1、Relative clausesDefining and non-defining clausesIn the schoolyardNatalie?The girl whoplays thepiano?I saw Nataliethe other day.In the schoolyardNo, thats Natasha. Natalie is the girl who dropped out of college.In the schoolyardShes working in Davidsons now. You know, the shop that sells expensive c
2、lothes.Lets look at the lines more closelyEmma: I saw Natalie the other day.Melanie: Natalie? The girl who plays the piano?Emma: No, thats Natasha. Natalie is the student who dropped out of college. Shes working in Davidsons now. You know, the shop that sells expensive clothes.vClauses printed in re
3、d are called relative clauses. They give us more information about the subject or the object of the previous sentence/clause.Explanation The relative clauses in this conversation identify which person/thing they are talking about. The clause who plays the piano tells us which girl Melanie means. The
4、 clause that sells very expensive clothes tells us which shop Emma means.Relative clauses are usually introduced by pronouns: who, which and that.WH0The relative pronoun who refers to people. e.g. The woman who lived here before us is a romantic novelist.It is also possible to use that when we talk
5、about people especially in informal language. e.g. This is the girl that has eaten all the biscuits.THAT/WHICHThe relative pronouns that & which refer to things. That is more usual than which, especially in conversation. e.g. The car that won the race looked very futuristic.Which is more formal. e.g
6、. All cells contain DNA which holds genetic information.WHOSEWHOSE - refers to things belonging to people. e.g. That was the man whose car was stolen.Subject/objectRelative pronouns can be either the subject or the object of the relative clause.Examples: Marco Polo was a merchant who visited China i
7、n the 13th century. (subject) Glaciers are rivers of ice which form in cold climates on mountains. (subject) Einstein is a scientist who I admire. (object) This is the poem that I wrote in my first year. (object)Leaving out the relative pronounWe can leave out the relative pronoun when it is the obj
8、ect of the relative clause. e.g. Einstein is a scientist I admire. This is the poem I wrote in my first year.Defining or non-defining relative clausesAs mentioned above, relative clauses give important information about the subject or object. These are called defining clauses.In written language, we
9、 sometimes use non-defining clauses which give extra information, which we could leave out, and are separated by commas. That is not used. e.g. John Lennon, who was born in 1940, was a member of the Beatles.Relative adverbs We can also use some relative adverbs at the beginning of a relative clause:WHERE refers to a place e.g. We went to a camp where we stayed two years ago.WHEN - refers to a time e.g. Ill never forget the day when I met you.Thank you !
