Relative
Clause
This is a clause that generally
modifies a noun or a noun phrase and is often introduced by a relative
pronoun (which, that, who, whom, whose). A relative clause connects
ideas by using pronouns that relate to something previously mentioned and allows
the writer to combine two independent clauses into one sentence. A relative
clause is also known as an adjective clause. There are two types of relative
clauses: restrictive and nonrestrictive.
Here are a few examples:
- The book that she read
was important for her literature review. (restrictive)
- The participants who were
interviewed volunteered to be part of the study. (restrictive)
- Walden University, which
is entirely online, has main administrative offices in Baltimore
and Minneapolis. (nonrestrictive)
Relative
Pronouns
|
Referring to a human
|
Referring to something other than
a human
|
Possessive
|
Restrictive
|
who, whom, that*
|
which, that**
|
whose
|
Nonrestrictive (with commas)
|
who, whom
|
which
|
whose
|
*In APA, per Section 3.22, use who
or whom instead of that when referring to a
human.
**Although both which
and that are grammatically correct in restrictive clauses, APA
prefers that for restrictive clauses. See APA Section 3.22 for
more information on this.
- Take this quiz on who, that, and which to test your understanding of
relative pronouns.
- Use relative clauses to create
more sentence variety.
Restrictive
Clauses
Restrictive
Clause
A restrictive clause restricts or
defines the meaning of a noun or noun phrase and provides necessary information
about the noun in the sentence. It is not separated from the rest of
the sentence by commas. Restrictive clauses are more common in writing than
nonrestrictive clauses. A restrictive clause is also sometimes referred to as
an essential clause or phrase.
Here are a few examples:
- The student who sits in
the back of the room asks a lot of questions.
- The results that I
obtained may invoke positive social change.
- The journalist whose
story I read yesterday has won prizes for her work.
When the relative pronoun functions
as the object of the sentence, it can (and usually is) omitted from the
relative clause.
Here are a few examples:
- The results
thatI obtained may invoke positive social change. - The article
thatI requested did not arrive on time. - The participants
whoI interviewed met me at the local library.
Nonrestrictive
Clauses
Nonrestrictive
Clause
A nonrestrictive clause adds
additional information to a sentence. It is usually a proper noun or a common
noun that refers to a unique person, thing, or event. It uses commas to show that the information is
additional. The commas almost act like parentheses within the sentence. If the
information between the commas is omitted, readers will still understand the
overall meaning of the sentence. A nonrestrictive clause is also known as a
nonessential clause or phrase.
Here are a few examples:
- I want to thank my father,
Mark Smith, for all of his love and support.
- With the nonrestrictive clause
omitted: I want to thank my father for all of his love and support.
- The hypothesis, which I
tested throughout the research, was rejected.
- With the nonrestrictive clause
omitted: The hypothesis was rejected.
- I have found the article,
which I have been looking for.
- With the nonrestrictive clause
omitted: I have found the article.
While that is
sometimes used in restrictive clauses, it is not allowed in nonrestrictive
clauses.
- CORRECT: Minneapolis,
which has a population of about 400,000, is the largest city in
Minnesota.
- INCORRECT: Minneapolis, that has a
population of about 400,000, is the largest city in Minnesota.
- CORRECT: I had to fix my
printer, which I bought less than a year ago.
- INCORRECT: I had to fix my printer, that
I bought less than a year ago.
A relative pronoun cannot be deleted
in a nonrestrictive clause.
- CORRECT: Minneapolis,
which has a population of about 400,000, is the largest city in
Minnesota.
- INCORRECT: Minneapolis, has a population
of about 400,000, is the largest city in Minnesota.
- CORRECT: I had to fix my
printer, which I bought less than a year ago.
- INCORRECT: I had to fix my printer, I
bought less than a year ago.
Reduced
Relative Clauses
In academic writing, relative
clauses are often reduced for a more concise style. This also creates more sentence variety. When reducing a relative clause,
it is necessary to delete the relative pronoun and either delete or change the
verb. Here are some examples:
- Gun control is a controversial
issue
that isabout personal rights. (be + prepositional phrase) - The steps
that werefollowed were explained in the Methods section. (passive) - Other researchers
who areexploring the same topic have discovered similar solutions. (progressive verb tense) - Participants
who wereavailable to meet in my office completed their interview there. (be + able adjective) - Some of the subjects lived in
urban areas
that hadwith high crime rates. (have as a main verb is replaced by with) - In this paper, I reviewed many
research articles
that addressedaddressing the topic of gun control. (linking verbs or verbs describing facts can be changed to –ing clauses) - The changes
that areto be implemented with the new curriculum revisions are outlined in the handout. (to clauses)
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar