LANGUAGE REFERENCE
144
10
GRAMMAR
G1
RELATIVE CLAUSES
Relative clauses give us information about something
or someone in a main clause.
DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
Use defining relative clauses to identify or define
things, ideas, places, time and possessions.
Mr Carson is the man
who taught us geography
.
Use a relative pronoun or adverb to introduce the
relative clause. Use
that
for things and people,
which
for things,
who
for people,
where
for places,
when
for times,
whose
for possession.
In formal English we prefer to put prepositions
before the relative pronoun. In informal English we
normally put the preposition at the end of the clause.
Parents need to know
with whom
their children are
associating. (formal)
Parents need to know who their children are mixing
with
. (informal)
Use
whom
instead of
who,
and
which
instead of
that
after prepositions.
Children feel social pressure to conform to the peer
group
with whom
they socialise.
Parents need to encourage children to avoid situations
in which
they could be pressurised.
!
Don’t use prepositions with the relative adverbs
when
and
where
.
2011 was the year when she left home in.
O
This is the school where I studied at.
O
If the relative pronoun is the object of the clause, we
can omit it.
Karl is the person (that) I told you about. (I told you
about
him
.)
!
We can’t omit the relative pronoun if it is the
subject of the clause.
I’d like you to meet Steve, who used to be my boss.
I’d like you to meet Steve, used to be my boss.
O
NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
Non-defining relative clauses give us extra
information which can be left out without affecting
the main meaning of the sentence. They are more
common in written English.
The author lives in Oxford.
The author
, who is elderly,
lives in Oxford.
These clauses have a comma before the clause, and
after it if necessary.
!
Don’t use
that
in non-defining relative clauses.
My new TV, that I bought last week, is broken.
O
My new TV,
which
I bought last week, is broken.
P
In both spoken and written English we can use a
non-defining clause to add a comment or opinion
about the action or situation in the main clause.
Everyone failed the test,
which was really unfair
.
G2
REDUCED RELATIVE CLAUSES
We can often replace a relative clause with a
participle phrase (a phrase beginning with the past
participle or
-ing
form of a verb).
We read the text which had been sent by the suspect.
= We read the text
sent by the suspect
.
(passive meaning)
He arrived late, which made us miss the train.
= He arrived late,
making us miss the train
.
(active meaning)
We can’t replace a relative clause in this way if the
relative pronoun is the object of the relative clause.
Karl is the person telling/told you about.
O
KEY LANGUAGE
KL
GIVING AND REACTING TO ADVICE
GIVING ADVICE
I’d advise you to …
If I were you, I’d …
I think you need to …
It’s vital/essential that you …
Why don’t you … ?
It might be a good idea to …
You could also …
It’d be advisable to …
You might consider …
It might be worth …
REACTING TO ADVICE
Yes, that could be helpful.
What’s the point of doing that?
OK, it’s worth trying.
That sounds like a good idea.
I like the idea, but …
That’s really good advice.
I’m not sure, I could try it.
Yes, I like the idea.
VOCABULARY
V1
PHRASAL VERBS CONNECTED WITH
WORKING TOGETHER
break up, fall out (with), get down to, get on (with), get
used to (+-
ing
), put up (with)
V2
PERSONALITY ADJECTIVES AND NOUNS
ambitious, ambition, authoritative, authority, conscientious,
conscientiousness, controlling, control, creative, creativity,
diplomatic, diplomacy, dynamic, energetic, energy,
enthusiastic, enthusiasm, fair, impatient, indecisive,
inflexible, knowledgeable, knowledge, objective,
objectivity, observant, outgoing, practical, practicality,
responsible, resourceful, resourcefulness
V3
WORD FORMATION
approve, approval, associate, association, behave, behavior,
conform, conformity, continue, continuity, define, definition,
disable, disability, propose, proposal, refuse, refusal, save,
savior, secure, security, suggest, suggestion
V4
IDIOMS WITH MIND
be in two minds, be out of (your) mind, keep an open
mind, make up (your) mind, peace of mind
V5
PSYCHOLOGY
assessment, case file, deduce, motive, profile, psychiatrist
