relative clauses (subordinate attributive clauses)

subject or object Relative clauses give extra information about a noun in the main clause. Relative clauses begin with a relative pronoun (who, which, that, whom, whose). The relative pronoun can refer to the subject of the clause. -That's the woman who bought my car. The woman (subject) bought my car (object). Or the relative pronoun can refer to the object of the clause. -This is the car that I used to own. I (subject) used to own the car (object).	Subject or object Relative attributive clauses give additional information about the noun in the main clause. Relative attributive clausesstart with a relative pronoun(who, what, who, whom, whose). A relative pronoun can refer to the subject in a sentence. The woman (subject) bought her car (object). Or a relative pronoun can refer to an object in a sentence. I (subject) owned a car (object).
Defining . Defining clauses give important information which tells us exactly what is being referred to. -The book which you lent me is really good. This indicates which book we are talking about. Without the relative clause, it might be difficult to understand the meaning.	Defining Defining clauses provide important information that tells us exactly what is meant. -The book you provided me is really good. This indicates the book we are talking about.Without a defining sentence, it can be difficult to understand the meaning.
non-defining . Non-defining clauses add extra information. They are separated by commas in writing, and by a pause on either side (where the commas are) in speaking. We generally usewhich not that in non-defining clauses. - This gives extra information about the book. We could miss out the relative clause and the meaning would still be clear.	Non-defining Non-defining clauses add additional information. They are separated by a comma in writing, and a pause on each side (where the commas are) in conversation. We generally usewhich A Notthat in non-defining sentences. - The book I hadn't read was still on the shelf. This gives additional information about the book. We could dropis a defining sentence,but the meaning will still be clear.
Omitting the relative pronoun . In a defining relative clause we can leave out the relative pronoun if it is the object of the clause. - That "s the car (that) I used to own. We cannot miss out the relative pronoun if it is the subject of the clause. - That's the woman who bought my car. . In a non-defining relative clause we cannot leave out the relative pronoun. - The book, which I hadn "t read, was still on the shelf.	Omitting the relative pronoun In about defining sentencewe can omit the relative pronoun if it is an object in a sentence. This is the car I had. We cannot omit the relative pronoun if it is the subject of the sentence. -This is the woman who bought the car. V n e defining sentenceswe cannot omit the relative pronoun. The book I hadn't read was still on the shelf.
Which, who and that . That instead of which When we talk about things that is often used instead of which in defining clauses. This is very common in speech. Is this the house that you bought? . That instead of who When we talk about people that can be used instead of who in defining clauses. -Have you met the boy that Sue is going to marry? . Which in non-defining clauses That cannot be used to introduce a non-defining clause. -The hotel, which was a hundred years old, was very comfortable. . Prepositions That cannot be used after a preposition. -This is the car (that / which) I paid £2000for.(speech) - This is the car for which I paid£2000. (formal)	Which, who and what . That instead of which When we talk about thingsThat often used insteadwhich in the defining sentence. It is very common in speech. - Is this the house you bought? . That instead of who When we talk about peoplethat can be used insteadwho in the defining sentence. - Have you met the young man Sue is marrying? . Which in non-defining sentences That cannot be used to introduce a non-defining clause. - The hotel, which was a hundred years old, was very comfortable. . Prepositions That cannot be used after a preposition. -This is the car (for which) I paid £2000. (in speech) - This is the car I paid £2,000 for. (formally)
Whom and whose . whom is generally used in writing. -Smith was one of the men whom Jones had met earlier.(formal) - Smith was one of the men (that/who) Jones had met earlier. (speech) whom has to be used after prepositions. - This is the person (who) I sold my car to. (speech) - This is the person to whom I sold my car. (formal) . Whose means of whom, and usually refers to people. - This is Jack. His sister is staying with us. - This is Jack, whose sister is staying with us.	To whom and whose whom usually used in writing. - Smith was one of the men Jones had previously dated. (formally) -Smith was one of the men Jones met earlier. (in speech) whom mustbeusedafter prepositions. This is the person (to whom) I sold my car.(in speech) - This is the person I sold my car to. (formally) . Whose means whose, and usually refers to people. - It's Jack. His sister is staying with us. - This is Jack, whose sister is staying with us.

Exercise 1: Fill in: who, whose, which or where.

My school, 1) __________is called King Edward "s, has about 2,000 students. My favorite teacher, 2)__________ is called Mr Brown, teaches sport. The sports centre, 3)____________ I play basketball and tennis, is the largest in the area. I walk to school every day with my friend Mike, 4)____________ father teaches history.

Exercise 2:

Make sentences as in the example. Use relative pronouns or relative adverbs.

Example:A painter is someone who paints pictures.

