{"id":426,"date":"2015-10-14T22:55:53","date_gmt":"2015-10-14T22:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/styleforstudentsx48xmaster\/?post_type=chapter&p=426"},"modified":"2015-10-14T22:55:53","modified_gmt":"2015-10-14T22:55:53","slug":"relative-clauses","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-styleforstudents-1\/chapter\/relative-clauses\/","title":{"raw":"Relative Clauses","rendered":"Relative Clauses"},"content":{"raw":"

\u00a0RELATIVE CLAUSES<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\r\nThis handout will help you understand what relative clauses are and how they work, and will especially help you decide when to use \u201cthat\u201d or \u201cwhich.\u201d\r\n

WHAT IS A RELATIVE CLAUSE?<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\r\nA relative clause is one kind of dependent clause. It has a subject and verb, but can\u2019t stand alone as a sentence. It is sometimes called an \u201cadjective clause\u201d because it functions like an adjective\u2014it gives more information about a noun. A relative clause always begins with a \u201crelative pronoun,\u201d which substitutes for a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun when sentences are combined.\r\n\r\nThe relative pronouns are:\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
who<\/td>\r\nfor people<\/td>\r\ncan substitute for subject nouns\/pronouns (he, she, we, they)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
whom<\/td>\r\nfor people<\/td>\r\ncan substitute for object nouns\/pronouns (him, her, us, them)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
whose<\/td>\r\nfor people<\/td>\r\ncan substitute for possessive nouns\/pronouns (his, hers, our, their)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
that<\/td>\r\nfor people or things<\/td>\r\n\n\ncan be either subject or object\r\n\r\ncan only be used in restrictive relative clauses (see below)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
which<\/td>\r\nfor things<\/td>\r\n\n\ncan be either subject or object\r\n\r\ncan be used in non-restrictive relative clauses\r\n\r\ncan also be used in restrictive relative clauses, though some people don\u2019t like this use<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nRelative pronoun as subject (in red):\r\n

I like the person<\/span>. The person<\/span> was nice to me.<\/p>\r\n

I like the person<\/span> who<\/span> was nice to me.<\/p>\r\n

I hate the dog<\/span>. The dog<\/span> bit me.<\/p>\r\n

I hate the dog<\/span> that<\/span> bit me.<\/p>\r\n

I am moving to Louisville, KY<\/span>. It<\/span> is home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.<\/p>\r\n

I am moving to Louisville, KY<\/span>, which<\/span> is home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.<\/p>\r\nRelative pronoun as object (in red):\r\n

I like the bike<\/span>. My father gave me the bike<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n

I like the bike<\/span> that<\/span> my father gave me.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

RESTRICTIVE RELATIVE CLAUSES<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\r\nRestrictive relative clauses give information that defines the noun\u2014information that\u2019s necessary for complete identification of the noun. Use \u201cthat\u201d or \u201cwhich\u201d for non-human nouns; use \u201cthat\u201d or \u201cwho\u201d for human nouns. Do not use commas.\r\n

I like the paintings. (Which paintings? We can\u2019t clearly identify them without the relative clause.)<\/p>\r\nSo we add the clause:\r\n

The paintings<\/span> hang in the SASB North lobby.<\/p>\r\n

I like the paintings that<\/span> hang in the SASB North lobby.<\/p>\r\nOR\r\n

I like the paintings which<\/span> hang in the SASB North lobby. (Again, this is acceptable, but some people object to using \u201cwhich\u201d in a restrictive relative clause. \u201cThat\u201d is preferred.)<\/p>\r\n

Students who<\/span> study hard will do well in my class. (Only this group of students will do well.)<\/p>\r\n

Students whose<\/span> grades are low can drop one test score. (Only this group can drop a test score.)<\/p>\r\nWhen the noun is the object of the preposition, both the noun and the preposition move together to the front of the relative clause. In less formal English, it\u2019s common to move only the pronoun to the front of the clause.\r\n

I spent hours talking with a person<\/span> last night. I hope to hear from her.<\/p>\r\n

