Combining Sentences with Relative Clauses
Relative clauses are a type of subordinate clause that provides additional information about a noun or pronoun in the main clause. They are also known as adjective clauses because they function like adjectives in a sentence. Relative clauses are introduced by relative pronouns such as who, which, that, and whose.
There are two main types of relative clauses: restrictive and nonrestrictive.
- Restrictive relative clauses provide essential information about the noun or pronoun they modify. They are also known as defining relative clauses because they define or limit the meaning of the noun or pronoun. For example:
The book that I borrowed from the library is about the history of the United States.
In this sentence, the relative clause “that I borrowed from the library” provides essential information about the book. It tells us which book is being referred to. Without this information, the sentence would be ambiguous.
- Nonrestrictive relative clauses provide additional information about the noun or pronoun they modify. They are also known as nondefining relative clauses because they do not define or limit the meaning of the noun or pronoun. For example:
The book, which is about the history of the United States, is on the coffee table.
In this sentence, the relative clause “which is about the history of the United States” provides additional information about the book. However, this information is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. The sentence would still be clear and understandable without it.
Relative clauses can be placed before or after the noun or pronoun they modify. When a relative clause is placed before the noun or pronoun, it is called a prenominal relative clause. When a relative clause is placed after the noun or pronoun, it is called a postnominal relative clause.
Prenominal relative clauses
The book that I borrowed from the library is on the coffee table.
Postnominal relative clauses
The book is on the coffee table, which is about the history of the United States.
Relative clauses can also be used to combine sentences. This can be done by using a relative pronoun to replace a noun or pronoun in one of the sentences. For example:
Original sentences:
I borrowed a book from the library.
The book is about the history of the United States.
Combined sentence:
I borrowed a book from the library that is about the history of the United States.
In this example, the relative pronoun “that” replaces the noun “book” in the second sentence. This allows the two sentences to be combined into one.
Relative clauses can be a powerful tool for combining sentences and adding detail to your writing. By using relative clauses effectively, you can create clear and concise sentences that are easy to read and understand.