CHUYÊN ĐỀ

Relative pronouns and clauses
There are three kinds of relative clauses: defining (see 72-7), non-defining (78-81) and connective (82).
72 Defining relative clauses
These describe the preceding noun in such a way as to distinguish it from other nouns of the same class. A clause of this kind is essential to the clear understanding of the noun. In the sentence:
The man who told me this refused to give me his name `who told me this` is the relative clause. If we omit this, it is not clear what man we are talking about. Notice that there is no comma between a noun and a defining relative clause.
Defining relative clauses usually follow the + noun, but they can also be used with a/an + noun, plural nouns without the and the pronouns all, none, anybody, somebody etc. and those. Clauses following a/an + noun, plural nouns without the and somebody/someone/something sometimes define their noun/pronoun only indirectly. The noun/pronoun in these cases is usually the object of a verb or preposition:
/ met someone who said he knew you.
The book is about a girl who falls in love with . . . Sometimes these clauses are separated from their noun/pronoun by a word or phrase:
There`s a man here who wants . . .
I saw something in the paper which would interest you. But normally relative clauses should be placed directly after their noun or pronoun:
The noise that he made woke everybody up.
She was annoyed by something that I had said.
73 Relative pronouns used in defining relative clauses The forms are as follows:

Subject
Object
Possessive

For persons
who
whom/who
whose


that
that


For things
which
which
whose/of which


that
that


74 Defining relative clauses: persons
A Subject: who or that who is normally used:
The man who robbed you has been arrested.
The girls who serve in the shop are the owner`s daughters.
Only those who had booked in advance were allowed in.
Would anyone who saw the accident please get in touch with
the police?
But that is a possible alternative after all, everyone, everybody , one, nobody and those:
Everyone who/that knew him liked him.
Nobody who/that watched the match will ever forget it.
B Object of a verb: whom or who or that
The object form is whom, but this is considered very formal. In spoke , English we normally use who or that (that being more usual than who), and it is still more common to omit the object pronoun altogether:
The man whom I saw told me to come back today or
The man who I saw ... or The man that I saw ... or
The man I saw . . . (relative pronoun omitted)
The girls whom he employs are always complaining about their pay 01
The girls who he employs ... or The girls that he employs . . or
The girls he employs . . .
C With a preposition: whom or that
In formal English the preposition is placed before the relative pronoun, which must then be put into the form whom:
the man to whom I spoke
In informal speech, however, it is more usual to move the preposition to the end of the clause, whom then is often replaced by that, but it is still more common to omit the relative altogether:
the man who/whom I spoke to or
the man that I spoke to or the man I spoke to Similarly:
The man from whom I bought it told me to oil it or
The man who/that I bought it from ... or
The man I bought it from . . .
The friend with whom I was travelling spoke French or
The friend who/that I was travelling with ... or
The friend I was travelling with . . .
D Possessive
whose is the only possible form:
People whose rents have been raised can appeal. The film is about a spy whose wife betrays him.
Defining relative clauses: things 75 a Subject
Either which or that, which is the more formal:
This is the picture which/that caused such a sensation. The stairs which/that lead to the cellar are rather slippery. (See also B below.)
B Object of a verb
which or that, or no relative at all:
The car which/that I hired broke down or The car I hired . . . which is hardly ever used after all, everything, little, much, none,
no and compounds of no, or after superlatives. Instead we use that, or omit the relative altogether, if it is the object of a verb:
All the apples that fall are eaten by the pigs.
This is the best hotel (that) I know.
C Object