Academic Writing Week 3: Relative Clause

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Academic Writing (Week 3) Relative Clause
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?Definition

• R Clause functions as an
• adjective and modifies a
• noun or a pronoun.
• Also called adjective
• clauses.

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?A relative clause begins with a relative
pronoun or adverb
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?Position of Relative Clauses

• Place a relative clause after its antecedent and
  as close to it as possible to avoid confusion.
• Ex. He left the gift in his friends car that he
  had
• just bought.
• (Occasionally, a prepositional phrase comes
  between the antecedent and the RC)
• Ex. Try writing a sentence of your own that
• contains a relative clause.

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?Punctuation of Relative Clauses (restrictive
and nonrestrictive)

• (Whether or not the added clause affects the
  meaning of the entire sentence.)
• R necessary because it identifies its antecedent
  for the reader.
• The professor who teaches my biology class won a
  Nobel Prize two years ago.
• N-R not necessary to identify its antecedent
  merely offers additional information.
• Professor Jones, who teaches my biology class,
  won a Nobel Prize two years ago.

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?Relative Pronouns as subjects Subject Pattern
Relative Clauses (which/that/who should not be
left out)
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?More Examples
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?Test Yourselves (determine the importance of
the given information)

• 1. John Fish explained the complex structure of
  DNA. He is a research
• chemist.
• 2. While he lectured, he showed us a slide. The
  slide diagrammed the
• double helix structure of DNA.
• 3. Words in English are often difficult for
  foreigners to pronounce. They
• begin with the consonants th.
• 4. Foreigners also have difficulty with English
  spelling. English spelling is
• not always consistent with its
  pronunciation.
• 5. Anyone must have a logical mind. He or she
  wants to be a computer
• programmer.
• 6. Fans quickly lose interest in a sports team.
  The team loses game after
• game.

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?Relative Pronouns as Objects
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?More Examples
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?Test Yourselves

• 1. Albert Einstein was a high school dropout. The
  world
• recognizes him as a genius.
• 2. As a young boy, Einstein had trouble in
  elementary and high
• school. He attended these schools in
  Germany.
• 3. He did poorly in subjects. He disliked them.
• 4. The only subjects were mathematics and
  physics. He loved
• them.
• 5. He developed theories. We use theories to help
  us understand
• the nature of the universe.
• 6. Einstein is best known for his General Theory
  of Relativity. He
• began to develop this theory while living
  in Switzerland.

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?Possessive Relative Clauses
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?More Examples
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?Test Yourselves

• 1. First National Bank tries to attract female
• customers. The banks president is a
  woman.
• 2. Companies conduct market research to
• discover trends among consumers.
• Consumers tastes change rapidly.
• 3. A manufacturer can offer lower prices. Its
• costs are lower because of mass
  production.

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?Possessive Relative Clause as the Object Pattern
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?Test Yourselves

• Ex. Maya Angelou, whose poetry we have been
• reading in our English class, is one of
  Americas
• most famous female poets.
• 1. William Shakespeare lived and wrote 400 years
• ago.
• High school students struggle to
  understand his
• English.
• 2. Nike is a sporting goods company. Most people
• recognize the companys swoosh symbol.
• 3. The actress has starred in several films. I
  cant
• remember her name.

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?Relative Pronouns as Objects of Prepositions

• (Formal prepositions come before the relative
  pronoun vice versa)

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?More Examples
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?Test Yourselves

• 1. Finding reasonably priced housing in big
  cities is a problem. Many young
• People are concerned about the problem.
• 2. Affordable apartments are scarce. Young people
  would like to live in
• them.
• 3. Of course, many young people share apartments,
  but they have to
• choose roommates carefully. They will
  share living space and expenses
• with these roommates.
• 4. In many countries, young people continue to
  live with their parents in
• the same house. They grew up in that
  house.
• 5. In the United States, young people dont want
  to live with their parents.
• They typically declare their
  independence from their parents at age
• eighteen.

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?Relative Pronouns in Phrases of Quantity and
Quality

• Quantity some of which, one of whom, all
• of whom, each of which, etc.
• Quality the best of which, the most
• important of whom, the more
• economical of which, the
  loveliest
• of which, etc.
• (They are always non-restrictive)

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? Main Structure The object always follows the
preposition of.
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?More Examples
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?Test Yourselves

• 1. There is a chain of islands in the Caribbean
  Sea. The most
• charming of the islands is Puerto Rico,
  The Land of
• Enchantment.
• 2. Puerto Rico attracts thousands of visitors.
  Many of them come for
• the sunny weather, the beautiful
  beaches, and the Spanish
• atmosphere.
• 3. Puerto Ricos economy is growing. The most
  important sector of
• the economy is clothing manufacturing.
• 4. Puerto Ricans have strong ties to the United
  States. All of them
• are U.S. citizens.
• 5. Puerto Rico has three political parties. One
  of them favors Puerto
• Ricos becoming a state.

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?Adverbial Relative Clauses

• when where replace entire prepositional
  phrase, such as on Sunday or in the city.

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?More Examples
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?Test Yourselves

• 1. Germany had been divided into two countries
• since 1945. It was defeated in World War
  II in
• 1945.
• 2. 1989 was the year. The Berlin Wall was torn
• down in that year.
• 3. In 1990, Germany became one country again.
• East and West Germany were united in
  1990.
• 4. There was anxiety in places. People fear
• losing their jobs in some places.

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?Review
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?Editing Practices
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?Assignment