health service. 4. The Prime Minister, who has been in Prime Minister has been 4. The Prime Minister has resigned. Theoffice for seven years, hasin office for seven years. resigned.

5. Email has made widely availablemuch quicker. Email is widely Email, which is communication in the UK, has made communication much available in the UK. quicker.

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Subject and object relative clauses

The relative pronoun can replace the subject or the object of the relative clause. Subject: Chocolate contains a stimulant called theobromine which/that (it) is believed to make us more alert. Object: Chocolate is something which/that/0 many people feel guilty about eating (it).

Participle clauses

With an active verb we use a present participle. When the active verb is progressive we leave out the relative pronoun and the verb to be. Active verb: The woman who is sitting next to the door has been looking at you. Do you know her? With a passive verb we use a past participle and leave out the relative pronoun and the verb to be. Passive verb: The article which was published in yesterdays Times could be useful.

Relative clauses with a to-infinitive

Look at this structure with the to-infinitive. New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote. (= the first country which gave women the vote) Here are some more examples. The guest on our show is the youngest golfer to win the Open. Emma Thompson is the most famous actress to appear on stage here. We can use a to-infinitive with these words: first, second, etc; next and last; only; and superlatives, e.g. youngest, most famous.

Prepositions in relative clauses

In formal English, a preposition can be used at the beginning of the relative clause, before which or whom. Ex1: Electronics is a subject about which I know very little. Ex2: The people with whom he worked have all been arrested. Ex3: They collected the sap from the sugar maple trees, from which maple syrup is produced. Note: We cannot put a preposition before that or who.

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Sentential relative clauses

This type of clause does not modify a noun but refers to the whole sentence. Ex: He keeps bragging about his success, which really annoys me.
This old man drinks five glasses of Scotch whisky every night, which is enough to make anyone believe they have seen the Loch Ness monster!

Sherlock Holmes possessed amazing powers of deduction, a profound understanding of human nature and a rare ability to think outside the box all of which helped to establish his reputation as the worlds greatest detective.

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