. builder/someone/buildhouses. elephant / animal / ears are big

. circus/place/can see acrobats

. tiger / animal / live in jungle

. supermarket / place / do shopping

Exercise 3:

Fill in: who"s or whose.

1 My mother,_________

2 She "s the woman ________________ married to an actor.

3 Celine is the girl ______________brother won the prize.

4 Helen is the person______________car is outside our house.

5 Ann's the one________________ a history teacher.

6 Lucas is the man ______________helping us move house.

7 That's the woman _____________

8 . ______________concert did you go to?

Exercise 4:

Fill in the correct relative pronoun. What part of sentence is each, subject or object? Write S for subject and ABOUT for object, then state if the relatives can be omitted or not in the box provided.

	Did you see the man __________ stole her bag?			not. omitted
	The dress__________ Mary bought yesterday is too big.
	Please give me the keys______	are on the table.
	Is that the man______________we saw in the park yesterday?
	What's the name of the lady_____	babysits your little sister?
	Klaus is playing with the dog____	lives next door.
	Have you eaten all the cakes_____	I made yesterday?
	How old is the man___________	owns that shop?
	Have you met the man_________	Jackie is going to marry?
	Let's all look at the picture______	is on page 7.
	Has Peter returned the money____	he borrowed from you?
	What color is the dress ______	are you going to wear tonight?

Exercise 5:

Write one word for each space.

Hi Janet,

How are you? I "mdoingall right.Ijustwantedtotellyou1)______________ something exciting 2) _______ happened to me last Saturday. Do you remember Beth, 3) ______ party did we go to last winter? Well, I went 4) __________ her andher cousin to a concert at Croke Park5)___________my favorite band, Nickelback, were playing. anyway, her cousin Rick knew someone 6) _________ was working backstage and he let us meet the band. He even invited us to a party 7) ______________ the band was going to after the concert. It was amazing! Now about the weekend hiking trip - the reason 8)______ I can "t come is because my sister has asked me to take care of her children as she" s 9)______________on a business trip. I"m so sorry. I was really 10)_____ forward to it.

Write and tell me your news

Shelly

Exercise 6:

Fill in the appropriate relative, say whether the relative clauses are essential or not to the meaning of the main sentence, then add commas where necessary.

Paul Stevens___________ starred in Days went to school with my brother.

The pen __________ I left on that table has disappeared.

The woman_________ repairs our car is very friendly.

David _________grew up in Canada speaks French fluently.

The man _______car was stolen has gone to the police station.

Rye_________ my grandmother lives is near the sea.

Oleg_________car has broken down is late for work.

The Coliseum_________attracts many tourists is in Rome.

Exercise 7:

Fill in the relative pronoun or adverb. Put commas where necessary. Write D for defining, ND for non-defining and if the relative can be omitted or not in the provided box.

	Mr Brown ,who_ _	teaches us French, comes from London.		not omitted
	The girl___________	I met on the bus looks just like my sister.
	Peter Smith_________	had an accident is in hospital.
	The apples__________	grow on these trees are delicious.
	This lemon pie______	I made yesterday tastes great.
	The film__________	I saw on TV last night was very exciting.
	My friend Akim_____	is a doctor works very long hours.
	John___________	father is a lawyer has moved to Paris.
	The sports centre____	we play tennis is expensive.
	The vase.__________	Susan gave me got broken.
	summer______	I went to Spain was really hot.
	The car___________	tires are flat is mine.
	The cafe___________	I first met my husband has closed down now.
	Simon____________	mother is a vegetarian doesn't eat meat.
	The bakery_________	is by my house sells wonderful pies.

Exercise 8:

a) Translate the sentences into English.

1. The artist who painted this picture lived in the 19th century.

2. The book you read in the summer is really very exciting.

3. Katya, whose brother is in my class, won the world championship.

b) Translate the text into English.

The zoo is a place where people go since childhood. The animals that can be seen there represent different countries and continents. People who frequent the zoo even have their favorite animals there. In some zoos, animals can be given special food, which is bought here. The day when the whole family goes to the zoo is usually very joyful, especially for children.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Answers:

Exercise 1: 1) which 2) who 3) where 4) who

Exercise 2:

1)Builder is someone who/that builds houses

2) A circus is a place where we can see acrobats.

3)A tiger is an animal which/that lives in the jungle.

4) A supermarket is the place where we do the shopping.

5)An elephant is an animal whose ears are big.

Exercise 3:

1 My motherwhose ________ name is Elizabeth, is a piano teacher.

2 She's the woman ___who "s_ ____________married to an actor.

3 Celine is the girl __ whose ____________ brother won the prize.

4 Helen is the person___whose ___________car is outside our house.

5 Ann's the one___who's _____________ a history teacher.

6 Lucas is the man ___ who "s_ __________ helping us move house.

7 That's the woman __ whose ___________ son just graduated from university.

8 . ___Whose ___concert did you go to?

