Intermediate English Grammar for ESL Learners - Robin Torres-Gouzerh 2016

Relative clauses
22 Clauses

A relative clause is a dependent clause that modifies an antecedent noun or pronoun in an independent clause. )t identifies, describes, or otherwise provides information about the antecedent.

The subject pronouns for a relative clause are who, which, and that. )n the following examples, note how two independent sentences are connected by a relative pronoun to make one single complete sentence.

I thanked my dad. My dad brought me my house keys.

I thanked my dad, who brought me my house keys.

They live in Seattle. Seattle is on the Pacific Ocean.

They live in Seattle, which is on the Pacific Ocean.

She has the information. The information will clear my name.

She has the information that will clear my name.

If the same noun or pronoun occurs in two sentences as illustrated above, the second clause can be changed to a relative clause by combining the two clauses with a relative pronoun. The repeated noun or pronoun in the second clause is changed to a relative pronoun.

Note that the subject or object of two such clauses can be considered identical even if one is the pronoun replacement of the other.

The laptop is mine. It is on the table.

The laptop that is on the table is mine.

I spoke with her mother. She said that Laura was out of town.

I spoke with her mother, who said that Laura was out of town.

Who is used for people, which is used for things, and that is used for both people and things. But there is another difference to be considered between who, which, and that. Who and which introduce relative clauses that are parenthetical in nature—they provide nonessential information about the antecedent.

The governor, who is visiting Canada right now, was elected in a landslide.

This orchard, which was planted by my grandfather, produces 1,000 bushels of apples each year.

The relative pronoun that introduces a clause that provides essential information about its antecedent.

The governor that was recently elected received a standing ovation.

The orchard that was destroyed by insects was planted by my grandfather.

Commas separate a clause introduced by who or which, but not a clause introduced by that.

If the relative pronoun is an object in the relative clause, who is changed to whom in formal speech and writing; whom is not often used in casual speech. When the relative pronoun that is the object of its clause, it can be omitted.

The men that they rewarded for their bravery are out of work.

The men they rewarded for their bravery are out of work.

The watch that he found on the sidewalk is priceless.

The watch he found on the sidewalk is priceless.

Prepositions, which require the object form of who and which, can stand in more than one position in a relative clause: at the beginning or the end.

The men about whom she plans to write an article are out of work.

The men that she plans to write an article about are out of work.

The article from which we got the information is about global warming.

The article that we got the information from is about global warming.

If the relative pronoun is that, the position of the preposition is always at the end of the clause and that can be omitted.

The books that you asked for are on your desk.

The books you asked for are on your desk.

Exercise 22.2 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using the second sentence as a relative clause.

1. The student is from Korea. She sits next to me.

2. The boy is excited. He won first prize.

3. I smelled the cake. It was cooling on the window ledge.

4. We are studying English. It involves learning many rules.

5. We are studying sentences. They contain different clauses.

6. I am using a relative clause. It includes a possessive pronoun.

7. Physics problems require long calculations. They are often very complex.

8. The bus driver was friendly. He spoke to me a lot.

9. I liked that girl. I met her at the zoo last week.

10. The movie was awful. I saw it.

11. I liked the poem. He wrote it.

12. His grandparents were very nice. We visited them last month.

Exercise 22.3 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using the second sentence of each exercise as a relative clause in two different ways.

Example The child was loud. I heard him late last night.

The child, whom I heard late last night, was loud.

The child I heard late last night was loud.

1. I must thank your brother. I received flowers from him.

2. The woman was very kind. I spoke with her this morning.

3. The conference was interesting. I registered for it.

4. The painting was colorful and detailed. I was looking at it for a long time.

5. The man is sleeping over there. I was telling you about him.

Indefinite relative pronouns

Compound forms of the relative pronoun—whoever, whomever, whatever, and whichever—are called indefinite relative pronouns, because they do not refer to a specific person or thing.

Whoever finishes first wins a prize. (one of the contestants')

The manager selects whomever she wants for the job. (one of the employees)

The man just blurted out whatever came to mind. (one of his thoughts)

Pick whichever of the two books interests you. (one of the books)

Who and what can also be used as an indefinite relative pronouns. They replace the old-fashioned and awkward phrases him who and that which.

