大学英语语法11-定语从句
Unit 11
Clause: Adjective clauses
• Grammar: Adjective clauses • Writing:
Correcting: Lack of Subject-Verb Agreement Rewriting: Inter-sentence coherence
• Why did he fail? • The reason is still obscure. • The reason why he failed is still obscure. • (why = for which; which = reason; as an adverbial of the clause.)
• He was really alive all the time.
• A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time.
• (As “brother” has a modifier “long-lost”, it is still clear without the clause.)
• The sun had set. • We returned to our hotel at once. • As soon as the sun had set, we returned to our hotel at
once.
• Now he knew it. • He would be able to reach the South Pole. • The South Pole was 300 miles away. • He now knew that he would be able to reach the South
Clauses
There are two kinds of clauses: main clause and subordinate clause. A main clause (or a simple sentence) contains a complete thought and therefore can stand alone as a sentence. Every sentence must contain at least one main clause (MC).
3. Introducers
3.1. In restrictive adjective clauses
The following relative pronouns are used to introduce restrictive adjective clauses.
Subject Object Possessive
• She forgot the name of the store. • At that store, her father bought her an MP4. • She forgot the name of the store where her father bought her
an MP4. • (where = at which; which = store; as an adverbial of the clause.)
Introducer + (subject) + predicate + …
• He picked up a long pipe. • The pipe was covered with coins. • He picked up a long pipe which was covered with coins. • (which = pipe, as a subject of the adjective clause.)
• A clown is a person. • He makes you laugh. • A clown is a person who makes you laugh. • (Without the clause, “A clown is a person” doesn’t make sense.) • Let’s go to a country. • In the country, the sun always shines. • Let’s go to a country where the sun always shines. • (Without the clause, “Let’s go to a country” doesn’t make the
Person who/that whom, who, that/ø whose
Things which/that which, that/ø whose
The following subordinating conjunctions are used in restrictive adjective clause.
• We were worried about our nearest neighbors.
• They were newcomers to the district.
• We were worried about our nearest neighbors, who were newcomers to the district.
• (As “our nearest neighbors” are clear, the sentence makes sense without the clause.)
• A brother was lost for a long time.
• People presumed him to be dead.
2. Kinds Adjective clauses can be divided into two kinds: restrictive and nonrestrictive. A restrictive adjective clause gives essential information. Without the clause, the complete meaning of the sentence would not be expressed clearly. A restrictive adjective clause should not be set off by commas.
• We waited for half an hour. • Nothing happened. • We waited for half an hour, but nothing happened.
A subordinate clause also has a subject and a predicate, but it cannot stand alone to make sense. It needs a main clause to complete its meaning. A subordinate clause is usually introduced by subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns.
4. whom is very formal and is only used in written English. In spoken English, that is usually replaced by who/that, or nothing (ø).
5. that is usually used after the words like something, anything, everything, nothing, all and superlatives. There is something that we will never forget. That was the most exciting news that I have ever heard.
Pole, which was 300 miles away.
1. Functions and forms
An adjective clause is a sentence clause that modifies a noun or a pronoun as an adjective does. Both relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, that and which) and the subordinating conjunctions (where, when and why) may be used as introducers to begin adjective clauses.
• He caught sight of a figure. • He immediately recognized it. • It was our local grocer. • He caught sight of a figure whom he immediately
recognized as our local grocer. • (whom = figure, as an object of the adjective clause.)
• I can not remember the day. • At that day, they got engaged. • I can not remember the day when they got engaged.. • (when = at which; which = day; as an adverbial of the clause.)
meaning of the sentence clear.)
When an adjective clause is not absolutely needed in order to express the complete meaning of a sentence, it is called a nonrestrictive adjective clause. It can be omitted from a sentence without affecting the basic meaning of the sentence. It should be set offe