Exercise 4:

1) who/ that(S- not omitted)	6) which/that(S- not omitted)	11) which/that (O-omitted)	16) who / that (S-not omitted)
2) which/that (O-omitted)	7) which/that (O-omitted)	12) which/that (O-omitted)	17)which/that (S-not omitted)
3) which / that (S- not omitted)	8)who / that(S-not omitted)	13) who / that (S-not omitted)	18)who/ that(S-not omitted)
4) who(m) / that(O-omitted)	9)who(m) / that(O-omitted)	14)which/that (S-not omitted)	19) which/that (O- omitted)
5) who / that(S-not omitted)		15) who / that (S-not omitted)	20)who(m) / that (O-omitted)

Exercise 5:

1) about	3)whose	5)where	7) which	9)going
2) which	4) with	6) who	8) why	10) looking

Exercise 6:

1) who	3)who/that	5)whose	7),whose...,
2) which/that	4),who.........,	6),where....,	8),which...,

Exercise 7:

1) who(ND-not omitted)	6) which/that (D-omitted)	11)when (D-omitted)
2) who(m) / that (D-omitted)	7),who...,(ND-not omitted)	12)whose (D-omitted)
3),who..., (ND-not omitted)		13) where (D-omitted)
4) which / that(D-omitted)	9)where (D-omitted)	14),whose..., (ND-not omitted)
5) ,which..,(ND-not omitted)	10)which/that(S-not omitted)	15) which/that (D-omitted)

Exercise 8:

Translation (suggested answers)

a) 1) The artist who painted this picture lived in the 19 th century.

2) The book you read in the summer is really very exciting.

3) Kate, whose brother studies in my class, has won the world championship.

b) The zoo is a place where people go from their childhood on. Animals which you can see there come from different countries and continents. People who often go to the zoo even have their favorite animals there. In some zoos you can give the animals special food which has been bought there. A day when the whole family goes to the zoo is usually very jolly, especially

__________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

More exercises:

1 ) Underline any relative pronouns that can be left out in these sentences.

1 I think that my boss is the personwho I admire most.

2 Harry, who was tired, went to bed very early.

3 Were taking the train that leaves at 6.00.

4 Have you seen the book that I left here on the desk?

5 The film which we liked most was the French one.

6 My radio, which isn't very old, has suddenly stopped working.

7 The clothes which you left behind are at the reception desk.

8 The couple who met me at the station took me out to dinner.

9 Last week I ran into an old friend who I hadn't seen for ages.

10 Don't cook the meat

2) Replace the relative pronouns in italics with that, where possible.

1 This is the magazine which I told you about.

2 John's flat, which is in the same block as mine, is much larger.

3 The girl whose bag I offered to carry turned out to be an old friend.

4 The policeman who arrested her had recognized her car.

5 I work with someone who knows you.

6 We don't sell goods which have been damaged.

7 Brighton, which is on the south coast, is a popular holiday resort.

8 I don't know anyone whose clothes would fit you.

9 There's a cafe near here which serves very good meals.

10 People who park outside get given parking tickets.

3) Underline the most suitable word in each sentence.

1 My friend Jack, that I who / whose parents live in Glasgow, invited me to spend Christmas in Scotland.

2 Here "s the computer program that / whom / whose I told you about.

3 I don't believe the story that / who / whom she told us.

4 Peter comes from Witney, that / who / which is near Oxford.

5 This is the gun with that I whom / which the murder was committed.

6 Have you received the parcel whom / whose / which we sent you?

7 Is this the person who I which / whose you asked me about?

8 That "s the girl that I who / whose brother sits next to me at school.

9 The meal, that I which / whose wasn't very tasty, was quite expensive.

10 We didn't enjoy the play that / who / whose we went to see

4) Put one suitable word in each space, or leave the space blank where possible.

The story so far:

Jane Piatt ........is traveling to London because of a mysterious letter, is the only person(2).....................witness a murder at Victoria Station. The detective to(3).....................she gives her statement then disappears. Janegoestoanofficeinsohotoanswerthe letter 4)................................. she had received. There she discovers that her uncle Gordon,(5).....................

lives in South America, has sent her a small box (6)...................... she is only to open if in trouble.(7)..................... parents have never mentioned an Uncle Gordon, is suspicious of the box,(8)..................... she gives to her friend Tony. They go to Scotland Yard and see Inspector Groves,(9)..................... has not heard of the Victoria Station murder,(10)..................... was not reported to the police. Jane gives Inspector Groves the murdered man's ticket,(11)..................... she found beside his body. Then Jane and Tony decide to go to Redhill,(12)..................... was the town (1 3)............. .. the murdered man had come from. On the train they meet a man(14)..................... face is somehow familiar to Jane,(15)..................... says he knows her Uncle Gordon.