I don’t know him who arrived. ~ I don’t know who arrived.

I’ll tell you that which is important. ~ I’ll tell you what is important.

Indefinite who and what can also be used as objects in a relative clause.

Mr. Cole asked about whom the letter was written.

They announced who the new chancellor will be.

She didn’t understand what you were talking about.

Do you have any idea what the woman wanted?

Possessive relative pronouns

Whose is used to indicate possession. Like other possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her, its, our, their), it is used to modify a noun. The possessive pronoun and the noun are placed at the beginning of the relative clause.

I know this lady. Her purse was stolen.

I know this lady whose purse was stolen.

The man paints well. I saw his exposition.

The man, whose exposition I saw, paints well.

Whose may also replace a possessive noun.

They located the woman. The woman’s mother had become ill.

They located the woman whose mother had become ill.

Can you help the tourists? The tourists’ visas have expired.

Can you help the tourists whose visas have expired?

Exercise 22.4 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using the second sentence as a relative clause.

Example My neighbor is very nice. I am walking her dog.

My neighbor, whose dog I am walking, is very nice.

1. Mr. Castro teaches a class for foreign students. His native language is Spanish.

2. The yoga instructor is excellent. I am taking his class.

3. I met the man. His son is my office manager.

4. The woman called 911. The woman’s apartment was on fire.

5. I laughed at the man. I pushed him in the pool.

6. I come from France. Its history goes back hundreds of years.

7. The people were crazy. We visited their house.

8. I sleep in a hotel. Its residents are very noisy.

9. I have to call the girl. I accidentally picked up her cell phone after our date.

10. The boy put lotion all over his face. His cheeks got sunburned while he was lying at the swimming pool.

Exercise 22.5 Underline the relative clause in each sentence.

Example The car that he is driving is brand new.

1. The fireman who put out the fire was very fast.

2. The friends I was waiting for were late.

3. The shoes that she is wearing are handmade.

4. The project Peter is working on must be finished by March.

5. The person whose advice I take most seriously is my mom.

6. Did I tell you about the accident I had last week?

7. The man I was talking to pushed me out of the way.

8. Did you hear about the explosion that destroyed the embassy?

Exercise 22.6 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using the second sentence as a relative clause in two different ways, where possible. Some pairs of sentences permit only one wording of the relative clause.

Example The child was loud. I heard him late last night.

The child, whom I heard late last night, was loud.

The child I heard late last night was loud.

1. The younger men are from Peru. We met them in the hotel lobby this morning.

2. I explained my absence to the manager. I had missed his presentation.

3. Yesterday, I ran into Paul. I hadn’t seen him in months.

4. The driver missed the red light. He was not paying attention.

5. He spoke of the postmodern movement. I know nothing about it.

6. The historian is well known for his research. We met him in Paris.

7. I am reading a novel. It was written by Alexander Dumas.

8. The teacher gave good explanations. I questioned him.

9. The professor gives easy exams. I passed his class.

10. I returned the car. I had borrowed it from my father.

11. The hunter caught the lion. It had killed someone from the village.

12. The children are very quiet. I am taking care of them.

Where

In a relative clause, where refers to a place in the independent clause and replaces a prepositional phrase indicating location. The preposition from the phrase replaced by where is not used.

The house is new. He lives in the house.

The house where he lives is new.

The house, in which he lives, is new.

The house, which he lives in, is new.

The house that he lives in is new.

The house he lives in is new.

The barn caught fire. They were playing inside the barn.

The barn, where they were playing, caught fire.

The barn, inside which they were playing, caught fire.

The barn, which they were playing inside, caught fire.

The barn that they were playing inside caught fire.

The barn they were playing inside caught fire.

Where may also replace there in such clauses.

The house is new. He lives there.

The house where he lives is new.

Exercise 22.7 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using the second sentence as a relative clause.

