Reduced Relative

Clauses
PROFICIENCY, 2022
RRC WITH PARTICIPLES AND TO-INFINITIVES

In reduced relative clauses we can use -ing forms after nouns and pronouns.
Homeowners living close to the main road are in favour of a bypass.
(living= who are living)
We can omit the -ing form when it is followed by a prepositional phrase of place. A man
at a table by himself was busily writing notes.
With reduced relative clauses we can use stative verbs, not usually used in the continuous
form.
Anyone imagining/thinking that life in rural Australia is dull will be surprised.
(imagining/thinking = who imagines/thinks)
In reduced relative clauses we can use past participles after nouns or pronouns. The
authorities, alarmed at the potential for dissent, tried to outlaw the coffee houses.
(alarmed = who were alarmed)
Anyone interested in purchasing their olive oil. (Anyone interested =Anyone who is
interested)
We can also use some adjectives in the same way.
The people responsible for the Noan Olive Oil company are Margit and Richard
Schweger. (people responsible = people who are responsible)
The coffee house is a place welcoming to all. (a place welcoming = a place that
welcomes)
We can use to infinitives to replace relative clauses containing modal verbs. London was
the city to go to for the best coffee houses. (=where you should go)
We can also use to infinitives after expressions of quantity and indefinite pronouns.
Surprisingly, there is a lot to do in rural Australia. (= a lot of things we can do)
In the coffee house there was always somebody to talk to. (=somebody who you could
talk to)
We can also use to infinitives after phrases such as the first, the next, the last, the only,
the best, etc.
This was the first coffee house to open in London. ( = that opened)
REDUCED NON-DEFINING DESCRIPTIVE CLAUSES

We can also add participle phrases or noun phrases to non-defining clauses when we want
to give extra information.
The coffee houses, doubling as outlets for newsletters, reflected the interests of their
clientele.
The teachers, determined to keep abreast of things, established an online forum.
The shopkeepers, concerned about losing trade, opposed the bypass.
The volunteers, mainly enthusiastic students, run workshops on recycling.
WE CAN’T USE A RRC:

1. when the event or action in the defining relative clause comes before the event or action in
the main clause.
Trees which fell in the storm have been removed. ✔
Trees falling in the storm have been removed. X
unless it is the cause of the event or action in the main clause:
Trees which fell in the storm have resulted in several accidents. ✔
Trees falling in the storm have resulted in several accidents. ✔
2. with active single completed actions
The boy who fell off his bicycle broke his leg. ✔
The boy falling off his bicycle broke his leg. X
BUT we can use a reduced relative clause with passive single completed actions
The boy who was knocked off his bicycle broke his leg. ✔
The boy knocked off his bicycle broke his leg. ✔