Propoziia relativ: clasificare, caracteristici sintactice i semantice, utilizarea pronumelor relative;

The main function of a relative clause is to modify a noun phrase.

There are 3 types of relative clauses:
A)
B)
C)

Defining relative clauses - (also called restrictive relative clauses) gives essential information about the
noun or noun phrase it modifies, the purpose of a defining relative clause is to clearly define who or what
we are talking about. Without this information, it would be difficult to know who or what is meant.
Non-defining relative clauses - (also non-restrictive relative clauses) provide interesting ADDITIONAL
information which is not essential to understanding the meaning of the sentence. It tells us more about
someone or something, but do not define it.
Appositional relative clauses

Syntactic functions:
a)

The sentential relative clause - This clause does not modify a noun. It may refer back to part of a sentence.

They played and sang, which lasted three hours.

b)

Adjectival clauses is a dependent clause that modifies a noun

The children who are on the bus are going to visit the museum.
c)

Nominal Clauses:

The Subject Clause: What he did was right.

The Direct Object Clause: They told me what they have done.

The Predicative Clause: He was now what he had always wanted: a teacher.

The Prepositional Clause: We thought of what music she liked.

d)

Adverbial Clause of Reason: I always avoided Jane, who was a scandal monger.

A) Defining relative clauses

Punctuation: Commas are not used in defining relative clauses.
Relative pronouns
The following relative pronouns are used in defining relative clauses:
Person

Thing

Place

Time

Reason

Subject
Object
Possessive

who/that
who/whom/that/
whose

which/that
which/that/
whose

where

when

why

1. The relative pronoun stands in place of a noun.

2. Who, whom and which can be replaced by that. This is very common in spoken English.
3. The relative pronoun can be omitted () when it is the object of the clause:
I liked the film we saw yesterday.
4. That is also omitted if the complement is prepositional and the preposition is placed at the end of the clause: The
sport I am fond of is football.
5. Whose is used for things as well as for people:
The man whose car was stolen.
A tree whose leaves have fallen.
6. Whom is very formal and is only used in written English. You can use who/that, or omit the pronoun completely :
The doctor whom/who/that/ I was hoping to see wasn't on duty.
7. That normally follows words like something, anything, everything, nothing, all, and superlatives.

There's something that you should know.

It was the best film that I've ever seen.

B) Non-defining relative clauses

The information in these clauses is not essential. It tells us more about someone or something, but it does not help us to
identify them or it.
Punctuation: Non-defining relative clauses are always separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. The commas
have a similar function to brackets:
My friend John, who went to the same school as me, has just written a best-selling novel.
Relative pronouns in non-defining clauses
Person
Subject
who
Object who/whom
Possessive
whose

Thing

Place

which
which

where

1. In non-defining clauses, you cannot use that instead of who, whom or which.

2. You cannot leave out the relative pronoun, even when it is the object of the verb in the relative clause:
He gave me the letter, which was in a blue envelope.
3. The preposition in these clauses can go at the end of the clause, e.g. This is Stratford-on-Avon, which you have all
heard about.
4. Non-defining clauses can be introduced by expressions like all of, many of + relative pronoun:

all of
any of
(a) few of
both of
each of
either of
half of
many of
most of
much of
none of
one of
two of etc

Person
+ whom
+ whom
+ whom
+ whom
+ whom
+ whom
+ whom
+ whom
+ whom
+ whom
+ whom
+ whom
+ whom

Thing
+ which
+ which
+ which
+ which
+ which
+ which
+ which
+ which
+ which
+ which
+ which
+ which
+ which

a. There were a lot of people at the party, many of whom I had known for years.
b. He was carrying his belongings, many of which were broken.

C) Appositional relative clauses: introduced by when, where, why, how, that, whether.

They are the apposition for the nouns from the main clause as: opinion, reason, idea, problem, impression,
doubt, excuse, question, fact and only in Indicative Mood:

I dont know the REASON why he left in such a hurry.

When the Appositional Relative Clause determines a noun like wish, suggestion, recommendation, request
we use the Analytical Subjunctive Mood: should + infinitive:
The chairmans REQUEST that the afternoon session should be postponed was accepted.