RELATIVE CLAUSE

Mnh quan h (mnh tnh t) bt u bng cc i t quan h: who, whom, which, that,
whose hay nhng trng t quan h: why, where, when. Mnh quan h dng b ngha cho
danh t ng trc n.

I. Cc i t quan h:
1. WHO: Who l i t quan h ch ngi, ng sau danh t ch ngi lm ch ng (subject)
hoc tn ng (object) cho ng t ng sau n.
Ex:
- The man who is standing overthere is Mr. Pike.
- That is the girl who I told you about.
2. WHOM: Whom l i t quan h ch ngi, ng sau danh t ch ngi lm tn ng
(object) cho ng t ng sau n.
.. N (person) + WHO + V + O
Ex:
- The woman whom /who you saw yesterday is my aunt.
- The boy whose/ who we are looking for is Tom.
Who/ whom lm tn ng c th lc b c trong mnh quan h xc nh (defining relative
clause).
Ex:
- The woman you saw yesterday is my aunt
- The boy we are looking for is Tom.
3. WHICH: Which l i t quan h ch vt, ng sau danh t ch vt lm ch ng (Subject)
hoc tn ng(object) cho ng t ng sau n.\

.N (thing) + WHICH + V + O

.N (thing) + WHICH + S + V
Ex:
- This is the book which I like best.
- The hat which is red is mine.
Which lm tn ng c th lc b trong mnh quan h xc nh (defining relative clause)..Ex:
- This is the book I like best.
- The dress I bought yesterday is very beuatiful.
4. THAT: That l i t quan h ch c ngi ln vt. That c th c dng thay cho who,
whom, which trong mnh quan h xc nh (identifying clauses)
* Cc trng hp thng dng that:
- khi i sau cc hnh thc so snh nht
- khi i sau cc t: only, the first, the last
- khi danh t i trc bao gm c ngi v vt
- khi i sau cc i t bt nh, i t ph nh, i t ch s lng: no one, nobody, nothing,
anyone, anything, anybody, someone, something, somebody, all, some, any, little, none.
Ex: He was the most interesting person that I have ever met.
It was the first time that I heard of it.
These books are all that my sister left me.
She talked about the people and places that she had visited.
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* Cc trng hp khng dng that:

- trong mnh quan h khng xc nh
- sau gii t
5 .WHOSE: Whose l i t quan h ch s hu. Whose ng sau danh t ch ngi hoc vt v
thay cho tnh t s hu trc danh t.
Whose lun i km vi mt danh t.
..N (person, thing) + WHOSE + N + V .
Ex:
- The boy whose bicycle you borrowed yesterday is Tom.
- John found a cat whose leg was broken.
6. WHEN: When l i t quan h ch thi gian, ng sau danh t ch ngi hoc vt v thay
cho tnh t s hu trc danh t ch thi gian. When c dng thay cho at/on/ in which, then.
.N (time) + WHEN + S + V
(WHEN = ON / IN / AT + WHICH)

Ex:
- May Day is the day when (on which) people hold a meeting.
- That was the time when (at which) he managed the company.
7. WHERE: Where l trng t quan h ch ni chn, ng sau danh t ch ni chn. Where c
dng thay cho at/ in/ to which, there.
.N (place) + WHERE + S + V .
(WHERE = ON / IN / AT + WHICH)

Ex:
- Do you know the country where (in which) I was born?
- Hanoi is the place where I like to come.
1.8. WHY: Why l trng t quan h ch l do, ng sau the reason. Why c dng thay cho for
which.
..N (reason) + WHY + S + V

Ex:
- Please tell me the reason why (for which) you are so sad.
- He told me the reason why he had been absent from class the day before.

