Grammar: Relative Clauses - Guidance, Templates & Training

1 1 Copyright 1978-2003 Robert B. Parkinson All Rights CLAUSE:Does it Specify Which One?Or Does it Just Describethe One and Only?2 Copyright 1978-2003 Robert B. Parkinson All Rights Concept .. 4 Specifying 4 Describing 5 The 6 WHICH, THAT OR .. ?.. 8 Which .. 9 That .. 9 CLOSING COMMA IN DESCRIBING 11 MISSING 12 Specifying: Which Treaty? .. 13 Describing: The One and Only 14 Specifying: Which Aunt?.. 15 Describing: My One and Only Aunt .. 163 Copyright 1978-2003 Robert B. Parkinson All Rights humble comma can make important differences in the meaning of a sentence. The following pages show examples of this in something called a Relative clause . The term is a bit technical, but you ll see that it s something that you use manytimes a day.

2 Relative Clauses are often misused ) sometimes leading to seriousmisunderstandings, other times simply displaying poor grammar . When speakingto people, we have tools such as pauses, changes in tone and instant feedback totell us whether we have used Relative Clauses properly to get a point across. Whenwriting, we have none of these advantages. We must rely upon the tools 1978-2003 Robert B. Parkinson All Rights CONCEPTR elative Clauses are subordinate Clauses that modify a noun. Here is anexample:John read the book that Mary loaned to underlined words are a Relative clause. It exists only in relation to thenoun "book", which it are two types of Relative Clauses . One is a specifying clause. The otheris a clause that only describes.

3 The difference between the two lies in ahumble CLAUSESThis type of clause specifies which person or thing we are talking about. Theexample cited above is such a clause. If the underlined clause were omitted,we would not know which book John read. Defining Clauses are also knownas: restrictive Clauses ; or limiting is an example:I will not be able to make the flight for Toronto that leaves at 4:30this the speaker is specifying which of a number of flights from Toronto thatshe will not be able to make: the one that leaves at 4:30 this 1978-2003 Robert B. Parkinson All Rights CLAUSESA describing clause tells us more about the noun when the person or thing weare talking about has already been established.

4 Describing Clauses are alsoknown as: non-defining Clauses ; parenthetical Clauses ; non-essential Clauses ; non-restrictive Clauses ; or non-limiting is an example of a describing clause:Anne spent all afternoon in her office, which is not air this case, the underlined clause simply tells us more information aboutAnne's office. It doesn't tell us in which office she spent the afternoon. Thathas been defined already by the word "her".THE RULEHow do you tell the difference between specifying and describing Clauses ? It'seasy: Specifying Clauses are never preceded by a comma. Describing Clauses are always preceded by a comma (and followed by acomma when the clause occurs in the middle of a sentence).6 Copyright 1978-2003 Robert B.

5 Parkinson All Rights ClausesDescribing ClausesThis morning Michelle is meetingwith the auditor who is reviewing sentence specifies whichauditor Michelle is meeting thisafternoon: the one who isreviewing our would like you to meet our auditor,who has worked here for three , there is no question whichauditor I am talking about. Wehave only one of them. This justtells you more information abouther: that she has worked here forthree will attend the 2001 International Widget Associationconference that is being held inMontr al on July 15, implies that several 2001 International Widget conferencesare being held this year. Thedefining clause specifies which onePeter has decided to attend: the onebeing held in Montr al on July 15, will attend the 2001 International Widget AssociationConference, which is being held inMontr al on July 15, statement implies that onlyone 2001 International WidgetAssociation conference is beingheld this year.

6 The describingclause just tells us more about it: that it is being held in Montr al onJuly 15, 1978-2003 Robert B. Parkinson All Rights has decided to turn thisproblem over to the managementconsulting unit that has expertise indatabase defining clause here impliesthat there are a number ofmanagement consulting units towhich Jacqueline could turn forhelp. However, she has chosen oneof those units over the others: theone that has expertise in other words, the key message ofthis sentence is that Jacqueline hasdecided to turn the problem over toone particular managementconsulting unit (the one withexpertise in database management)rather than one of the has decided to turn thisproblem over to the ManagementConsulting Unit, which has expertisein database sentence implies that there isonly one management consultingunit.

7 The describing clause simplytells us more about that unit: that ithas expertise in other words, the key message ofthe sentence is that Jacqueline hasdecided to turn the problem over tothe management consulting unit )as opposed to, say, doing nothing,asking the database administrator tosolve the problem, or calling inoutside 1978-2003 Robert B. Parkinson All Rights THAT OR .. ?Grammarians love to argue about which pronouns belong in what kind of relativeclause. However, for our purposes, the rules are fairly simple. The chart belowgives you a quick guide to the pronouns to use in various ofPronounTypeofNounModifiedType ofRelativeClausePronounto UseExamplenominativepeoplespecifyingwhoT his morning I met with the man who called morning I met with John, who called has been chosen to lead the task force that we setup last week to develop a business has been chosen to lead the Business Plan TaskForce, which we set up last morning I gave a ride to a friend whose car is infor a tune-updescribingwhoseThis morning I gave a ride to John, whose car is in for are scheduled to meet next week with the presidentof a company whose expansion plans include coppermining in are scheduled to meet next week with the Presidentof XL Industries.

8 Whose expansion plans include coppermining in have attached letters of congratulations to theemployees to whom you will be presenting awards onJuly 26, have attached a letter of congratulations to Mr. JohnDoe, to whom you will present an award on July 26, have attached a list of the companies to which we sentinvitations to the have attached a profile of XL Industries, to which wesent an invitation to the 1978-2003 Robert B. Parkinson All Rights StatementThe horse, which is white, costs$ it MeansThere is only one horse here. Itcosts $ By the way, it iswhite. Which or That ?In this case, you have no choice. You must use which . Note also the use ofcommas StatementThe horse that is white costs$ it MeansWe re looking at a number of horses here.

9 I want you to know which one costs $ It is the one that s white. Which or That ?In this case, you have a choice. You could use either which or that withoutchanging the meaning. I prefer that , because it helps to make it clear that I mspecifying, not just describing. Note also the lack of commas 1978-2003 Robert B. Parkinson All Rights COMMA IN DESCRIBING CLAUSESIf a describing clause occurs in the middle of a sentence, it must be followed by aclosing comma. Remember that a describing clause is also known as aparenthetical clause. You can no more omit a closing comma than you can omit aclosing parenthesis:WrongRightWe plan to finalize the memorandumto Cabinet, which will requireextensive consultations with otherdepartments by the end of plan to finalize the memorandumto Cabinet, which will requireextensive consultations with otherdepartments, by the end of the effect of omitting the closing comma in the first example.

10 Doing sosuggests that the consultations will be completed by the end of September. Thequestion of when the memorandum to Cabinet will be finalized is left is the same sentence, using parentheses rather than commas to set off thedescribing clause:WrongRightWe plan to finalize the memorandumto Cabinet (which will requireextensive consultations with otherdepartments by the end of plan to finalize the memorandumto Cabinet (which will requireextensive consultations with otherdepartments) by the end of this example, omitting the closing parenthesis is obviously wrong. However, athoughtful reader will realize that the sentence is ambiguous. He or she cannot besure where the closing parenthesis was intended to 1978-2003 Robert B.)