Relative Clauses
BasicRelative Clauses.
- Relative words: who (people) · which/that (things) · whose (possession)
- where (places) · when (time) · why (reason) — the reason why she never throws anything away
- Defining clauses take no comma; non-defining (extra info) take commas
文體小知識：who / which / that / whose — define or give extra info about a noun.
§Text Passage
1My grandmother, who is eighty this year, still remembers her school days clearly. She grew up in a small village where everyone knew one another. The school that she attended had only one classroom and one blackboard. Lessons started at seven in the morning, and pupils who arrived late had to stand outside. The headmaster, whom all the children respected, taught them every subject himself.
2She still keeps the pen which she used to practise Chinese characters. Her elder brother, whose family moved to England many years ago, writes to her every month. She often talks about the years when life was simple but hard. That is probably the reason why she never throws anything away. Every object in her flat seems to carry a story that she is happy to share with me.
3Last Sunday, I visited the new district library which stands next to her estate. She walked there slowly with me, pointing at the trees that she had planted years ago. In the reading room, she met an old classmate whom she had not seen for over fifty years. They chatted for an hour about the teachers who had shaped their lives. When I listen to her stories, I feel proud of the woman who raised my father. I hope that one day I can tell my own grandchildren stories which are just as interesting.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
My grandmother, who is eighty this year, still remembers her school days clearly.
我奶奶今年八十歲，仍然清楚記得她的求學日子。
She grew up in a small village where everyone knew one another.
她在一條小村落長大，那裡人人都互相認識。
The school that she attended had only one classroom and one blackboard.
她就讀的學校只有一個課室和一塊黑板。
Lessons started at seven in the morning, and pupils who arrived late had to stand outside.
早上七點就開始上課，遲到的學生要站在外面。
The headmaster, whom all the children respected, taught them every subject himself.
那位所有孩子都尊敬的校長，親自教他們所有科目。
She still keeps the pen which she used to practise Chinese characters.
她仍然保留著那支用來練寫中文字的筆。
Her elder brother, whose family moved to England many years ago, writes to her every month.
她哥哥一家很多年前移居了英國，但他每個月都會寫信給奶奶。
She often talks about the years when life was simple but hard.
她常常講起那些生活簡單但艱難的年月。
That is probably the reason why she never throws anything away.
這個大概就是她從來不捨得丟掉東西的原因。
Every object in her flat seems to carry a story that she is happy to share with me.
她家每件物件似乎都帶著一個她很樂意同我分享的故事。
Last Sunday, I visited the new district library which stands next to her estate.
上星期日，我去了她屋邨旁邊新開的地區圖書館。
She walked there slowly with me, pointing at the trees that she had planted years ago.
她慢慢地同我走過去，指著那些她多年前親手種的樹。
In the reading room, she met an old classmate whom she had not seen for over fifty years.
在閱覽室，她遇到一位五十多年沒有見的舊同學。
They chatted for an hour about the teachers who had shaped their lives.
他們談了一個小時，講起那些塑造了他們人生的老師。
When I listen to her stories, I feel proud of the woman who raised my father.
聽著她的故事，我為養大我爸爸的這位女士感到驕傲。
I hope that one day I can tell my own grandchildren stories which are just as interesting.
我希望有一天，我都可以和自己的孫子孫女講同樣有趣的故事。
1Summary 重點摘要
Relative Clauses.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
For people (subject).
For things.
People or things (defining).
Possessive.
For people (object, formal).
For time.
For place.
For reason.
3Step by step Steps
- Identify antecedentFirst find the noun being modified (the antecedent). Example: My grandmother, who is eighty… — grandmother is a person, so who follows. The antecedent decides the relative word; never choose by feel.
- Choose pronounPeople take who/whom; things take which; defining clauses may use that; possession takes whose. Example: the pen which she used to practise Chinese characters (a thing); Her brother, whose family moved to England (possessive).
- Defining/Non-definingA defining clause defines identity and takes no comma: The school that she attended had only one classroom. A non-defining clause adds extra information and takes commas: My grandmother, who is eighty this year, still remembers…
- OmissionObject relatives can be dropped: the pen (which) she used. Subject relatives cannot: pupils who arrived late had to stand outside — who is directly followed by the verb, so it must stay.
- Relative adverbswhere for places (the village where everyone knew one another), when for time (the years when life was simple but hard), why for reasons (the reason why she never throws anything away).
- Passage practiceThe closing line is a model: I feel proud of the woman who raised my father. One step further: stories which are just as interesting. Try splitting each sentence back into two, then joining them again.
- Common errorsFour frequent mistakes: The book which I bought it is good (delete it — which is already the object), the man which lives (who), the house who has a garden (which), the girl which hair is long (whose).
5Worked example Example
From the passage, join two sentences — My grandmother is eighty. She still remembers her school days. — using a relative clause.
- Step 1: Find the antecedent — My grandmother (a person).
- Step 2: People take who — My grandmother, who is eighty this year, still remembers her school days.
- Step 3: Things take which / that — the pen which she used to practise Chinese characters.
- Step 4: Possession takes whose — Her brother, whose family moved to England, writes every month.
- Step 5: Check — non-defining clauses (extra information) take commas; defining clauses do not.
- Answer: My grandmother, who is eighty this year, still remembers her school days clearly. Choose the relative word: who for people, which/that for things, whose for possession, where for places, when for time — e.g. the village where everyone knew one another; the years when life was simple but hard. Non-defining clauses (pure extra information) take commas.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Pronoun for people?
Q2Pronoun for things?
Q3Possessive?
Q4Defining vs non-defining?
Q5Correct?
Q6Correct?
8Recap Recap
- Relative words: who (people) · which/that (things) · whose (possession)
- where (places) · when (time) · why (reason) — the reason why she never throws anything away
- Defining clauses take no comma; non-defining (extra info) take commas
- Object relatives can be dropped: the pen (which) she used
- From the passage: the woman who raised my father — relative clauses carry feeling too