II. Cc trng t quan h

1. WHY: m u cho mnh quan h ch l do, thng thay cho cm for the reason, for that reason.
Ex: I dont know the reason. You didnt go to school for that reason.
I dont know the reason why you didnt go to school.
2. WHERE: thay th t ch ni chn, thng thay cho there
.N (place) + WHERE + S + V .
(WHERE = ON / IN / AT + WHICH)
Ex: a/ The hotel wasnt very clean. We stayed t that hotel.
The hotel where we stayed wasnt very clean.
The hotel at which we stayed wasnt very clean.
3. WHEN: thay th t ch thi gian, thng thay cho t then
.N (time) + WHEN + S + V
(WHEN = ON / IN / AT + WHICH)
Ex: Do you still remember the day? We first met on that day.
Do you still remember the day when we first met?
Do you still remember the day on which we first met?
I dont know the time. She will come back then. I dont know the time when she will come back.
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III. Cc loi Mnh quan h

Sophie: Art Golding has died.

David: Who?
Sophie: You know. The film star
who played the ships captain in
Iceberg.
David: I dont think Ive seen
that.
Sophie: Yes, you have. Its the
film we saw on TV the other night.
Nhng mnh quan h trong
mu i thoi trn xc nh ngi sao
in nh v b phim m Sophie mun
ni n. Chng c gi l mnh
quan h xc nh (identifying clauses).

ART GOLDING DIES

The actor Art Golding, who starred in films such
as Tornado and Iceberg, has died after a long
illness. He was seventy-eight. Art Goldings most
famous role was as the scientist in the film
Supernova, which broke all box-office records.

Nhng mnh quan h trong bn tin trn

b sung thng tin v Art Golding v Supernova.
Chng c gi l mnh quan h b sung
(adding clauses, hoc non-identifying clauses).

Mnh quan h xc nh (identifying

clauses).
The man who lives next door to Melanie is
rather strange.

Mnh quan h b sung (adding clauses, hoc

non-identifying clauses).
Jack, who lives next door to Melanie, is rather
strange.

The river which flows through Hereford is

the Wye.

The Wye (which flows through Hereford) is a

beautiful river.

The picture which was damaged is worth

thousands of pounds.
Nhng mnh trn xc nh iu
m ngi ni ang cp n. Khng c
chng, ngha cc cu trn s khng trn vn.
Mnh quan h xc nh khng c
du phy bao quanh.

This famous picture which was damaged

during the war is worth thousands of pounds.
Nhng mnh trn ch b sung thng tin
v nhng iu c xc nh sn. Chng ta c
th lc b chng v ngha ca cu vn trn vn.
Mnh quan h b sung c du phy, du
ngoc n hoc du gch ni bao quanh.
Nu mnh b sung cui cu, ta ch
dng mt du phy hoc gch ni.
Thats Jack, who lives next door.
Mnh quan h b sung kh trang trng
v ch yu dng trong vn vit, nht l cc bn tin.
Trong vn ni, ta thng dng hai cu ngn.
Jack lives next door to Melanie. Hes rather
strange.

Hu ht mnh quan h u l

mnh xc nh. Chng c dng trong

vn ni v vit.

IV. Mt s lu trong mnh quan h

1. Nu trong mnh quan h c gii t th gii t c th t trc hoc sau mnh quan
h (ch p dng vi whom v which.)

Ex: Mr. Brown is a nice teacher. We studied with him last year.
o
Mr. Brown, with whom we studied last year, is a nice teacher.
o
Mr. Brown, whom we studied with last year, is a nice teacher.

2. C th dng which thay cho c mnh ng trc.

Ex: She cant come to my birthday party. That makes me sad. She cant come to my
birthday party, which makes me sad.
3. v tr tc t, whom c th c thay bng who.
Ex: Id like to talk to the man whom / who I met at your birthday party.
4. Trong mnh quan h xc nh , chng ta c th b cc i t quan h lm tc
t:whom, which.
Ex: The girl you met yesterday is my close friend. The book you lent me was very
interesting.
5. Cc cm t ch s lng some of, both of, all of, neither of, many of, none of c th
c dng trc whom, which v whose.
Ex: I have two sisters, both of whom are students. She tried on three dresses, none of
which fitted her.