1. That is the cafeteria. I will eat lunch in the cafeteria.

2. The medieval village was beautiful. We spent our summer there.

3. The neighborhood is dangerous. I grew up in the neighborhood.

4. That is the account. I kept all my savings in the account.

5. Carl is from Jamaica. I used to live there.

When

In a relative clause, when refers to a time expression in the independent clause and replaces an adverbial expression of time. The preposition accompanying a noun (on that day, in that year, at that time, in that century, and so on) is used before which. Otherwise, the preposition is omitted. When may also replace then in such clauses.

I’ll never forget that day. I cried a lot that day. (I cried a lot then.)

I’ll never forget that day, when I cried a lot.

I’ll never forget that day, on which I cried a lot.

I’ll never forget that day that I cried a lot.

I’ll never forget that day I cried a lot.

Time expressions use various prepositions, but when replaces the entire prepositional phrase, including the preposition.

She came in May. The weather is better then.

She came in May, when the weather is better.

It happened on Monday. He was still at home then.

It happened on Monday, when he was still at home.

I’ll be there next week. Exams will be finished next week.

I’ll be there next week, when exams will be finished.

Everyone left the party. The band stopped playing after the party. Everyone left the party when the band stopped playing.

Exercise 22.8 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using the second sentence as a relative clause with when.

1. 1:10 p.m. is the time. My train arrives at the station then.

2. June is the month. ) will come in June.

3. 1959 is the year. The Cuban socialist revolution took place then.

4. Wednesday is the day. My plane arrives on Wednesday.

Exercise 22.9 Rewrite each sentence, using where in a relative clause. Begin your response with That + a form of be.

Example She often shops in that store.

That is the store where she often shops.

1. I was parked on that sidewalk.

2. I was born in that city.

3. You do your grocery shopping at that store.

4. You keep your money at that bank.

5. He works in that building.

6. She lives on that street.

7. We ate lunch at that Mexican restaurant.

8. We have class in that amphitheater.

9. We spent our vacation in that hotel.

10. You went fishing in that river.

11. I lived in that town until I was ten years old.

12. Your father went to graduate school at that university.

Exercise 22.10 Answer each question according to the example. Do not use a relative pronoun.

Example You played the record. Was it good? (no)

No, the record) played was not good.

1. You watched a movie. Was it scary? (yes)

2. You drank some iced coffee. Did it taste good? (no)

3. You bought a scarf. Does it keep your neck warm? (yes)

4. You had Chinese noodles for dinner. Were they too spicy? (no)

5. You talked to a man. Did he answer your questions? (yes)

6. You saw a little girl. Was she wearing a pink sweater? (no)

7. You went to the football game. Was it exciting? (yes)

8. You stayed at a bed-and-breakfast. Was it in the countryside? (no)

9. You are finishing an exercise. Is it difficult? (no)

10. You got a letter in the mail. Was it from your aunt? (no)

Exercise 22.11 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using a relative clause with whose.

1. Neil Young is a musician. You are listening to his album.

2. Aline Gelg is a professor. I am writing a thesis for her class.

3. Mr. Mohammed is a student. I found his notes.

4. Paul is an intern. I borrowed his pen.

5. The child began to scream. You lost his ball.

6. Your neighbors are very funny. You stayed at your neighbor’s house.

7. An executive has been in a meeting for five hours. The executive’s office is locked.

8. A woman’s necklace was stolen. The woman called a private detective.

9. Basquiat is an artist. You like his paintings the best.

10. Everyone tried to help the mother. Her car had broken down.

Relative clauses that modify pronouns

Relative clauses can modify indefinite pronouns; the relative pronoun is usually omitted when it is the object of the clause.

Anybody who wants to come is welcome. (subject)

There is someone I want to talk to. (object)

Everything he paints is ugly. (object)

Other indefinite pronouns that follow this pattern are anything, everyone, no one, and nothing.

Relative clauses can also modify the one(s) and those. The relative pronoun is used when it is the subject of the clause.

Financial aid is available for those who really need it. (subject)

Jeffrey was the only one I knew at the meeting. (object)

Exercise 22.12 Complete each sentence with a relative clause.

Example Scream at Tammy. She is the only one who is to blame for the accident .

1. Peter makes a good first impression. He charms everyone ... .

2.I know someone ... .

