TEXT: Common Errors in English Relative Clauses
English uses relative clauses (beginning with who, which, that) to refer to important nouns in sentences. Relative clauses postmodify (come after) the nouns they describe. This is the way English provides lengthy descriptions, since premodification (words placed before the element they describe) is very limited. Chinese, however, is a language which allows much greater premodification of nouns. Compare how the noun people is described in the sentences below :
居住在美國城市的人通常都很貧窮的。(Live in America city people often very poor.)
People who live in American cities are often very poor.
Relative pronouns also help to bind elements of English together and to retain the basic Subject-Verb-Object word order of the language. The complex functions of relatives may make this a difficult area of grammar for students whose native language does not make use of the concept.
Added to these problems is the fact that the relative pronoun in a clause may "disappear".
For example:
One of the visiting company heads expected last week did not arrive.
(who was expected …).
And
The experiments she is currently working on are some of the most important in the University. (that she is …).
Relative Clauses (Test 2)
Join the short sentences below together by forming either an identifying or non-identifying relative clause. You may need to delete or add certain words to do this. The first one is done for you as an example.
1. Professor Clark was a celebrated academic.
His brilliance inspired everyone.The correct answer isProfessor Clark was a celebrated academic whose brilliance inspired everyone.
2. Mr. Murphy and Mr. Green presented the prizes at the school speech festival. They had both been working at the school for ten years.
3. Lo Wai Man is a teacher. Her considerate and helpful approach makes her very popular with the students.
4. There are the students. The local newspaper interviewed them recently.
5. I am moving to a post in a different university.
I hope I can carry out more research there.
6. This is the study. Professor Chen carried out most of his research here.
7. Kwok Ka Hung works for a large company. It repairs computers.
8. Where are the students? They were in the classroom.
9. Who was that girl? You were talking to her at the meeting of the youth committee.
10. The teacher I wanted to get advice from. He was busy marking papers.
Relative Clauses (Answer key)
2. Mr Murphy and Mr Green, who had both been working at the school for ten years, presented the prizes of the school speech festival.
3. Lo Wai Man is a teacher whose considerate and helpful approach makes her very popular with the students.
4. There are the students (who) the local newspaper interviewed recently.
5. I am moving to a post in a different university where/at which I hope I can carry out more research.
6. This is the study where/in which Professor Chen carried out most of his research.
7. Kwok Ka Hung works for a large company which/that repairs computers.
8. Where are the students who were in the classroom?
9. Who was that girl (who) you were talking to at the meeting of the youth committee?
10. The teacher (who) I wanted to get advice from was busy marking papers.
or (more formally):
The teacher from whom I wanted to get advice was busy marking papers.
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