Non-Defining Relative Clauses Grammar for Graduate Students Lecture 1 Grammar for Graduate Students Lecture 1 Grammar for Graduate Students Lecture 1 Grammar.

Non-Defining Relative ClausesGrammar for Graduate StudentsLecture 1

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The boy who lives next door is having a party tonight

The underlined defining relative clause tells us which boy is being talked about. No commas before and after the relative clause

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Alex, who lives next door, is having a party tonight.

The underlined non-defining relative clause: no indication who is been referred to, it just provides extra information. Commas before and after the relative clause.

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Position: in the middle or at the end of the sentence but it follows the word that it defines.

Mike, who is her boyfriend, is late. Thailand, which is in Asia, is beautiful. This is the girl, who I like. Prof. Jones, whom we hate, gave us a ‘D’.

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Subject relative pronouns: This is my friend Roberto, who lives in Milan .

Who/whom functions as the subject of the verb live.

Mike’s car, which is only six weeks old, broke down last night .

Which functions as the subject of the verb break down.

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Object relative pronouns: The girl next door, who/whom I met for the first time today, is cute.

Who/whom functions as the object of the verb met.

who is common in spoken Englishwhom formal, usually only in written English. (verbally: antiquated)

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Relative pronouns: object of a preposition

That book about the first World War, which I finished last week, was really interesting.

object (which) of non-defining relative clause cannot be omitted!

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Object of a preposition: a ) Mrs. Campbell, who/whom we are so fond of, retires next month. b ) Mrs. Campbell, of whom we are so fond , retires next month.

Who/whom in a) & whom in b) functions as the object of the preposition of.

• Note: preposition before relative pronoun: whom only.

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Object of a preposition: a ) The new airport, which there has been so much discussion about, opens next month. b ) The new airport, about which there has been so much discussion, opens next month.

Which functions as the object of the preposition about.

• a ) less formal / b ) formal / written English

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Object of a preposition: a ) The new airport, which there has been so much discussion about, opens next month. b ) The new airport, about which there has been so much discussion, opens next month.

Which functions as the object of the preposition about.

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Possessive relative pronoun: Mrs. Lovelace, whose husband died last year, lost her job.

Whose husband functions as the subject of the verb died.

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Possessive relative pronoun: This our son, whose friends you will be meeting.

Whose friends functions as object of the verb meeting.

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Possessive relative pronoun:a ) We hope for a visit of Mr. Goodlove , whose support we so much depend on. (common) b ) We hope for a visit of Mr. Goodlove, on whose support we so much depend. (formal)

Whose support functions as object of the preposition on.

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Summary:

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for people For objectsFor possession

Subject who which whose

object who/whom which whose

Note:Mrs. Roberts, whose job was in this department, has just been appointed Director. (formal)Mrs. Roberts has just been appointed director. Do you remember? Her first job was in this department. (informal)

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