3. Ask Margaret. She’s the only one ... .

4. I’m powerless to help her. There’s nothing ... .

5. We can’t trust anyone. There’s no one ... .

6. You can believe him. Everything ... .

7. All of the guests are seated. The host is the only one ... .

8. The test we took today was more difficult than the one ... .

9. The show has already begun. Those ... had to wait until the end of the first scene to be seated.

10. The group was divided in half. Those ... were told to go left. Those ... were asked to take the right tunnel.

Expressing quantity in relative clauses

Quantity can be expressed in a relative clause with the preposition of following an expression of quantity, such as most, many, or some. The relative pronoun (whom, which, or whose) follows of.

In my office, there are 12 people. Most of them are graduate students.

In my office, there are 12 people, most of whom are graduate students.

She gave us several tips. Only a few of them were useful.

She gave us several tips, only a few of which were useful.

The team captains discussed John. One of his problems was lack of discipline.

The team captains discussed John, one of whose problems was lack of discipline.

Following are some commonly used expressions that can introduce quantity in a relative clause.

Exercise 22.13 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using the second sentence as a relative clause.

Example He found several books. One of the books was in French.

He found several books, one of which was in French.

1. Last night, the Metropolitan Movie Theater showed three of Stanley Kubrick’s movies. One of them was Dr. Strangelove.

2. The village has three schools. Two of them are high schools.

3. I tried on three hats. I liked one of them.

4. The capital has about five million people. The majority of them are poor.

5. The army currently employs thousands of young men. All of them have obtained their GED.

6. After the riots in Paris, over 400 people were arrested. Many of them were peaceful protesters.

7. They spread rumors about Catherine. One of her faults was being beautiful beyond belief.

Exercise 22.14 Complete the relative clause in each sentence with words of your choice.

1. The Turners own four dogs, one of ... .

2. Sylvia introduced me to her best friends, one of ... .

3. I have three aunts, all of ... .

4. I am taking three flights, one of ... .

5. I have two sisters, neither of ... .

6. The company hired four new secretaries, one of ... .

7. Last year I read about 20 books, four of ... .

8. In my parents’ house, there are six guest rooms, several of ... .

Noun + of which

A relative clause may begin with a noun followed by of which. This construction, which is primarily used in formal written English, is a form of the possessive.

He has an antique Japanese table. The top of it is made from ebony.

He has an antique Japanese table, the top of which is made from ebony.

In less formal style, the sentence would be as follows.

He has an antique Japanese table, whose top is made from ebony.

Exercise 22.15 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using the second sentence as a relative clause with the formal of which.

1. They bought an original Matisse painting. The value of the painting cannot possibly be estimated.

2. I bought a newspaper. The name of the newspaper is Le Monde.

3. We visited a Victorian castle. The interior of the castle was made of wood.

4. The United Nations is going through many changes. The outcome of these changes might alter human history.

5. My store’s income is dependent on souvenirs. The sale of the souvenirs depends on the number of tourists.

Which as the relative pronoun for an entire clause

An entire clause can be referred to by the relative pronoun which. This occurs when the relative pronoun refers not to one element in the main clause, but to the entire concept described in that clause.

Robin was early. That surprised everyone.

Robin was early, which surprised everyone.

In this example, no one was surprised by Robin. No one was surprised by the early (time). But every one was surprised by the entire idea that Robin was early. The antecedent of which is, therefore, the entire main clause.

The escalator is out of order. This is rather inconveniencing.

The escalator is out of order, which is rather inconveniencing.

Both Tom and Laura won prizes. That made Dad very proud.

Both Tom and Laura won prizes, which made Dad very proud.

Marco falls asleep in class every day. This is unacceptable.

Marco falls asleep in class every day, which is unacceptable.

Exercise 22.16 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using the second sentence as a relative clause, the antecedent of which is the entire main clause.

1. Clara was expelled from school. That took her family by surprise.

2. My husband never washes the dishes. This annoys me.

3. Pedro isn’t home yet. That concerns me.

4. There was a fire in Key West. This means many villas burned.

5. I shut the car door on my finger. That was really silly of me.

Exercise 22.17 Write an appropriate sentence on the first line, then combine the pair of sentences into one, using a relative clause.