I hope I hear from the person with whom<\/span> I spent hours talking last night. (more formal)<\/p>\r\nOR\r\n

I hope to hear from the person whom<\/span> I spent hours talking with<\/span> last night. (less formal)<\/p>\r\nNON-RESTRICTIVE RELATIVE CLAUSES<\/strong><\/b>\r\n\r\nThis type of relative clause merely provides extra information. This information may be quite interesting and important to the larger conversation, but it is not essential for precise identification of the noun. \u201cThat\u201d cannot be used as a relative pronoun in a non-restrictive relative clause. Commas are always used at the beginning and end of this type of relative clause.\r\n\r\nA non-restrictive relative clause can modify a single noun, a noun phrase, or an entire proposition.\r\n

My mother<\/span> is thinking of opening a restaurant. My mother<\/span> is an excellent cook.<\/p>\r\n\u201cMy mother\u201d is already a clearly defined noun, so the second sentence becomes a non-restrictive relative clause set off by commas on both sides.\r\n

My mother<\/span>, who<\/span> is an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.<\/p>\r\n

I\u2019m planning to grow roses<\/span>. I find roses<\/span> quite beautiful.<\/p>\r\n

I\u2019m planning to grow roses<\/span>, which<\/span> I find quite beautiful.<\/p>\r\n

(not okay<\/strong><\/b>) I\u2019m planning to grow roses<\/span>, that<\/span> I find quite beautiful.<\/p>\r\n

I\u2019m driving across the country with three small children.<\/p>\r\n

Driving across the country with three small children<\/span> is going to be stressful.<\/p>\r\n

I\u2019m driving across the country with three small children, which<\/span> is going to be stressful.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/b>\r\n

REDUCING RELATIVE CLAUSES<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\r\nSome types of relative clauses can be \u201creduced\u201d\u2014 the relative pronoun and maybe other words can be removed. You might reduce the clause to make your writing more concise or to add sentence variety. We\u2019ll use the examples above to demonstrate how to reduce both restrictive and non-restrictive clauses.\r\n\r\nRestrictive relative clauses can be reduced in two ways.\r\n\r\nSubject<\/strong><\/b> pronouns can be deleted if \u2013ing<\/em><\/i> is added to the verb.\r\n

I like the paintings that hang<\/span> in the SASB North lobby.<\/p>\r\n

I like the paintings hanging<\/span> in the SASB North lobby.<\/p>\r\nObject<\/strong><\/b> pronouns can be deleted.\r\n

I like the bike<\/span> that<\/span> my father gave me.<\/p>\r\n

I like the bike my father gave me.<\/p>\r\n

I hope I hear from the person whom<\/span> I spent hours talking with last night.<\/p>\r\n

I hope to hear from the person I spent hours talking with last night.<\/p>\r\nNon-restrictive relative clauses can be reduced in one way.\r\n\r\nSubject<\/strong><\/b> pronouns with \u201cbe\u201d verbs can be deleted in non-restrictive clauses.\r\n

I am moving to Louisville, KY<\/span>, which is<\/span> home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.<\/p>\r\n

I am moving to Louisville, KY, home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.<\/p>\r\n

My mother<\/span>, who is<\/span> an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.<\/p>\r\n

My mother<\/span>, an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/b>\r\n

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT IN RELATIVE CLAUSES<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\r\nRemember that the relative pronoun is substituting for a noun, which could be singular or plural before the substitution. The verb<\/span><\/strong> in the relative clause must agree with the original noun<\/span>.\r\n

\u00a0People<\/span> are lucky. People<\/span> win<\/strong> the lottery.<\/p>\r\n

\u00a0People<\/span> who<\/span> win<\/strong> the lottery are lucky. (plural verb)<\/p>\r\n

\u00a0A person<\/span> is lucky. She<\/span> wins<\/strong> the lottery every year.<\/p>\r\n

\u00a0A person<\/span> who<\/span> wins<\/strong> the lottery every year is lucky. (singular verb)<\/p>\r\nThis can be tricky in \u201cone of the\u2026\u201d constructions. The key is to find which noun the relative pronoun is referring to.\r\n