5 ) Put a suitable relative pronoun in each space, or leave the space blank where possible.

1 My bike, ..........I had left at the gate, had disappeared.

2 The shoes.....................I bought were the ones.....................I tried on first.

3 The bag in.....................the robbers put the money was found later.

4 The medicine.....................the doctor gave me had no effect at all.

5 Peter, .....................couldn "t see the screen, decided to change his seat.

6 I really liked that tea.....................you made me this morning.

7 What was the name of your friend.....................tent we borrowed?

8 The flight.....................Joe was leaving on was cancelled.

.......................................................................................................................................................................

Answers:

1 1 who. 2 none. 3 none. 4 that. 5 which. 6 none. 7 which. 8 none. 9 who. 10 that.

2 1 that I told you about. 2 not possible. 3 not possible. 4 that arrested her. 5 that

know you. 6 that have been damaged. 7 not possible. 8 not possible. 9 that serves

very good meals. 10 that park outside.

3 1 whose. 2 that. 3 that. 4 which. 5 which. 6 which.7 who. 8 whose. 9 which.10 that.

4 1 who. 2 who. 3 whom. 4blank. 5 who. 6 which. 7 whose. 8 which. 9 who. 10

which. 11 which. 12 which. 13blank. 14 whose. 15 who.

5 1 which. 2 blank, blank. 3 which. 4blank. 5 who. 6blank. 7 whose. 8blank.

Friends, today we will talk about defining and non-defining clauses. I must say right away that there is no such concept in Russian, therefore, for example, in the phrase “Here is the house that Jack built”, we put a comma, but the English (This is the house that Jack built) do not. This topic is very important for the correct translation into English of constructions with the words which, whose, what, etc. So, in English language there are so-called relative clauses (subordinate clauses that perform the function of definition). They can be defining (show what or who we are talking about) and non-defining (contain additional information that can be thrown out).

1) Consider first defining clauses, which contain extremely important information that cannot be thrown out without changing the meaning of the phrase. Let's take these examples:
The bike that is broken is in the garage. In this case, using the determinant that is broken, we select an object from a number of others. In other words, we have a lot of bikes, and the one that is now broken is in the garage.

Tom's brother who works at the supermarket is a friend of mine. Question. How many brothers does Tom have? Answer: two or more. In this case, the qualifier who works at the supermarket allows us to distinguish this particular brother from all the others. If we throw out this phrase, we will not be able to understand which of the brothers we are talking about.

Stroke incidence data are obtained from sources that use the ICD (International Code of Diseases) classification systems. We cannot throw out the relative clause, because otherwise there will be clearly not enough information (from sources. From some unknown sources?).

So, defining clauses contain information that is important for understanding the whole phrase, they cannot be thrown away without losing their meaning, they allow you to distinguish a subject from a number of others and Not are separated by commas (yes, yes, despite the fact that in Russian the words which, whose, etc. are always preceded by a comma). It is also worth remembering that with animate nouns it is used who(in colloquial speech it can be replaced with that), and with inanimate ones - which (some authors recommend using only that in defining clauses, others allow both which and that. I suggest stopping only at that to make it easier).

2) Non-defining clauses introduce additional information that can be thrown out, and the meaning of the phrase will still be clear. Recall the bike in the garage and make it a non-defining clause:

The bike , which is broken, is in the garage. In this case, we have only one bike, it is in the garage. The fact that it is broken is additional information that can be thrown away, and the phrase will still be meaningful. NB! Notice the commas and how they are not friends with that! Only which/who!

tom's brother who works at the supermarket, is a friend of mine. Question. How many brothers does Tom have? Answer: one. throwing out who works at the supermarket, we get the same meaning, just without additional information.

Another example of the use of non-defining clauses is sentences with constructions after “what”, for example: Smoking is harmful to health, which is well known to every smoker. Smoking is bad for your health which is well known to every smoker. In such cases, you need to put a comma and use which as the subject. If the sentence is very long, it is better to break it into parts: Smoking is bad for your health. This is well known to every smoker (or, even better, we will remake it into active voice: Every smoker knows it very well).
IN Lately I stopped liking which in such constructions, because sometimes they turn out to be ambiguous:
Smoking is bad for your health, which is well known to every smoker. - you might think that "health is well known to every smoker."
Therefore, I prefer to write with this, better as a separate sentence.

Finally, how to get rid of this beauty. 🙂

Books that were printed before 1600 are rare and valuable. Tuesday is the only day that is possible for the meeting. Here are some cells that the researcher has identified.

(NB: who/which/that + have cannot be replaced like this: We need to talk about some problems what have arisen during the operation).