Example My pants came off when I jumped in the pool . That embarrassed me.

My pants came off when I jumped in the pool, which embarrassed me.

1. ... . That distracted me a lot.

2. ... . That shocked us all.

3. ... . That means she’ll be home anytime.

4. ... . I enjoyed that very much.

5. ... . That was unexpected good news.

6. ... . That bothered me.

7. ... . That annoyed me so much that I could not fall asleep.

8. ... . That was so loud that it gave me a headache.

Noun clauses

A noun clause can be used as a subject or an object. It is composed of a noun and other elements that are used as a single entity—the subject or object of the sentence.

SUBJECT

What he brought was beautiful.

What he brought back was beautiful.

What he brought back in his suitcase was beautiful.

OBJECT

I saw what he photographed.

I saw what he photographed with an old camera.

I saw what he skillfully photographed with an old camera.

Following is a list of words that can introduce noun clauses.

Noun clauses that begin with a question word

Noun clauses can be used as part of a response to a question.

When used as a noun clause, the original question becomes either the subject or the object of the new sentence.

Whereas do, does, and did are used to form questions with many verbs, they are never used in a noun clause.

Note that the subject of a noun clause always precedes the verb, whether the question word is the subject or not. The question word is always the first element of a noun clause.

Who is in the backyard? (subject = who)

I wonder who is in the backyard.

What is she doing? (subject = she)

What she is doing is terribly wrong.

Where are the boys now? (subject = boys)

No one knows where the boys are now.

On what day will they arrive? (subject = they)

I know on what day they will arrive.

Exercise 22.18 Rewrite the question in parentheses, changing it to a noun clause in the new sentence.

Example (What were they excited about?) What they were excited about was to be kept a secret.

1. (What was she mad about?) ... . was important.

2. (How well read is she?) I don’t know ... .

3. (Where do you go shoe shopping?) Please tell me ... .

4. (How old is that child?)  I have no idea ... .

5. (Whose pencil is this?) Do you know ...?

6. (Who are those men?) I don’t know ... .

7. (Who is coming to the meeting?) I can’t tell ... .

8. (Which flavor of ice cream does she want?) Let’s ask her ... .

9. (How expensive is it?) I can’t recall ... .

10. (What did he send you?) I forgot ... .

11. (What did she say to you?) ... is a lie!

12. (Why did you leave the state?) ... is a mystery.

13. (What are we doing at work?) ... is top secret.

14. (What are we doing in English class today?) ... is easy.

15. (Whom is she dating?) ... is none of your business.

16. (Who is the president of Enron?) I don’t know ... .

17. (How old does someone have to be in order to drink?) I need to look up ... .

Exercise 22.19 Rewrite each sentence as a question based on the information in italics.

Example That girl is from West Africa.

Where is that girl from?

1. George was late for registration, because he slept in.

2. It is two hours from San Antonio to the Mexican border.

3. Sarah sold a blue painting.

4. Pedro resides in Chicago.

5. That woman is Rita Davis.

6. That is Jamie’s computer.

7. Joseph saw Peter at the dinner.

8. Sophie likes this movie best, not that other one.

9. Vicente noticed Barbara at the bar.

10. The train is scheduled to arrive at noon.

Exercise 22.20 Change each question you created in Exercise 22-19 into a noun clause, using the blanks provided.

Example (Where is that girl from?) I want to know where that girl is from.

1. The administrative assistant wants to know ... .

2. He needs to know ... .

3. I don’t know ... .

4. I want to know ... .

5. I want to know ... .

6. Jessica wants to know ... .

7. I ignored ... .

8. I don’t know ... .

9. I want to know ... .

10. Could you please tell me ...?

Noun clauses that begin with whether or if

Whether or if is used to introduce a clause when a yes/no question is changed to a noun clause. If often replaces whether in casual speech.

Will they come?

I don’t know whether they will come.

I don’t know if they will come.

Does she need assistance?

I wonder whether she needs assistance.

I wonder if she needs assistance.

The phrase or not is sometimes included in the noun clause.

I wonder whether or not they will come.

