Prepositions in relative clauses

Introduction

A relative pronoun (e.g. that) can be the object of a preposition (e.g. for).

This is the bus that I've been waiting for.

I've been waiting for the bus.

The restaurant that we normally go to is closed today. We normally go to the restaurant.

In informal spoken English we normally put the preposition at the end of the relative clause. Compare the word order.

STATEMENT RELATIVE CLAUSE

I've been waiting for the bus. the bus that I've been waiting for

We go to the restaurant. the restaurant that we go to

We do not use another pronoun like it or her after the preposition. not the restaurant that we go to it not someone who / work with her

B Leaving out the pronoun

We often leave out the relative pronoun when it is the object of a preposition.

WITH OBJECT PRONOUN WITHOUT OBJECT PRONOUN

The bus that I'm waiting for is late. The bus I'm waiting for is late.

Is this the article which you were interested in? Is this the article you were interested in?

That's the man who I was talking about. That's the man I was talking about.

Here are some more examples of relative clauses without an object pronoun. / cant remember the name of the hotel we stayed at. This is the colour we've finally decided on. The shop I got my stereo from has lots of bargains.

C A preposition at the beginning

These examples are typical of formal English.

Was that the restaurant to which you normally go?

Electronics is a subject about which I know very little.

The Sales Manager is the person from whom I obtained the figures. Here the preposition comes at the beginning of the relative clause, before which or whom.

We cannot put a preposition before that or who.

a subject (that) I know little about not a subject -about that I know little

the person (who) I got the figures from not the-person from who I got the figures

138C Whom

► (Mark has been looking for this letter.) This is the letter I've been looking for.

1 (Rachel was talking about that film.)..........................................................

2 (Laura has decided on this wallpaper.)............................................

3 (Matthew played tennis with that man.)...................................................

4 (David fell down those steps.)................................................................

A preposition at the end (A-B)

Match the phrases and write the definitions. Put the preposition at the end of the relative clause.

► a kitchen a cupboard you hit nails with it

1 a hammer the person you keep valuable things in it

2 your destination a piece of furniture you cook in it

3 a safe the place you can either sit or sleep on it

4 your opponent a room you're going to it

5 a sofa bed a tool you're playing against them

► A kitchen is a room you cook in.

1 ................................................................................................................................................................

2 .................................................................................................................................................................

3 .................................................................................................................................................................

4 ...................................................................................................................................................................

5 ......................................................................................................................

3 A preposition at the beginning (C)

It's election time. All the politicians are arguing.

Rewrite the first sentence using a preposition at the beginning of a relative clause. ► I cannot agree with that statement. I hope I've made that clear. That is a statement with which 1 cannot agree.

1 Our party believes in that idea. I say this from the bottom of my heart.

2 I am strongly opposed to that policy. And I am not afraid to say so......

3 No one cares about these people. They are the forgotten people.

4 Your party should be ashamed of those mistakes. And everyone knows that.

5 The government is now dealing with that problem. How many times do I have to tell you?

Date: 2014-12-22; view: 1501