Homelessness is a problem. The problem<\/span> needs<\/strong> to be addressed.<\/p>\r\n

Homelessness is a problem that<\/span> needs<\/strong> to be addressed. (singular problem)<\/p>\r\n

Many problems<\/span> need<\/strong> to be addressed. Homelessness is one of the problems.<\/p>\r\n

Homelessness is one of the problems that<\/span> need<\/strong> to be addressed. (plural problems)<\/p>","rendered":"

\u00a0RELATIVE CLAUSES<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\n

This handout will help you understand what relative clauses are and how they work, and will especially help you decide when to use \u201cthat\u201d or \u201cwhich.\u201d<\/p>\n

WHAT IS A RELATIVE CLAUSE?<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\n

A relative clause is one kind of dependent clause. It has a subject and verb, but can\u2019t stand alone as a sentence. It is sometimes called an \u201cadjective clause\u201d because it functions like an adjective\u2014it gives more information about a noun. A relative clause always begins with a \u201crelative pronoun,\u201d which substitutes for a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun when sentences are combined.<\/p>\n

The relative pronouns are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
who<\/td>\nfor people<\/td>\ncan substitute for subject nouns\/pronouns (he, she, we, they)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
whom<\/td>\nfor people<\/td>\ncan substitute for object nouns\/pronouns (him, her, us, them)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
whose<\/td>\nfor people<\/td>\ncan substitute for possessive nouns\/pronouns (his, hers, our, their)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
that<\/td>\nfor people or things<\/td>\n\n

can be either subject or object<\/p>\n

can only be used in restrictive relative clauses (see below)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

which<\/td>\nfor things<\/td>\n\n

can be either subject or object<\/p>\n

can be used in non-restrictive relative clauses<\/p>\n

can also be used in restrictive relative clauses, though some people don\u2019t like this use<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Relative pronoun as subject (in red):<\/p>\n

I like the person<\/span>. The person<\/span> was nice to me.<\/p>\n

I like the person<\/span> who<\/span> was nice to me.<\/p>\n

I hate the dog<\/span>. The dog<\/span> bit me.<\/p>\n

I hate the dog<\/span> that<\/span> bit me.<\/p>\n

I am moving to Louisville, KY<\/span>. It<\/span> is home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.<\/p>\n

I am moving to Louisville, KY<\/span>, which<\/span> is home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.<\/p>\n

Relative pronoun as object (in red):<\/p>\n

I like the bike<\/span>. My father gave me the bike<\/span>.<\/p>\n

I like the bike<\/span> that<\/span> my father gave me.<\/p>\n

RESTRICTIVE RELATIVE CLAUSES<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\n

Restrictive relative clauses give information that defines the noun\u2014information that\u2019s necessary for complete identification of the noun. Use \u201cthat\u201d or \u201cwhich\u201d for non-human nouns; use \u201cthat\u201d or \u201cwho\u201d for human nouns. Do not use commas.<\/p>\n

I like the paintings. (Which paintings? We can\u2019t clearly identify them without the relative clause.)<\/p>\n

So we add the clause:<\/p>\n

The paintings<\/span> hang in the SASB North lobby.<\/p>\n

I like the paintings that<\/span> hang in the SASB North lobby.<\/p>\n

OR<\/p>\n

I like the paintings which<\/span> hang in the SASB North lobby. (Again, this is acceptable, but some people object to using \u201cwhich\u201d in a restrictive relative clause. \u201cThat\u201d is preferred.)<\/p>\n

Students who<\/span> study hard will do well in my class. (Only this group of students will do well.)<\/p>\n

Students whose<\/span> grades are low can drop one test score. (Only this group can drop a test score.)<\/p>\n

When the noun is the object of the preposition, both the noun and the preposition move together to the front of the relative clause. In less formal English, it\u2019s common to move only the pronoun to the front of the clause.<\/p>\n

I spent hours talking with a person<\/span> last night. I hope to hear from her.<\/p>\n

I hope I hear from the person with whom<\/span> I spent hours talking last night. (more formal)<\/p>\n