Also remember that the phrase after which/who/that refers to the word before it. Accordingly, if this is not the case in a Russian phrase, it is better to construct the translation in such a way as to avoid ambiguity. Here are a couple of fun examples on the subject:

The man who French… The dog that bit me… Let's add additional information about the man and the dog spoke, forgetting that it is impossible to separate the word being defined and that/who: The man on the horse who spoke French… The dog sitting near the building that bit me… 😀

So be mindful of the polyglot horse and only put who/that after the word they refer to!

Definitive clauses in English (Relative clauses)

What is it and how to use it?

Relative clause - or in Russian a definitive clause - is part of a complex sentence that depends on the main one. It usually combines two small sentences into one or just adds new interesting information to make it clearer for you, let's see an example.

I have a mother who works as a doctor. - I have a mother who works as a doctor.

I missed the bus that was going to take me to church. - I missed the bus that was supposed to take me to church.

Defining relative clauses

Defining relative clauses provide important information about

Compare:

1. My sister, who lives in London, is coming to Paris.

2. My sister who lives in London is coming to Paris.

In the first sentence, the subordinate clausewho lives in Londonis a non-defining relative clause. This relative clause gives additional information: I have only one sister and she lives in London. If you omit the information about where my sister lives, it will still be clear what we want to say.

The second sentence is a defining relative clause: I have several sisters, and in this moment I'm talking about a sister who lives in London.

In defining relative clauses, we can omit the linking word

I "ve eaten the pasta (which) I made yesterday.

Restrictive subordinate clauses are not separated by commas when writing.

Non-defining relative clauses (Distributive clauses)

Non-defining relative give additional information about the subject. The subordinate clause in this case is separated from both sides by commas.

That project, which I started years ago, still isn't finished.

Exercises.

1 .

1. That is the shop ____ was awarded as the best shop in the city. 2. The girl ____ brother go with me to the gym is a good singer. 3. The man ____ broke into our house was caught in two days. 4. She visits her grandmother ____ lives in countryside every summer. 5. She was wearing a dress ___ looked like princess’. 6. The bookshelf ____ we bought last week has broken down. 7. The man ___ was sitting on the bench turned around and saw his granddaughter. 8. A woman ____ son was crying paid no attention to him. 9. The woman ____ car had broken down on her way home spend 3 hours waiting for help. 10. My best friend ____ I have known for years will never let me down. 11. He didn't follow the instructions ____ he was given, so he failed to pass the test. 12. The girl ___ lived next door was very shy and couldn't say a word to protect herself at school. 13. I need to buy a laptop ____ can work up to 5 hours without a charger. 14. My father ___ is a doctor has no idea how to repair a car. 15. The photo ____ is placed on the mantel was taken at the picnic two years ago.

2. Put the right relative pronounwho, which, that, when, why, whereorwhose.

His sister, … name is Lara, works at the library.

Her last film, … I couldn't understand at all, was a great success.

Give him something … will take away the pain.

I work in the town … my son lives.

We'll show you the poem … changed my life.

Doctors, … claim money, are shameless.

Is there a shop near here … sells milk?

That's the main reason … I came to you.

I'll never forget my childhood … I was so happy.

People … live in flats shouldn't have animals.

The car … he bought last month is fantastic.

This is the most beautiful waterfall … we have ever seen!

3. Connect the sentences using subordinate clauses.

For example: My dad works in a factory. It makes parts for computers. (My father works in a factory. It makes parts for computers.) - The factory ... makes parts for computers. – The factory where my dad works makes parts for computers. (The factory my father works at makes computer parts.)

There is a bakery near my house. It sells wonderful pies. – The bakery … sells wonderful pies.

They lived in a cottage. It was struck by lightning. – The cottage … was struck by lightning.

Jane made a seafood salad. Nobody likes it. - Nobody likes the salad ... .

Jack is an architect. He designed the Opera House. – Jack is the architect … .

The woman didn't apologize. Her cat bit me. – The woman… didn’t apologize.

Madonna is a famous American singer. Her parents were born in Italy. – Madonna … is a famous American singer.

The apartment is the biggest in the house. The lawyer lives there. – The apartment … is the biggest in the house.

We play tennis in a sports centre. It is very expensive. – The sports centre… is very expensive.

Answers

1. which 2. whose 3. who 4. who 5. that 6. that 7. who 8. whose 9. whose 10. whom 11. that 12. who 13. that 14. who 15. that

whose (His sister, whose name is Lara, works in the library.)

which/that (Her latest film, which I didn't understand at all, was a big success.)

that (Give me something to relieve the pain.)

where (I work in the city where my son lives.)

which/that (We will show you the poem that changed my life.)

who (Doctors demanding money are shameless.)

that/which (Is there a milk shop nearby?)

why (This is the main reason why I came to you.)

when (I will never forget my childhood when I was so happy.)

who (People living in apartments must not have pets.)

which/that (The car he bought last month is fantastic.)

that (This is the most beautiful waterfall we have ever seen!)

