RELATIVE CLAUSES

(Mệnh đề quan hệ)

I. Defining relative clauses (Mệnh đề quan hệ xác định)

Defining relative clauses define or identify which person or thing you are talking about:
 The man who told me this refused to give me his name.
 The man who came in late is the boss.
There is no comma before a defining relative clause. The pronouns that you use in these clauses
are who, whom, that and which. They are called relative pronouns.

a. Use WHO or THAT:

When the subject is a person:
 The man who came in late is the boss.
OR The man that came in late is the boss.
 People who take physical exercise live longer.
OR People that take physical exercise live longer.
 Do you know the people who live over the road?
OR Do you know the people that live over the road?

b. Use THAT or WHICH:

When the subject is a thing:
 I sit at the desk that faces the window.
OR I sit at the desk which faces the window.
 Who owns the car that is parked outside?
OR Who owns the car which is parked outside?
 The picture that was damaged is worth thousands of pounds.
OR The picture which was damaged is worth thousands of pounds.

c. Use WHO, THAT, WHOM, or no relative pronoun:

When the object is a person:
 She’s the girl who/ that I met last night.
OR She’s the girl I met last night.
OR She’s the girl whom I met last night. (formal)

d. Use THAT, WHICH, or no relative pronoun:

When the object is a thing:
 I’ve finished the book that you lent me.
OR I’ve finished the book you lent me.
OR I’ve finished the book which you lent me. (formal)

NOTE: That, Who and Which can be left out when the thing or person is the object of the verb.
 e. Use WHOSE:
to show that something belongs to somebody:
 He helped a woman whose car had broken down.
 They’re the people whose house was burgled.

Whose is not usually used to refer to a thing. (Whose thường không được dùng để chỉ vật)
Of which is usually used instead (thay vào đó dùng Of which)
 He’s reading the book, the name of which I can never remember.
But it is more natural to say:
 He’s reading that book. I can never remember its name.

II. Non-defining relative clauses (Mệnh đề quan hệ không xác định)

Non-defining relative clauses add extra information about somebody or something which could be
left out and the sentence would still make sense. This extra information is separated from the main
clause by commas:
 The film, which was shot in Mexico, has won an Oscar.
The pronouns that can be used in non-defining clauses are who, whom, which and whose.

a. Use WHO:
When the subject is a person:
 My sister, who is a vegetarian, ordered a salad.

b. Use WHICH:
When the subject is a thing:
 The tickets, which can be bought at the station, are valid for a month.

c. Use WHO or WHOM:

When the object is a person:
 Peter, who nobody had met before, arrived late.
OR Peter, whom nobody had met before, arrived late. (formal)

d. Use WHICH:
When the object is a thing:
 The tickets, which I’ve paid for, are still valid.

e. Use WHOSE:
When something belongs to somebody:
 Lucy, whose car had broken down, didn’t go.
 RELATIVE CLAUSES AND PREPOSITIONS
(Mệnh đề quan hệ và giới từ)
In spoken English a preposition in a relative clause is usually placed at the end of the clause,
and the relative pronoun may be omitted. A more formal alternative is to put the preposition
before the relative pronoun:

When the object is a person:

 The man I spoke to was very friendly.
OR The man who/that I spoke to was very friendly.
OR The man to whom I spoke was very friendly. (formal)

When the object is a thing:

 The house I was born in is gone.
OR The house that I was born in is gone.
OR The house in which I was born is gone.(formal)

RELATIVE CLAUSES REPLACED BY PARTICIPLE PHRASES AND

TO-INFINITIVE PHRASES
(Mệnh đề quan hệ được thay thế bằng cụm phân từ và cụm động từ nguyên mẫu)

I. Participle phrases (Cụm phân từ)

Mệnh đề quan hệ có thể được rút gọn bằng cụm phân từ hiện tại (present participle phrases)
hoặc cụm phân từ quá khứ (past participle phrases).
a. Present participle phrases (Cụm phân từ hiện tại được dùn khi):
- Động từ trong MĐQH diễn tả một hành động hoặc sự việc đang diễn ra.
Ex: The young girl sitting opposite him is his daughter.
(= The young girl who is sitting opposite him is his daughter.)
He ignored the phone ringing on his desk.
(=He ignored the phone that was ringing on his desk.)
- Động từ trong MĐQH diễn tả một hành động hoặc sự việc xảy ra lặp đi lặp lại hoặc có
tính lâu dài.
Ex: Boys attending this school had to wear uniform.
(= Boys who attended this school had to wear uniform.)
The road joining the two villages is very narrow.
(= The road which joins the two villages is very narrow.)
- Động từ trong MĐQH diễn đạt ước muốn (với các động từ wish, desire, want, hope..,
nhưng không dùng với like).
Ex: Anyone wishing to come with us is welcome.
(=Anyone who wishes to come with us is welcome.)
 - Động từ trong MĐQH không xác định diễn đạt ý nghĩ (với các động từ know, think,
believe, expect..).
Ex: Bill, wanting to make an impression on Ann, took her to an expensive restaurant.
(= Bill, who wantedto make an impression on Ann, took her to an expensive
restaurant.)

b. Past participle phrases (cụm quá khứ phân từ) được dùn khi động từ trong MĐQH ở
dạng bị động:
Ex: Half of people invited to the party didn’t turn up.
(= Half of people who were invited to the party didn’t turn up.)
This is the design chosen for the logo.
(= This is the design which has been chosen for the logo.)

II. To-infinitive phrases (cụm động từ nguyên mẫu)

- Sau the first/second/.., the next/last/only và sau tính từ so sánh nhất (oldest/youngest/..)
Ex: Who was the first woman to fly around the world?
(=Who was the first woman who flew around the world?)
You are the only person to volunteer.
(=You are the only person who volunteerd.)
He became the youngest player to represent this country.
(=He became the youngest player who represented this country.)
- Khi diễn đạt mục đích (purpose) hoặc sự cho phép (permission)
Ex: I need a piano to practice on.
(= I need a piano that I can practice on.)
She had something to do.
(= She had something that she could do.)