Relative Pronouns in Relative Clauses

Relative Pronouns in Relative Clauses

Janpha Thadphoothon

Relative Clauses - COLLINS COBUILD English Grammar (Helping Learners with Real English) (1995) explains the use of a relative clause as being something we can add or give additional information about people or things.

"When you mention someone or something in a sentence, you often want to give further information about them - and one way to do that is to use a relative clause. (p. 362)."

Image: AI-generated illustration by ChatGPT 4.o

กฎข้อหนึ่งที่เราควรจำไว้ก็คือ Every relative-clause sentence can be rewritten in at least 2 related sentences.

ทุกประโยคที่มี Relative Clause สามารถแบ่งออกมาเป็นประโยคพื้นฐานได้อย่างน้อย 2 ประโยค

การแบ่งประโยคที่มี Relative Clause ออกเป็นประโยคพื้นฐานอย่างน้อยสองประโยคนั้นสามารถทำได้โดยการแยกส่วนของประโยคที่มี Relative Clause ออกมาเป็นประโยคเดี่ยวๆ ที่สามารถยืนได้ด้วยตนเอง มาดูตัวอย่างกัน:

ตัวอย่าง 1:

- ประโยคที่มี Relative Clause: The book that is on the table is mine.

- แบ่งเป็นประโยคพื้นฐาน:

  1. The book is on the table.

  2. The book is mine.

ตัวอย่าง 2:

- ประโยคที่มี Relative Clause: 

The man who lives next door is a doctor.

- แบ่งเป็นประโยคพื้นฐาน:

  1. The man lives next door.

  2. The man is a doctor.

ตัวอย่าง 3:

- ประโยคที่มี Relative Clause: The cake which was made by my grandmother is delicious.

- จงแบ่งเป็นประโยคพื้นฐาน:

  1. The cake was made by my grandmother.

  2. The cake is delicious.

การแบ่งประโยคแบบนี้จะช่วยให้เราเข้าใจส่วนประกอบของประโยคได้ดียิ่งขึ้น และสามารถนำไปใช้ในการสื่อสารได้อย่างถูกต้องและชัดเจน

Examples:

The man who came into the room was small and slender. (p. 362)

The dictionary also explains that:

" Relative clauses have a similar function to adjectives and sometimes called adjectival clauses"

What are Relative Pronouns?

Relative pronouns are words that introduce relative clauses, which provide additional information about a noun mentioned in the main clause of a sentence. They help to connect the relative clause to the main clause, creating a more detailed and descriptive sentence.

"Many relative clauses begin with a relative pronoun. The relative pronoun usually acts as the subject or object of the verb in the relative clause (p. 362)." 

 
The most common relative pronouns in English are "who," "whom," "that," and "which.", and "whose"

Types of Relative Pronouns:

1. Who: Used for people (subject).

2. Whom: Used for people (object).

3. That: Used for people and things (subject or object).

4. Which: Used for things (subject or object).

5. I met the man whose house was sold for 5 billion baht.

Examples

1. Who:

   - Bill was the man who bought a new BMW.

  - She is the teacher who inspired me.

   2. Whom:

   - The teacher whom the students admired retired last year.

   - She is the person whom I trust the most.

- Amy was a girl with whom I am falling in love. หรือ Amy was a girl I am falling in love with.

3. That:

   - I bought three cats that were advertised for sale on the Internet.

- The only person that I knew at the party was Mike.

4. Which:

   - I read the book which you recommended.

   - The car which/that he drives is very expensive.

5. Whose แสดงความเป็นเจ้าของ

I met the man whose house was sold for 5 billion baht.

มาจาก
1. I met the man.
2. His house was sold for 5 billion baht.

I met the man whose house was sold for 5 billion baht.

How to Use Relative Pronouns:

1. Identify the noun you want to add more information about.

2. Choose the appropriate relative pronoun based on whether the noun is a person or a thing, and whether the pronoun is the subject or the object in the relative clause.

3. Add the relative clause immediately after the noun, starting with the relative pronoun.

More Examples:

1. Who:

   - The girl who sings beautifully is my sister.

   - The man who fixed our roof is a skilled carpenter.

2. Whom:

   - The lawyer whom we hired won the case.

   - The artist whom they praised was very humble.

3. That:

   - The house that we visited is over a hundred years old.

   - The smartphone that I bought last month is already broken.

4. Which:

   - The painting which hangs in the museum is priceless.

   - The movie which we watched last night was a thriller.

What is a Relative Clause?

One might ask what a relative clause is. A relative clause is a part of a sentence that provides additional information about a noun mentioned in the main clause. It begins with a relative pronoun, such as "who," "whom," "that," or "which." The relative clause functions to describe, identify, or give more details about the noun, making the sentence more informative and specific.

How Relative Pronouns Work in Relative Clauses:

Relative pronouns are essential for introducing relative clauses. They connect the clause to the noun it modifies and indicates whether the clause is giving extra information about a person, a thing, or both. The choice of relative pronoun depends on the role of the noun (subject or object) and whether the noun is a person or a thing.

Structure of a Relative Clause:

1. Main Clause: The primary part of the sentence that can stand alone.

2. Relative Pronoun: The word that introduces the relative clause.

3. Relative Clause: The part of the sentence that gives additional information about the noun.

Identifying Relative Clauses

To identify a relative clause in a sentence, look for the relative pronoun and check if it introduces a clause that provides more information about a noun.

Examples

- Sentence: The woman who called me yesterday is my aunt.

  - Main Clause: The woman is my aunt.

  - Relative Pronoun: who

  - Relative Clause: who called me yesterday

มาจาก 
1. The woman is my aunt.
2. She called me yesterday.

Types of Relative Clauses:

1. Defining (or Restrictive) Relative Clause: Provides essential information about the noun. Without this clause, the meaning of the sentence would be incomplete.

   - The book that I borrowed is on the table.

     - Explanation: "That I borrowed" specifies which book is being referred to.

2. Non-defining (or Non-restrictive) Relative Clause: Adds extra information about the noun. This information can be omitted without changing the basic meaning of the sentence. Non-defining clauses are usually separated by commas.

   - Example: My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting us next week.

Note:
It is possible to write relative clauses without relative pronouns in English. 

This is known as a "reduced relative clause." Here are some examples:

Original with relative pronoun: 

The book that is on the table is mine.

Reduced relative clause: 

The book on the table is mine.

คือการเปลี่ยนจาก Clause เป็น Phrase นั่นเอง

Original with relative pronoun: 

The man who lives next door is a doctor.

Reduced relative clause: 

The man living next door is a doctor.

Original with relative pronoun: 

The cake which was made by my grandmother is delicious.

Reduced relative clause: 

The cake made by my grandmother is delicious.

Last but not least...

He who practices using the language will soon master it.
ผู้ที่ฝึกฝนการใช้ภาษาจะเชี่ยวชาญในไม่ช้า

References:

1. COLLINS COBUILD English Grammar (1995)

Janpha Thadphoothon is an assistant professor of ELT at the International College, Dhurakij Pundit University in Bangkok, Thailand. Janpha Thadphoothon also holds a certificate of Generative AI with Large Language Models issued by DeepLearning.AI.