Relative Pronouns & Adverbs

Hello pupils!

I hope this post will serve you as a reminder of last day's lesson on relative pronouns and adverbs.

(A) Relative pronouns
WHO: Person, Subject/Object, Defining/Non-defining
WHOSE: Person/Thing, Possessive, Defining/Non-defining
WHICH: Person/Thing, Subject/Object, Defining/Non-defining
THAT: Person/Thing, Subject/Object, Defining
"Zero": Person/Thing, Object, Defining

We call "zero-pronoun" to the omission of the pronouns who, which or that. This omission is only possible when the pronoun is not the subject of a defining relative clause. It is not acceptable in non-defining clauses.

Some examples (in grey colour the relative clauses):
I told you about the woman who lives next door.
The woman who you saw with me yesterday is Mary's sister.
Do you see the cat which is lying on the roof?
I'm going out with the girl whose mother is a nurse.
The teacher that punished Tom without going out to the playground is new here.
I don't like the table that stands in the kitchen.
The car I bought last month is second-hand.

Subject and object pronouns cannot be distinguished by their forms -who, which, that- but you can identify them as follows: if the relative pronoun is followed by a verb, the pronoun functions as a subject. Subject pronouns must be always used: The apple which/that is on the table. However, if the relative pronoun is not followed by a verb but by a noun or pronoun, it functions as an object. Object pronouns can be omitted in defining relative clauses, which are called Contact clauses: The apple (which/that) George lay on the table.


(B) Relative adverbs
WHERE: Place, Adverbial, Defining/Non-defining
WHEN: Time, Adverbial, Defining/Non-defining
WHY: Reason, Adverbial, Defining

A relative adverb can be used instead of a relative pronoun plus a preposition, when denoting time or place. This often makes the sentence easier to understand:

This is the shop in which I bought my bike = This is the shop where I bought my bike
I'll never forget the day on which I met you = I'll never forget the day when I met you
That's the reason for which we met yesterday = That's the reason why we met yesterday


For practice:
Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4

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