Download defining relative clause

Cleft sentences are used to help us focus on a particular part of the sentence and to
emphasize what we want to say by introducing it or building up to it with a kind of
relative clause.
Because there are two parts to the sentence it is called cleft(from the verb cleave)
which means divided into two.
Cleft sentences are particularly useful in writing where we cannot use intonation
for purposes of focus or emphasis, but they are also frequently used in speech.
Cleft structures include the reason why, the thing that, the person/people
who, the place where, the day when and what-clauses which are usually linked
to the clause that we want to focus on with is or was.
Compare the following sets of sentences and notice how the cleft structure in each
case enables us to select the information we want to focus on:




I've come to discuss my future with you.
The reason why I've come is to discuss my future with you.
Your generosity impresses more than anything else.
The thing that impresses me more than anything else isyour generosity.
Cleft structures with what-clauses are also often used with does/do/did and with
the verb happen when we want to give emphasis to the whole sentence, rather than
a particular clause. Compare the following:

The police interviewed all the witnesses to the accident first.

What the police did first was (to) interview all the witnesses to the accident.
It is sometimes very effective to use all instead of what in a cleft structure if you
want to focus on one particular thing and nothing else:
 I want a new coat for Christmas.
 All I want for Christmas is a new coat.
So, there exist the following types of the cleft structures:
1. • It-cleft
Emphasis - subject / object / adverbial phrase / prepositional phrase
It + to be + emphasized phrase + that /which/who-clause
It
was their money that he wanted to get
(Их деньги – вот что он хотел получить.
= He wanted to get their money
Modal verbs can also be used in cleft-sentences:
It could be your career you have to sacrifice
It must have been the manager that convinced him to withdraw his resignation
2. • Wh-cleft
Emphasis is on action
Wh- clause + to be
What I don’t like is being criticised
(Что я не люблю, так это, когда меня критикуют. )
= I don’t like being criticized.
What he did was (to) sell all their factories.
(Что он сделал, это продал все их фабрики. )
3. • Wh-inside-cleft
Emphasis is on person / place / time / reason
The person / people who The place where
The day when
The reason why + to be + emphasized word /
phrase
The person who called me
was Mr. Smith
( Человек, который мне позвонил, был Мистер Смит. )
= Mr. Smith called me.
What you need is a haircut
What she should do is get a life
• All-cleft
Emphasis is on noun / verb phrase
All /the thing + that/which/who-clause + to be + emphasized word
/phrase
All (that) we need to do
is
call them.
(Все, что нам нужно сделать – это позвонить им.)
= We need to call them.
All that she wants is another baby. (Ace of Base)
= She wants another baby.
•
THE + NOUN + DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE + BE as
in "The pub (that/which) my friends like is over there", or "The girl
who/that spilt my drink is over there"
Relative clauses in cleft sentences
If a cleft sentence contains a relative clause (as in the above sentence), the
grammar of subject and object relative clauses also applies within the cleft
sentence. In cleft sentences with object relative clauses, a relative pronoun is
necessary; however, in cleft sentences with a subject relative clause, a relative
pronoun is optional. Compare the following examples:
SUBJECT
VERB
OBJECT
SENTENCE
Kevin
gets on with
Chav
SUBJECT CLEFT SENTENCE
The person (who/that) Kevin gets on with
is
Chav
OBJECT CLEFT SENTENCE
The person who/that gets on with Chav
is
Kevin
PUNCTUATION
Defining Relative Clauses
Defining relative clauses (also called identifying relative clauses or restrictive relative clauses)
give detailed information defining a general term or expression. Defining relative clauses are not
put in commas.
Imagine, Tom is in a room with five girls. One girl is talking to Tom and you ask somebody
whether he knows this girl.
Here the relative clause defines which of the five girls you mean.
Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?
Defining relative clauses are often used in definitions.
A seaman is someone who works on a ship.
Object pronouns in defining relative clauses can be dropped. (Sentences with a relative clause
without the relative pronoun are called Contact Clauses.)
The boy (who/whom) we met yesterday is very nice.
Non-Defining Relative Clauses
Non-defining relative clauses (also called non-identifying relative clauses or non-restrictive
relative clauses) give additional information on something, but do not define it. Non-defining
relative clauses are put in commas.
Imagine, Tom is in a room with only one girl. The two are talking to each other and you ask
somebody whether he knows this girl.
Here the relative clause is non-defining because in this situation it is obvious which girl you
mean.
Do you know the girl, who is talking to Tom?
Note: In non-defining relative clauses, who/which may not be replaced with that.
Object pronouns in non-defining relative clauses must be used.
Jim, who/whom we met yesterday, is very nice.