Transcript Relative Clauses

Relative Clauses
Ed McCorduck
English 402--Grammar
SUNY Cortland
http://mccorduck.cortland.edu
slide 2: definition of relative clauses
A relative clause is a clause-like structure that
postmodifies the headword noun of a noun phrase. In
other words, relative clauses also function as adjectivals
(see the “Determiners and Adjectivals” lecture) and indeed
they are often referred to as adjective clauses.
English 402: Grammar
slide 3: one difference between relative clauses and “normal” clauses
There are two main differences between relative clauses
and other types of clauses (see the chapter 5 “Clauses”
lecture):
•
Relative clauses begin (or “open”) with a relative
pronoun, which can be either that or one of the whwords who(m), which, whose, when or where, or
sometimes the relative pronoun is omitted entirely but
ONLY when it is not the subject of the relative clause.
The relative pronoun replaces the noun phrase in a main
clause that it refers to (i.e., its antecedent) and the
antecedent NP can fill any function in the main clause
that an NP can.
English 402: Grammar
slide 4: another difference between relative clauses and “normal” clauses
•
Because the relative pronoun must always open the
relative clause, it may move out from its normal slot in
the relative clause. That is, if a relative pronoun
functions in “deep structure” as the direct or indirect
object of a transitive verb or the subject complement of a
linking verb in the relative clause it will move out of the
this position to the beginning of the relative clause, even
if this results in two NPs—the relative pronoun and the
subject of the relative clause—together before the verb.
English 402: Grammar
slide 5: examples of relative clauses modifying NPs in different slots in the main clause
exx (relative clause in red)
The rebels
who
ant. (subj)
had been captured were frog-marched away.
r.p. (subj in r.c.)
I bought a GPS
that
can spy on my ex.
ant. (dir obj) r.p. (subj in r.c.)
That’s the jackass
who
cut me off.
ant. (subj comp) r.p. (subj in r.c.)
English 402: Grammar
slide 6: examples of relative clauses where the relative pronoun is not the subj
That’s the jackass. I want
him
behind bars.
dir obj
⇒
That’s the jackass whom
ant.
That’s the jackass
ant.
(formal)
I
want behind bars.
r.p. (dir obj) subj
That’s the jackass that
ant.
want behind bars.
r.p. (dir obj) subj
That’s the jackass who
ant.
I
I
want behind bars.
r.p. (dir obj) subj
I
(r.p. understood) subj
English 402: Grammar
want behind bars.
slide 6: more examples of relative clauses where the relative pronoun is not the subj
That’s the jackass. I gave
him
the bird.
indir obj
⇒
That’s the jackass whom
ant.
That’s the jackass
ant.
(formal)
I
gave the bird.
r.p. (indir obj) subj
That’s the jackass that
ant.
gave the bird.
r.p. (indir obj) subj
That’s the jackass who
ant.
I
I
gave the bird.
r.p. (indir obj) subj
I
(r.p. understood) subj
English 402: Grammar
gave the bird.
slide 7: examples of relative clauses where the relative pronoun is the object of a preposition
That’s the jackass. I gave the bird to him .
⇒
That’s the jackass to whom I gave the bird.
(formal)
That’s the jackass who(m) I gave the bird to.
That’s the jackass that I gave the bird to.
That’s the jackass I gave the bird to.
English 402: Grammar