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RELATIVE CLAUSES
Son oraciones subordinadas que aaden informacin a lo que se ha dicho sobre algo o alguien en la
oracin principal.
Una oracin de relativo va inmediatamente despus del nombre al que describe, y frecuentemente
empieza con un pronombre relativo.
Los pronombres relativos ms frecuentes son: WHO (para personas), WHICH (para cosas) y THAT (para
personas y cosas). stos tienen dos funciones:
1. Actan como objeto o sujeto del verbo en la oracin de relativo.
2. Unen las dos oraciones (la principal y la subordinada)
** En el ingls formal, se usa WHOM en lugar de WHO cuando es objeto en la oracin de relativo.
1. Especificativas (DEFINING)
2. Explicativas (NON-DEFINING)
That muchas veces sustituye a who o which despus de palabras como only, all, anything,
something, none, nothing, little, few, much.
Ex: She was the only person that congratulated me.
I have something that might interest you.
EXERCISE 1
Combine the following sentences using the relative pronoun who, which or that. Make any other
necessary changes.
1. The book is on the table. It has a red cover.
............................................................................................................................................................
2. We visited the town. It lies at the source of the Danube.
............................................................................................................................................................
3. I think Ive seen the film. Its on TV tonight.
............................................................................................................................................................
4. She remembered my birthday. She was the only one to do so.
............................................................................................................................................................
5. The castle stands above the town. It was built by the Normans.
............................................................................................................................................................
6. I met a Japanese tourist. He lives north of Tokyo.
............................................................................................................................................................
7. Where are the people? They promised to visit us.
............................................................................................................................................................
8. Ann lost the money. It belonged to her uncle.
............................................................................................................................................................
Cuando las oraciones de relativo contienen preposiciones (esto es, cuando el relativo va
acompaado de una preposicin), stas pueden ocupar distintas posiciones en la oracin en ingls.
a. Si la preposicin se coloca delante del pronombre relativo, slo podemos utilizar WHOM y
WHICH, puesto que THAT no puede ir precedido de preposicin. (MUY FORMAL)
b. Cuando la preposicin se coloca al final se puede usar cualquier pronombre (who, which, that)
Cuando who(m), which, that no funcionan como sujeto sino como complemento dentro de la oracin
de relativo se pueden omitir.
Ex: The lady (who) I phoned is a friend of mine.
The tennis-ball (which) you lost was Peters.
** Es muy importante recordar que en estos casos en donde hay preposicin, se omite el pronombre
relativo, no la preposicin.
En contraste con las anteriores, las explicativas slo aaden informacin extra respecto a su
antecedente pero no son esenciales a la oracin principal:
Ex: Derek, who is in Frankfurt, has sent me a card.
El hecho de que Derek est en Frankfurt es una simple aclaracin; aunque prescindiramos de la
oracin de relativo, sabemos de quin estamos hablando. Por tanto, podramos omitirla sin crear
ninguna confusin.
El sujeto suele ser un nombre propio (Suzi, Greece), o contiene un posesivo (tales como my, his, her),
un demostrativo (como that, these o those), etc.
Por tratarse de una especie de parntesis o algo aadido, las oraciones de relativo explicativas
van entre comas.
El pronombre relativo no puede omitirse en las oraciones explicativas de relativo.
THAT no puede usarse nunca en las oraciones explicativas de relativo.
Ex: Pompeii, which [ no that] was destroyed by a volcanic eruption, was once a very prosperous
Roman city.
CONTRASTA:
a. The students who sang the national anthem celebrated the end of the school year.
b. The students, who sang the national anthem, celebrated the end of the school year.
El primer ejemplo (especificativa) nos dice que slo los estudiantes que cantaron el himno nacional
fueron los que celebraron el final del curso.
Por el contrario el segundo ejemplo (explicativa) expresa que los estudiantes, todos en general,
cantaron el himno y celebraron el final del curso. De ah la importancia de las comas.
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EXERCISE 2: Fill in the correct relative pronouns.
1. Alfred Hitchcock, ...................... was born in 1899, made the classic film Psycho.
2. Our leading lady, for ................... this role was created, cant rehearse because she is ill.
3. The flowers ................. we have chosen for the wedding will be arranged by a local florist.
4. The old house on the hill, ............... is said to be haunted, has finally been sold.
5. The dog ............... tried to bite my brother has been taken into quarantine.
6. Last summer I met Uncle David, ................ invited us to saty with him in South Africa.
EXERCISE 3:
Combine the following sentences using the relative pronoun who, which or that. Make any other
necessary changes.
1. Switzerland is a landlocked country. It is famous for watches.
............................................................................................................................................................
2. Andr Gide was a French novelist. He received the Nobel Prize in 1947.
............................................................................................................................................................
3. Our local sports centre was damaged by fire. It was only finished two years ago.
............................................................................................................................................................
4. Oxford University is the oldest university in England. It is over 800 years old.
............................................................................................................................................................
5. My aunt Jane is a journalist. She is covering the situation in Chechnya.
............................................................................................................................................................
6. The Olympic Games are held every four years. They originated in Greece.
............................................................................................................................................................
a. Where (donde) es el adverbio relativo de lugar y suele ir en lugar de palabras como there y here o a
sintagmas preposicionales de lugar. Nunca se puede omitir.
Ex: This is the building. The crime took place here.
This is the building where the crime took place.
b. Whose (cuyo(s), cuya(s)) se usa para la posesin. Suele sustituir a my, her, Johns, etc. y nunca se
puede omitir.
Ex: This is the girl. Her sister lives near us.
This is the girl whose sister lives near us.
c. When se emplea para expresiones de tiempo y muchas veces es sustituido por that. Sin embargo,
generalmente se omiten.
Ex: 1993 was the year. Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize then.
1993 was the year (when/that) Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
EXERCISE 5: Complete the following sentences by adding a suitable relative clause of your own.
1. The hotel where .............................................................................. had a wonderful restaurant.
2. Madonna, whose .........................................................................., often behaves outrageously.
3. Do you remember the day when ...............................................................................................?
4. The island of Minorca, where ............................................., is the northernmost of the Balearic Islands.
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5. I have a close friend whose ........................................................................................................
ADDITIONAL EXERCISES:
1. Combine the sentences with the relative pronoun and then say in which of them the relative
pronoun can be omitted:
3. Combine the following sentences using a relative pronoun. You may have to make changes in
punctuation:
a. Lake Tanganyika is a large freshwater lake. It was discovered by European explorers in 1958.
b. This is the place. I met your father here.
c. The pupil has won the writing competition. His essay was the most original.
d. Mr. Collins is a Member of Parliament. We had dinner with him recently.
e. The book has disappeared. I borrowed it from the library.
f. The book is a bestseller. I bought you the book.
g. I was in hospital at that time. War broke out then.
h. The headmaster of your school is a friend of mine. I am writing a letter to him.
i. Wounded Knee is a place in South Dakota. US troops massacred the Sioux Indians there.
j. I can still remember the day. That day an earthquake shook the buildings of this city.