The bakery which is near my house sells wonderful pies. (The bakery near my house sells lovely pies.)

The cottage where they lived was struck by lightning. (The cottage they lived in was struck by lightning.)

Nobody likes the salad which Jane made. (No one likes the salad Jane made.)

Jack is the architect who designed the Opera House. (Jack is the architect who designed the Opera House.)

The woman whose cat bit me didn't apologize. (The woman whose cat bit me didn't apologize.)

Madonna, whose parents were born in Italy, is a famous American singer. (Madonna, whose parents were born in Italy, is a famous American singer.)

The apartment where the lawyer lives is the biggest in the house. (The lawyer's apartment is the largest in the house.)

The sports center where we play tennis is very expensive. (The sports center where we play tennis is very expensive.)

Answers:

neither (We asked both of them, but neither of them knows his address.)

either (He lived in Milan and Madrid, but he didn't like either city.)

either – or (She is very slim. I think she is either an athlete or a model.)

either - or (Anna never works all day. She works either in the morning or in the afternoon.)

either (He has 2 cars, but I don't like any of them.)

both (She couldn't make her choice, she liked both of them.)

either (You can go to Oxford either by bus or by train.)

Either (Will you fish or chicken? - It doesn't matter. Either this or that will do.)

(Would you like apple or orange juice? - Neither, thanks. I don't like juice.)

(Will you have a salad or a steak? - Both. I'm so hungry.)

either (Doesn't he use one of the phones?)

neither - nor (My old grandmother could neither read nor write.)

Neither (None of them invited me, so I didn't go there.)

both (You should keep both hands on the steering wheel.)

either (I don't like horror movies and my husband doesn't either.)

Both (Both mom and dad have green eyes.)

neither (I asked two friends to help me with the test, but neither of them knew the answer.)

either (Her dress was either black or brown.)

either (Ask Fred or Linda to buy some milk.)

neither - nor (We can't meet today or tomorrow. I'm terribly busy.)

Either, neither, both

For a more detailed discussion of this topic, see them translations of these unions:

neither ... nor - neither ... nor;

either ... or - or ... or, either ... or;

both ... and - and ... and, both ... and.

Now let's study each of these combinations separately.


Neither ... nor - neither ... nor

This union is negative and serves to connect homogeneous members of the sentence. To make it clearer, consider a few examples.

NeitherKatenorher friend answered the question (the union connects the subjects) - Neither Katya nor her friend answered the question.

We broughtneitherbooksnorcopy-books (alliance connect additions) - We didn't bring any books or notebooks.

We mustn'tneitherhelp,norlend the money to John (conjunction connects the predicates) - We are not obliged to help or lend money to John.

We boughtneitheroldnornew flat (conjunction connects definitions) - We have not bought either the old or the new apartment.

Please note that the unionneither ... norconnects any members of the sentence: these can be subjects, definitions, additions, predicates, etc.

It should be remembered that the combinationneither ... noroften serves to connect subjects, then the predicate is consistent with the nearest subject. But this rule is usually not respected, and the predicate is placed in plural as shown in the examples above.

Consider this note for an example.

Neithermy friendsnorKate wantsto go to a party - Neither my friends nor Katya want to go to a party (the predicate is consistent with the nearest subject).

Neithermy friendsnorKate want to go to a party - Neither my friends nor Katya want to go to a party (the predicate is plural - this translation is usually used).

It is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that in an English sentence there can be only one negation, and since the unionneither ... nor - negative, the predicate in the sentence must always be affirmative. This is evident from all the above examples.

Ifneither

Study an example.

Weneithersent the parcelnorthe letter - We did not send either the parcel or the letter.

Either ... or - or ... or, either ... or

This union is used in affirmative sentences, connecting homogeneous members. Unlike the union neither ... nor,either ... or, connecting the subjects, is consistent with the nearest of them.

To make the use of this union more clear, study a few examples.

Eitherour classmate,oryour friendhascomplained to the teacher - Either our classmates or your friend complained to the teacher.

Ifeitherdoes not apply to the subject, then it can be placed before the verb-predicate.

They willeitherbuild a restaurantora shopping center in this district - They will build either a restaurant or a shopping center in the area.

If the sentence is negative, then the unioneither ... orcan act as an allianceneither ... nor.

Study an example.

We didn't painteitherceilingorwall - We didn't paint the ceiling or the wall.

Both ... and - and ... and, both ... and

This union is used in affirmative sentences and connects homogeneous members of the sentence. If the union connects the subjects, then the predicate must be used in the plural.

Explore a few examples.

BothJohnandthat engineer refuse to work - Both John and that engineer refuse to work.

