Chapter 8: Relative Clauses

Sunday, April 11, 2021
11:28 AM

RELATIVE CLAUSES: refer back to a noun or pronoun (the antecedent) by means of a relative pronoun,
determiner or adverb.
2 TYPES:
 
 Defining relative clauses: narrow down the scope of reference of the antecedent by
providing necessary information about it.

Gap: If the connector of a DRC is a defining relative pronoun that´s NOT functioning as Subject of
the clause, it can be omitted. This omission creates a gap in the structural analysis of the clause.
Example: [(Lea was always the first one < John would tell his problems to. <-> >)]
Gapless:

 Non-defining relative clauses: give additional information about the antecedent. They´re
separated by commas and the relative pronoun cannot be elided.
Example: [(In 2010, <when I was born>, there were many economic issues.)]
 
CONNECTORS:
 The choice of connectors depends on: the type of antecedent, the syntactic function of
the connector.
 
Antecedent Function DRC NDRC
Things Subject Which/that Which
Object Which/that
People Subject Who/that Who
Object Who/whom/that Who/whom
Place - Where Where
Time - When When
Reason - Why Why The antecedent of a
sentential NDRC is a
Possession - Whose Whose clause and not a noun
or pronoun. It´s
  introduced by which.
Use of the relative connector As:
 Restricted to formal academic contexts.
 Can be used in sentential non-defining relative clauses.
 In formal academic registers, the non-defining relative pronoun which is replaced by as.
 It is possible to replace as with which when the clause antecedent immediately precedes
the relative clause introduced by as. For example:
[(He is very immature, <as is often the case with teenagers.>)]

 
NOTICE:
 "Who" cannot be used as Object to the Preposition, unless the prep. Is stranded.
 "Which" cannot be replaced by "that" after a preposition.
 The adverbs where, when and why cannot follow a preposition in relative clauses. Replace
with "which".
 Use the pronoun which in NDRC that refer back to a previous clause. The antecedent is, in
this case, the whole clause.
 
 
SYNTACTIC FUNCTIONS:
 
Type of Relative Clause Category If present in the If present in the
Subject… Predicate…
Defining Relative Clause Adjectival clause Post modifier Direct Object
Non-defining Relative Nominal clause Apposition Adjunct
Clause