Many people who are learning English know that it is important to understand the elements that make up a sentence and how they interact with each other. In particular, relative clauses and relative pronouns are essential concepts to know in order to create complex sentences and enrich meaning. In this article, we will explain relative clauses and object relative pronouns in detail, and help you realize their composition and usage.
1. What is a relative clause?
A relative clause is a dependent clause that conveys a more specific meaning by combining with a main clause. It typically begins with relative pronouns such as ‘who’, ‘that’, and ‘which’, and is used to describe a noun in the main clause (which can be a person or a thing). By using a relative clause, the sentence becomes more concise and can provide additional information.
1.1. Structure of a relative clause
A relative clause consists of two main components. The first is the relative pronoun, and the second is the other components of the clause. For example:
- My sister, who loves music, is a talented singer.
- The book that I read was fascinating.
In the above two examples, the relative clauses are ‘who loves music’ and ‘that I read’, respectively. They modify the subject and object of the main clause, adding more information.
2. Object relative pronouns
Object relative pronouns serve the role of replacing the object in a sentence. They are typically used with ‘that’ or ‘who’ as the sentence progresses. Object relative pronouns are useful because they can often be omitted in sentences.
2.1. Types of object relative pronouns
There are various object relative pronouns, but the most commonly used ones are ‘that’ and ‘whom’. For example:
- I know the man that you met.
- She’s the person whom I called.
In the above sentences, ‘that you met’ and ‘whom I called’ clarify the object of the sentence. Additionally, object relative pronouns are often optional:
- I know the man you met.
- She’s the person I called.
3. How to use relative clauses
Relative clauses can enrich English sentences. By starting with basic sentences and adding relative clauses, you can develop simple sentences into complex and meaningful ones.
3.1. Learning relative clauses through examples
To aid understanding, let’s see some examples:
Example 1
Basic sentence: I saw a cat.
Adding a relative clause: I saw a cat that was sleeping on the roof.
Example 2
Basic sentence: The book is interesting.
Adding a relative clause: The book that I borrowed is interesting.
4. Practical practice with relative clauses and object relative pronouns
Practice using relative clauses and object relative pronouns freely by completing various sentences. Please practice by completing the sentences below.
- The person ________ I met at the conference was very helpful.
- They have a cat ________ is very playful.
4.1. Answers
1. that/whom
2. that/which
5. Conclusion
Understanding and using relative clauses and object relative pronouns is a very important part of learning English. By effectively utilizing these grammatical elements, you can construct more natural and fluent sentences, and also improve your reading and writing skills. Therefore, it is important to practice frequently and familiarize yourself with the use of relative clauses by writing various sentences.
I hope this article has been helpful for your study of English sentences, and I encourage you to continue improving your English skills!