We sawboththe universityandthe school - We saw both the school and the university.

1. Choose the appropriate option from the brackets.

We have asked them both but … (neither/both) of them knows his address.

He has lived in Milan and Madrid but he didn’t like … (either/neither) of the cities much.

She is very slim. I think she is … (either/neither) a sportsman … (or/nor) a model.

Anna never works all day. She works … (either/neither) in the morning … (or/nor) after lunch.

He has 2 cars, but I don't like … (either/neither) of them.

She couldn't choose between them, she liked them ... (both/either).

You can take … (either/neither) a bus or a train to get to Oxford.

Would you like fish or chicken? - It doesn't matter. … (Either/Both) will do for me.

Would you like apple juice or orange juice? - … (Either/Neither), thanks. I don't like juice.

Would you like some salad or some steak? - … (Either/Both). I'm so hungry.

Doesn’t he use … (either/neither) of his phones?

My old granny could … (either/neither) read … (or/nor) write.

… (Either/Neither) of them invited me, so I didn't go there.

You should keep … (either/both) hands on the steering wheel.

I don’t like horror films, and my husband doesn’t like … (either/neither).

… (Either/Both) my mother and father have green eyes.

I asked two friends to help me with the test, but … (either/neither) of them knew the answer.

Her dress was … (either/both) black or brown.

Please ask … (either/neither) Fred or Linda to buy some milk.

We can meet … (either/neither) today … (or/nor) tomorrow. I am terribly busy.

Fill in the gaps and complete the sentences. Use either... or, neither... nor, both... and.

1. I drink ... coffee ... hot chocolate.
 2. I didn't like the new book. It was ... interesting ... useful.
 3. I invited two friends, but ... Liz ... Jane could come to the .
 4. Granny promised me a nice dessert. It will be ... a chocolate cake ... an apple pie.
 5. Last year I visited ... London ... St Petersburg.
 6. Alex will phone me ... at five o "clock ... at six o" clock.
 7. No, thank you. I "ll have ... tea ... coffee.

8. Did anybody come to see you last week?

Nobody did... Julia... John was there.

9. Have they arrived yet?

No, they haven't. But I expect them… today… tomorrow.

10. Borrow some money from your friends.... Ann... Mary will help you.

From your Russian lessons, you probably know that sentences are simple and complex. Complex, in turn, are divided into compound and complex. For the former, both parts of the sentence are equal, while for the latter, one part is the main sentence, and the second (or even several others) is the subordinate clause. “Wait, but what does the Russian have to do with it?” - you ask. The fact is that English has exactly the same varieties of sentences. And if everything is quite simple with simple and compound sentences, complex subordinate clauses and their subordinate clauses in English have their own characteristics, which we will talk about today.

Relative clauses in English: use

Complex sentences or complex sentences in English, as mentioned earlier, consist of 2 parts:

Almost always, these parts can be interchanged. They are separated in most cases intonation, but sometimes the presence of a comma is acceptable. A feature of subordinate clauses is that they cannot be used independently, since such clauses simply explain the main thing. Example:

Let's share these suggestions:

We hope that you have an idea of ​​what a subordinate clause is. Now we can consider the types of subordinate clauses.

Types of subordinate clauses in English

In total, there are 5 types of subordinate clauses in English:

1. The subject clause or subject clause performs the function of the subject, answers the questions “what? /Who?" and is introduced into the sentence with unions who (who), what (what), that (what), which (which), when (when), where (where), why (why), how (how), if / whether (whether ).
   Examples:

1. The predicative clause or the predicate clause is used in the function of the nominal part of the predicate with the same conjunctions that were used for the case above:

1. The object clause or additional clauses answer the questions "what?", "for what?", "whom?". Already known unions can be introduced, although non-union cases are also possible:

Unionless joining occurs only when the union that is implied:

1. The attributive clause or relative clauses act as a definition. They answer the question "what?". Conjunctions are required to enter them: that (which), which (which is for inanimate only), who (which is for animate only), whose (whose), why (why), where (where):

1. The adverbial clause or subordinate clause. Perhaps the largest group of subordinate clauses, which is divided into the following subgroups:

• Adventitious places that are entered using where (where, where) and wherever (where / wherever):

• Time clauses introduced by unions when (when), while (while), before (before), after (after), until / till (until / until), as soon as (as soon as), since (since):

• Subordinate reasons that are introduced using the unions as (because), because (because), since (because):

• Subordinate targets that use conjunctions that (to), in order that (in order to), so that (so that), lest (so as not):

• Adventitious modalities and comparisons are introduced using as if / though (as if), that (what), as (as):

• Subordinate concessions are introduced by the conjunctions although / though (although), whoever (whoever), however (no matter how), whatever (whatever), no matter what / how (whatever / however), even though (despite to what):

• Subordinate conditions that include unions if (if), unless (yet), provided / in condition that (subject to):

Sooner or later, everyone who learns English is faced with the concept relative clause. Under such a mysterious name, subordinate attributive sentences (parts of complex sentences) are hidden. In other words, in a complex sentence, the subordinate (dependent) part - relative clause- reveals in detail the main and carries clarifying information.

