Understanding Relative Clauses in English
Relative clauses are an essential component of English grammar, allowing speakers to provide additional information about nouns in a sentence. This page outlines the different types of relative pronouns and their usage in both necessary defining and non-necessary non−defining relative clauses.
Definition: A relative clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun or pronoun in the main clause.
The page presents a table that categorizes relative pronouns based on their function in the clause subject,object,possessive,orothercomplements and whether they refer to people or things. This classification helps in choosing the appropriate relative pronoun for different contexts.
Example: "The boy who is crossing the street is my brother." Definingrelativeclause
Example: "John, who is crossing the street, is my brother." Non−definingrelativeclause
For necessary defining relative clauses referring to people, the table shows:
- Subject: WHO
- Object: WHO/WHOM
- Possessive: WHOSE
- Other complements: PREPOSITION + WHOM
For necessary defining relative clauses referring to things:
- Subject: WHICH
- Object: WHICH
- Possessive: WHOSE
- Other complements: PREPOSITION + WHICH
Vocabulary: Defining relative clauses alsoknownasrestrictiverelativeclauses are essential to the meaning of the sentence and are not set off by commas.
For non-necessary non−defining relative clauses referring to people, the options are:
- Subject: WHO
- Object: WHOM
- Possessive: WHOSE
- Other complements: PREPOSITION + WHOM
For non-necessary non−defining relative clauses referring to things:
- Subject: WHICH
- Object: WHICH
- Possessive: WHOSE
- Other complements: PREPOSITION + WHICH
Vocabulary: Non-defining relative clauses alsoknownasnon−restrictiverelativeclauses provide additional, non-essential information and are set off by commas.
This comprehensive overview helps learners understand the nuances of using relative pronouns in different contexts, enabling them to construct more sophisticated and grammatically correct sentences in English.
Highlight: The choice of relative pronoun depends on whether it refers to people or things, and its function within the relative clause.