I wonder whether they will come or not.

I wonder if she will come or not.Exercise 22.21 Answer each question, beginning your sentence with ) wonder.

Example What are they doing this summer?

I wonder what they are doing this summer.

1. Where is Adrian?

2. Who took the television remote?

3. Should you call her?

4. Does Marie need any help?

5. Did you leave your keys on the counter?

6. Who is that man?

7. What are they doing?

8. Is she in trouble?

9. Should we offer to help him?

10. Do we have enough time to go on vacation?

11. Whose bike is this?

12. Why is the grass so green?

13. How long does a bonsai live?

14. Is there life on Mars?

15. How was the earth created?

Noun clauses that begin with that

That can introduce a noun clause. It has no meaning per se, which is why it is often omitted, particularly in spoken English.

She is a good cook.

We all think that she is a good cook.

We all think she is a good cook.

The sea is blue.

I know that the sea is blue.

I know the sea is blue.

However, that cannot be omitted if the noun clause is used as the subject of the sentence.

She doesn’t like silent movies.

That she doesn’t like silent movies comes as a surprise to me.

The pronoun it often introduces a main clause that is followed by a noun clause introduced by that.

It comes as a surprise to me that she doesn’t like silent movies.

It is well known that there is corruption at City (all.

Exercise 22.22 Change each sentence into a noun clause, first using It is plus the expression in parentheses, and then using that to introduce the noun clause.

Example The ice is cold. (a fact)

It is a fact that the ice is cold.

That the ice is cold is a fact.

1. Some immigrants don’t receive equal pay for equal work. (unfair)

2. Patricia has not been able to make it to second grade. (too bad)

3. Alcohol abuse can ruin one’s life. (a well-known fact)

4. The sun is a star. (a fact)

5. Smoking can cause lung cancer. (true)

6. Marc has made no friends here. (strange)

7. English is the principal language of the international business community. (obvious)

Question words and infinitives

Question words and whether may be followed by infinitives. The infinitive replaces the subject of the clause plus should, can, or could.

Peter can’t decide whether he should go or stay at the office.

Peter can’t decide whether to go or (to) stay at the office.

I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry.

I don’t know whether to laugh or (to) cry.

Please tell her how she can get to the nearest post office.

Please tell her how to get to the nearest post office.

Alicia told me where I could buy a cheap scooter.

Alicia told me where to buy a cheap scooter.

Exercise 22.23 Complete each sentence with an appropriate infinitive or infinitive phrase.

1. I was confused, and I wasn’t sure what ... .

2. She’s got so many dresses. She can’t decide which ... to the party.

3. I would like to live on the East Side, but I also like downtown. I can’t decide whether ... .

4. I can’t wait to begin soccer practice. Do you know how ...?

5. I have been looking around all day, and I don’t know what ... for their anniversary.

6. Before you go to Marfa, go visit their Web site. It tells you where ... and when ... .

7. My mom is hesitant. She doesn’t know whether ... or ... .

Exercise 22.24 Rewrite each sentence, replacing the subject and auxiliary verb in the noun clause with an infinitive.

Example They told me whom I should look for.

They told me whom to look for .

1. Please let me know where I can meet up with you.

2. The fireman told me how I could stop a fire from spreading.

3. She told me when I should get there.

4. Elizabeth liked two puppies, but she had trouble deciding which one she should take home.

5. Alex played in a rock band that was successful, but Nathalie didn’t know whether she should buy their new album or not.

The subjunctive

After certain main verbs, a noun clause beginning with that requires its verb to be subjunctive. The subjunctive form of a verb is its base form, for example, run, be, and show.

The law demands that we be fair.

I insisted that she stop by my house.

I suggested that he not go to the football game.

It is important that she be told where to sit.

Following is a list of common verbs and expressions that require a subjunctive verb in a noun clause introduced by that.

Exercise 22.25 Complete each sentence with an appropriate verb phrase in the subjunctive.

Example I suggest you tell him everything you know.

1. I must insist that the man ... .

2. The judge recommends that we ... .

3. The lawyer demanded that she ... .

4. They have requested that Mimi ... .

5. We only ask that your son ... .