Universidade Católica de Moçambique

Instituto de educação à Distância

Relative Clauses

Albertina Martinho Augusto

Code: 708215921

Course: Biologia

Subject: English

Frequency year: 1st

Pemba, November, 2022

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Feedback Sheet
Indicators Classification
Categori Padres Maximu Mark’
es m score s Subtota
lectur l
e
 Cover 0.5
 Index 0.5
 Introduction 0.5
 Discussion 0.5
Structure Organizational
 Conclusion 0.5
aspects
 Bibliography 0.5
 Conclusion Practical 1.0
theoretical contributions
 Description of Aims 1.0
 Content Introduction 2.0
Introduction Contextualization (Clear
indication of problem
 Methodology appropriate 2.0
to the subject of the work)
 Articulation and mastery of 2.0
academic discourse (careful
written expression,
Content Analysis and
coherence / textual
discussion cohesion)
 Data exploration 2.0
Conclusion  Practice theories 2.0
Contributes
General Formatting  General aspects Paging 1.0
Aspects formatting, font type and
size, paragraph, spacing
between lines
Referenc Bibliographic Accuracy and coherence of the 4.0
es References APA citations/references
Bibliogr Standards 6th bibliography
aphical edition in 
citations and
bibliography.

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Índice
Feedback Sheet ................................................................................................................. 1

Improvement recommendations: ...................................................................................... 2

1. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 4

1.1. General Objective ........................................................................................... 4

1.2. Specific Objectives:........................................................................................ 4

1.3. Methods of work ................................................................................................ 4

2. Relative Clauses ........................................................................................................ 5

2.1. Relative pronoun as subject (in red): ..................................................................... 5

2.3. Relative pronoun as object (in red): ...................................................................... 6

2.4. Possessive relative pronouns ................................................................................. 6

2.6. Compound relative pronouns ................................................................................ 7

2.5. Restrictive Relative Clauses .................................................................................. 7

2.6. Non-restrictive relative clauses ............................................................................. 8

2.7. Reducing relative clauses ...................................................................................... 9

2.8. Subject-verb agreement in relative clauses ......................................................... 10

3. Conclusion............................................................................................................... 12

4. Reference ................................................................................................................. 13

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 1. Introduction

In this research work I am going to describe about the clause relative, as it is known that
the relative clauses are made like the adverbial clauses, so, with an independent and a
dependent clause. But they have some differences, the mainly is that we use it to modify a
noun. When we use the relative clause we want to know more information about the
noun.

1.1.General Objective
 Related about the relative Clauses;

1.2. Specific Objectives:

 To show the different relative clauses;
 To describe the relative clauses;
 To show how do we use the relative clauses;

1.3.Methods of work

Research methods are the strategies, processes or techniques utilized in the collection of
data or evidence for analysis in order to uncover new information or create better
understanding of a topic. I used an internet and physical books to discover man
information related about the present and past perfect.

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 2. Relative Clauses
Mourão (2022), a relative clause is one kind of dependent clause. It has a subject and
verb, but can’t stand alone as a sentence. It is sometimes called an “adjective clause”
because it functions like an adjective—it gives more information about a noun. A
relative clause always begins with a “relative pronoun,” which substitutes for a noun, a
noun phrase, or a pronoun when sentences are combined.

The relative pronouns are:

Pronoun Stands for Uses

Who People Substitutes for subject nouns / pronouns (he, she, we,
they)

Whom People Substitutes for object nouns / pronouns (him, her, us,
them)

Whose People or Substitutes for possessive nouns / pronouns (his, hers,

things ours, theirs)

That People or can be used for either subject or object

can only be used in restrictive relative clauses (see below)
things

Which Things Can be used for either subject or object

Can be used in noun-restrictive relative clauses

Can also-be used in restrictive relative clauses, though

some people don’t like this use

2.1.Relative pronoun as subject (in red):

A relative pronoun is a word that introduces a dependent (or relative) clause and
connects it to an independent clause. A clause beginning with a relative pronoun is
poised to answer questions such as which one? How many? or What kind? Who, whom,
what, which, and that are all relative pronouns.

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Traffits (2022), relative clauses are also sometimes referred to as adjective clauses,
because they identify or give us additional information about the subject of the
independent clause they relate to. Like adjectives, these clauses in some
way describe that subject. Relative pronouns, like conjunctions, are words that join
clauses—in this case, a relative clause to its main clause. The type of relative
pronoun used depends on what kind of noun is being described.

I like the person. The person was nice to me.

I like the person who was nice to me.

I hate the dog. The dog bit me.

I hate the dog that bit me.

I am moving to Pemba, It is home to the Saide.

I am moving to Pemba, which is home to the Saide.

2.3.Relative pronoun as object (in red):

I like the bike. My father gave me the bike.

I like the bike that my father gave me.

2.4.Possessive relative pronouns

It surprises some people to learn that both who and which can take the possessive
form whose. Some will argue that of which is a better construction when talking about
things rather than people, but this results in unnecessary awkwardness. The truth is
that whose has been widely and correctly applied to nonhumans for hundreds of years.

She apologized to the boy whose glasses got broken.

The house whose owner is on vacation has an unsightly garden.

The house, the owner of which is on vacation, has an unsightly garden. (This is correct
but cumbersome.)

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2.6.Compound relative pronouns
The term compound relative pronoun sounds complex, but it really isn’t. Simply
put, compound relative pronouns apply universally to a number of people or things.
They include whoever, whomever, whichever, and whatever.

Please tell whoever may call that I am not available.

Whomever you hire will be fine with me.

Whichever train you take from here, you will end at Boane’s station.

Joao will be successful at whatever she chooses to do in life.

