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Relative clauses A relative clause is a subordinate clause that begins with a question word (e.g. who, which, where ) or the word that . You can use it to modify a noun or pronoun (i.e. to identify or give more information about it). Examples:
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Relative clauses • A relative clause is a subordinate clause that begins with a question word (e.g. who, which, where) or the word that. You can use it to modify a noun or pronoun (i.e. to identify or give more information about it). • Examples: • Students who can develop independent learning skills • often achieve good academic results. • There is a new book that investigates the controversy over • political reforms in Hong Kong. • A university is a place where people pursue advanced • knowledge in specific academic disciplines. • The lecture theatre in which the inauguration ceremony • will be held is now being cleaned.
Words like who, that and when are often referred to as relative pronouns when they are used to introduce relative clauses. • Use: • who for people, which for things, and that for both people and things. • whom as the object of a relative clause (in more formal English), though it is increasingly common to replace it with who. • whose to indicate possession, as a determiner before nouns.
Types of relative clause • two types of relative clause: defining and non-defining. • use a defining relative clause to ‘identify’ or ‘restrict the • reference of’ a noun. • do not separate it from the rest of the sentence by • commas (in text) or pauses (in speech). • Examples: • The student who achieves the highest mark in English • will be awarded a prize of Rs.5000 • Computer games that involve fighting and shooting • apparently have a negative effect on young people.
Use a non-defining relative clause to supply additional • information about the noun, whose identity or reference is • already established. • Use it to comment on the whole situation described in a • main clause. • Examples: • Albert Einstein, who put forward the theory of relativity, is • considered by many as the most intelligent person in • human history. • The ELC, which provides language support to rural • students, is located in the new block. • Don’t use the relative pronoun that in non-defining relative clauses.