Let us give examples of the formation of one phrase with relative clause from two simple, rather short and related sentences:

A train goes to Manchester. It leaves from platform 3. - The train is going to Manchester. It leaves from platform 3.
The train which goes to Manchester leaves from platform 3. – Train, which goes to Manchester, departs from platform 3.

A lady teaches us German. She lives next door. – The lady teaches us German. She lives next door.
The lady who teaches us German lives next door. - lady, which teaches us German, lives next door.

I saw a film yesterday. It was fantastic. - I saw a movie yesterday. He turned out amazing.
The film that I saw yesterday was fantastic. - Movie, which I looked yesterday, it was amazing.

As you can see, the integral components relative clause are primarily words which, who And that. All of them correspond to the Russian word "which". However, apart from these relative clause can be entered in words whose(whose, whose) whom(to whom, with whom), where(where, in which), when(when, in which) why(why, by which):

The guy whose laptop had been stolen called the police. - Boy, which one stole a laptop, called the police.

Every summer John goes to the town where his parents were born. Every summer John goes to the city, Where (in which) his parents were born.

There were 2 reasons why she mentioned it. - There were 2 reasons for which she mentioned it.

Also note that the indefinite article a before nouns train, lady, film in a sentence with relative clause is replaced by the, since the subordinate clause complements the indicated nouns, making them specific.

By the way, about the difference between which, who And that(and this question will probably interest you) we advise you to read in. You can also learn more about her by watching a video from Rebecca.

Types of Relative Clause in English

Getting to know relative clause in the textbooks of foreign authors, you will certainly notice that this phenomenon, as a rule, is supplemented by the numbers 1 and 2. What do they mean? Let's figure it out.

Under the number 1 lies the so-called Defining(or Identifying- restrictive) relative clause, representing important and significant information for the utterance. It should be remembered that such a subordinate clause in English, unlike Russian, is not separated by commas:

Richard is the man who married my cousin Janet. Richard is the man who married my cousin Janet.

That's the cat that I saw in my garden - This is the same cat that I saw in my garden.

The number 2 means non-defining(or non-identifying- spread) relative clause, introducing additional, clarifying information that is not always important for the statement. Therefore, in this case, the subordinate clause is separated by commas:

The girl from my college, who I have never spoken to before, asked me for help today. A girl from my college who I have never talked to before asked me for help today.

That red car, which is in my garage now, was bought by my sister. That red car that is now in my garage was bought by my sister.

Learn more about placing commas in complex sentences, including examples with relative clause, you can find out in .

It is worth noting that in some sentences the union, which is the beginning relative clause, may be skipped. To see if we can drop which, who or that, you must first determine with what the subordinate clause is consistent: with the subject or with the addition.

Consider 2 examples:

The young man who lives upstairs is very friendly. – The young man living above us (one floor above) is very friendly.

The young man who) you met yesterday lives upstairs. – The young man you met yesterday lives above us (one floor above).

In the first case, we are dealing with Subject Relative Clause, in which the subject of the relative attributive clause coincides with the subject of the main ( the man). In such a sentence, the presence of a union (in this case - who) Necessarily.

In the second case, the main and subordinate clauses have different subjects:

The young man lives upstairs.
You met him(addition) yesterday.

An adjective of this kind is called Object Relative Clause and does not require the presence of relative pronouns which, who or that.

To better consolidate the above material, we give other examples of sentences with the presence and absence of relative pronouns:

• Subject Relative Clause:
  

  The doctor told him not to worry. a doctor treated him. = The doctor who treated him who treated him told him not to worry.

• Object Relative Clause:
  

  The doctor told him not to worry. He talked to a doctor. = The doctor he talked to told him not to worry. - Doctor, with whom he spoke asked him not to worry.

Note that prepositions in clauses Object Relative Clause often placed after relative pronouns which, who or that and verbs (both with and without complement):

It's the movie I told you about. This is the movie I told you about.

This is the book she has been looking for. This is the book she was looking for.

So that you can master the topic better, we have prepared a short test.

​

Test

Relative Clause in English: types and rules of use

​

1. Fill in the gaps in the sentences with appropriate relative pronouns.

Exercise 1.

The road we took led to an ancient temple.

Task 2.

The friend place I stayed at last year is coming to stay with us soon.

Task 3.

Do you know Jake works for?

Task 4.

I'm trying to find the poem was written by my younger brother.