A restrictive clause is an essential part of its sentence; if it were taken out of the
sentence, the sentence’s meaning would change. Nonrestrictive clauses are just the
opposite.

The wardrobe that has the fur coats in it leads to Mozambique.

If we were to excise the clause “that has the fur coats in it” from the sentence, the
meaning of the sentence would change. We would no longer know which wardrobe
leads to a magical land with talking animals, which was the intention of the sentence.
This kind of clause gets a that. The word which, on the other hand, should introduce a
nonessential clause that can be removed from a sentence without changing the
sentence’s meaning.

The wardrobe, which contains several fur coats, leads to Narnia.

Here, “which contains several fur coats” is a parenthetical remark that can be removed
without materially altering the sentence. Nonrestrictive (or nonessential) clauses are set
off with commas, as shown in the example above.

2.5.Restrictive Relative Clauses

Traffits (2022), restrictive relative clauses give information that defines the noun—
information that’s necessary for complete identification of the noun. Use “that” or
“which” for non-human nouns; use “that” or “who” for human nouns. Do not use
commas.

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I like the paintings. (Which paintings? We can’t clearly identify them without the
relative clause.)

So we add the clause:

The paintings hang in the SASB North lobby.

I like the paintings that hang in the SASB North lobby.

OR

I like the paintings which hang in the SASB North lobby. (Again, this is acceptable, but
some people object to using “which” in a restrictive relative clause. “That” is preferred.)

Students who study hard will do well in my class. (Only this group of students will do
well.)

Students whose grades are low can drop one test score. (Only this group can drop a test
score.)

When the noun is the object of the preposition, both the noun and the preposition move
together to the front of the relative clause. In less formal English, it’s common to move
only the pronoun to the front of the clause.

I spent hours talking with a person last night. I hope to hear from her.

I hope I hear from the person with whom I spent hours talking last night. (more formal)

OR

I hope to hear from the person whom I spent hours talking with last night. (less formal)

2.6.Non-restrictive relative clauses

Mourão (2022), this type of relative clause merely provides extra information. The
information may be quite interesting and important to the larger conversation, but it is
not essential for precise identification of the noun. “That” cannot be used as a relative

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pronoun in a non-restrictive relative clause. Commas are always used at the beginning
and end of this type of relative clause.

From Traffits (2022), non-defining relative clauses (also called non-identifying relative
clauses or non-restrictive relative clauses) give additional information on something,
but do not define it. Non-defining relative clauses are put in commas.

Imagine, Tom is in a room with only one girl. The two are talking to each other and
you ask somebody whether he knows this girl. Here the relative clause is non-defining
because in this situation it is obvious which girl you mean.

A non-restrictive relative clause can modify a single noun, a noun phrase, or an entire
proposition.

My mother is thinking of opening a restaurant. My mother is an excellent cook.

“My mother” is already a clearly defined noun, so the second sentence becomes a non-
restrictive relative clause set off by commas on both sides.

My mother, who is an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.

I’m planning to grow roses. I find roses quite beautiful.

I’m planning to grow roses, which I find quite beautiful.

(Not okay) I’m planning to grow roses, that I find quite beautiful.

I’m driving across the country with three small children.

Driving across the country with three small children is going to be stressful.

I’m driving across the country with three small children, which is going to be stressful.

2.7.Reducing relative clauses

Traffits (2022), some types of relative clauses can be “reduced”— the relative pronoun
and maybe other words can be removed. You might reduce the clause to make your
writing more concise or to add sentence variety. We’ll use the examples above to
demonstrate how to reduce both restrictive and non-restrictive clauses.

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Restrictive relative clauses can be reduced in two ways.

i. Subject pronouns can be deleted if –ing is added to the verb.

 I like the paintings that hang in the SASB North lobby.

 I like the paintings hanging in the SASB North lobby.

ii. Object pronouns can be deleted.

 I like the bike that my father gave me.

 I like the bike my father gave me.

Non-restrictive relative clauses can be reduced in one way.

Subject pronouns with “be” verbs can be deleted in non-restrictive clauses.

I am moving to Louisville, KY, which is home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.

I am moving to Louisville, KY, home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.

My mother, who is an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.

My mother, an excellent cook, is thinking of opening a restaurant.

2.8.Subject-verb agreement in relative clauses

Remember that the relative pronoun is substituting for a noun, which could be singular
or plural before the substitution. The verb in the relative clause must agree with the
original noun.

People are lucky. People win the lottery.

People who win the lottery are lucky. (plural verb)

A person is lucky. She wins the lottery every year.

A person who wins the lottery every year is lucky. (singular verb)

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Agreement can be tricky in “one of the…” constructions. The key is to find which noun
the relative pronoun is referring to.

Homelessness is a problem. The problem needs to be addressed.

Homelessness is a problem that needs to be addressed. (singular problem)

Many problems need to be addressed. Homelessness is one of the problems.

Homelessness is one of the problems that need to be addressed. (plural problems)

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3. Conclusion
We use relative clauses to give additional information about something without starting
another sentence. By combining sentences with a relative clause, your text becomes
more fluent and you can avoid repeating certain words.

So the relative clause the dependent clause can keep apart the independent clause, the
only thing that has to happen, however, is that the dependent clause has to go after the
noun.

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4. Reference

MOURãO, J. P. (2022). "Relative Clauses"; Brasil Escola. Disponível em:

https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/ingles/relative-clauses.htm. Acesso em 18 de novembro
de 2022

TRAFFITS, C. (2022), Relative Clauses. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/relative-

pronouns/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA99ybBhD9ARIsALvZavU8hSyhU67tRoM13rNjRTOrgYecKgaA
UiKtzB1PhfBFKviJfBmO8OcaApW8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

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