V. Cch rt gn mnh quan h:

1. Mnh quan h c rt thnh cm phn t:

Mnh quan h cha cc i t quan h lm ch t who, which, that c th c rt gn thnh
cm hin ti phn t (V-ing) hoc qu kh phn t (V3/ed).
* Nu mnh quan h l mnh ch ng th rt thnh cm hin ti phn t (V-ing).
a/ The man who is standing over there is my father. The man standing over there is my
father.
b/ The couple who live next door to me are professors. The couple living next door to
me are professors.
* Nu mnh quan h l mnh b ng th rt thnh cm qu kh phn t (V3/ed). V
d:
a/ The instructions that are given on the front page are very important. The
instructions given on the front page are very important.
b/ The book which was bought by my mother is interesting. The book bought by my
mother is interesting.
2. Mnh quan h c rt thnh cm ng t nguyn mu:
Mnh quan h c rt thnh cm ng t nguyn mu (To-infinitive) khi trc i t quan
h c cc cm t: the first, the second, the last, the only hochnh thc so snh bc nht. V d
a/ John was the last person that got the news. John was the last person to get the news.
b/ He was the best player that we admire. He was the best player to be admired.
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c/ He was the second man who was killed in this way. He was the second man to be killed in
this way.

VI. Gii t trong mnh quan h:

1. Gii thiu

i t quan h c th lm tc t ca gii t.
This is the bus that Ive been waiting for. (y l chic xe but m ti i ny gi.)
(Ive been waiting for the bus.)
The restaurant that we normally go to is closed today.(Nh hng m chng ti thng
n hm nay khng m ca.)
(We normally go to the restaurant.)

Trong vn ni thn mt, chng ta thng t gii t cui mnh quan h.

Chng ta khng dng i t nhn xng sau gii t.

NOT the restaurant that we go to it
NOT someone who I work with her
2. Gii t ng u mnh quan h

Mt s v d:
Was that the restaurant to which you normally go?( c phi l nh hng bn thng
n n.)
Electronics is a subject about which I know very little.
The Sales Manager is the person from whom I obtained the figures.
Trong ting Anh trang trng, gii t ng u mnh quan h, trc which hoc whom.

Chng ta khng th t gii t trc that hoc who.

a subject (that) I know little about
NOT a subject -about that I know little
the person (who) I got the figures from
NOT the-person from who I got the figures

VII. RELATIVE PRONOUN THAT:

** Cc trng hp khng c s dng (Improper uses)
1. Sau du phy trong mnh quan h khng xc dnh:
# Mary, who is my next door neighbor, is very helpful and generous.
2. Sau gii t:
# The table on which he puts the TV set is very strong.
Alternatively:
# The table that he puts the TV set on is very strong.

** Cc trng hp thng s dng That:

1. The only + antecedent + that
# The only person that understood the lesson yesterday was John.
# Tom was the only student in the class that was able to give the correct answer to the question.
2. Superlative + antecedent + that
# Tom is the tallest student that appears in the game tonight.
# What was the largest sea-liner that sank at sea?
3. Ordinal number + antecedent + that
# The first man that turned up at the scene was the Chief of Police.
# Neil Armstrong was the first man that set foot on the moon.
4. Pre-determiner + antecedent + that
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# Most of the students that I am teaching are more than lazy.

# None of the students that is sitting the exam can answer question 90.
5. Combined antecedent (between things or/and persons)
# The man and the dog that you read about were the two main characters of this story.
# The cat and the mouse that appear in the famous cartoon Tom and Jerry are loved most
children.
6. Antecedent is an indefinite pronoun
# Anybody that can solve the problem will be entiled to a special award.
# Nothing that he has done can satisfy his father.
7. Antecedent is a complement of be
# Peter Richards is a doctor that wins everybodys heart.
# My father is a man that always takes very good care of his family.
8. (The fact) That + clause
# (The fact) That he decided to refuse the promotion couldnt be understood.
# (The fact) That he didnt come to visit her on Womens Day disappointed her a lot.
9. Cleft sentence
It is + focused information + that/who + clause
# It is the manager not his assistant that I want to see.
# It is I that want to talk to you about the working hours.
Note: Who can only be used when it is referred to a person subject.
# It is your mother that/who loves you most.