OR<\/p>\n

I hope to hear from the person whom<\/span> I spent hours talking with<\/span> last night. (less formal)<\/p>\n

NON-RESTRICTIVE RELATIVE CLAUSES<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

This type of relative clause merely provides extra information. This information may be quite interesting and important to the larger conversation, but it is not essential for precise identification of the noun. \u201cThat\u201d cannot be used as a relative pronoun in a non-restrictive relative clause. Commas are always used at the beginning and end of this type of relative clause.<\/p>\n

A non-restrictive relative clause can modify a single noun, a noun phrase, or an entire proposition.<\/p>\n

My mother<\/span> is thinking of opening a restaurant. My mother<\/span> is an excellent cook.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother\u201d is already a clearly defined noun, so the second sentence becomes a non-restrictive relative clause set off by commas on both sides.<\/p>\n

My mother<\/span>, who<\/span> is an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m planning to grow roses<\/span>. I find roses<\/span> quite beautiful.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m planning to grow roses<\/span>, which<\/span> I find quite beautiful.<\/p>\n

(not okay<\/strong><\/b>) I\u2019m planning to grow roses<\/span>, that<\/span> I find quite beautiful.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m driving across the country with three small children.<\/p>\n

Driving across the country with three small children<\/span> is going to be stressful.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m driving across the country with three small children, which<\/span> is going to be stressful.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

REDUCING RELATIVE CLAUSES<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\n

Some types of relative clauses can be \u201creduced\u201d\u2014 the relative pronoun and maybe other words can be removed. You might reduce the clause to make your writing more concise or to add sentence variety. We\u2019ll use the examples above to demonstrate how to reduce both restrictive and non-restrictive clauses.<\/p>\n

Restrictive relative clauses can be reduced in two ways.<\/p>\n

Subject<\/strong><\/b> pronouns can be deleted if \u2013ing<\/em><\/i> is added to the verb.<\/p>\n

I like the paintings that hang<\/span> in the SASB North lobby.<\/p>\n

I like the paintings hanging<\/span> in the SASB North lobby.<\/p>\n

Object<\/strong><\/b> pronouns can be deleted.<\/p>\n

I like the bike<\/span> that<\/span> my father gave me.<\/p>\n

I like the bike my father gave me.<\/p>\n

I hope I hear from the person whom<\/span> I spent hours talking with last night.<\/p>\n

I hope to hear from the person I spent hours talking with last night.<\/p>\n

Non-restrictive relative clauses can be reduced in one way.<\/p>\n

Subject<\/strong><\/b> pronouns with \u201cbe\u201d verbs can be deleted in non-restrictive clauses.<\/p>\n

I am moving to Louisville, KY<\/span>, which is<\/span> home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.<\/p>\n

I am moving to Louisville, KY, home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.<\/p>\n

My mother<\/span>, who is<\/span> an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.<\/p>\n

My mother<\/span>, an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT IN RELATIVE CLAUSES<\/strong><\/b><\/h2>\n

Remember that the relative pronoun is substituting for a noun, which could be singular or plural before the substitution. The verb<\/span><\/strong> in the relative clause must agree with the original noun<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0People<\/span> are lucky. People<\/span> win<\/strong> the lottery.<\/p>\n

\u00a0People<\/span> who<\/span> win<\/strong> the lottery are lucky. (plural verb)<\/p>\n

\u00a0A person<\/span> is lucky. She<\/span> wins<\/strong> the lottery every year.<\/p>\n

\u00a0A person<\/span> who<\/span> wins<\/strong> the lottery every year is lucky. (singular verb)<\/p>\n

This can be tricky in \u201cone of the\u2026\u201d constructions. The key is to find which noun the relative pronoun is referring to.<\/p>\n

Homelessness is a problem. The problem<\/span> needs<\/strong> to be addressed.<\/p>\n

Homelessness is a problem that<\/span> needs<\/strong> to be addressed. (singular problem)<\/p>\n

Many problems<\/span> need<\/strong> to be addressed. Homelessness is one of the problems.<\/p>\n

Homelessness is one of the problems that<\/span> need<\/strong> to be addressed. (plural problems)<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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