大学英语语法11-定语从句.ppt

College English Grammar: Grammar and Writing By Zhu Xiangjun Unit 11 Clause: Adjective clauses Grammar: Adjective clauses Writing: Correcting: Lack of Subject-Verb Agreement Rewriting: Inter-sentence coherence Clauses There are two kinds of clauses: main clause and subordinate clause. A main clause (or a simple sentence) contains a complete thought and therefore can stand alone as a sentence. Every sentence must contain at least one main clause (MC). We waited for half an hour. Nothing happened. We waited for half an hour, but nothing happened. A subordinate clause also has a subject and a predicate, but it cannot stand alone to make sense. It needs a main clause to complete its meaning. A subordinate clause is usually introduced by subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns. The sun had set. We returned to our hotel at once. As soon as the sun had set, we returned to our hotel at once. Now he knew it. He would be able to reach the South Pole. The South Pole was 300 miles away. He now knew that he would be able to reach the South Pole, which was 300 miles away. 1. Functions and forms An adjective clause is a sentence clause that modifies a noun or a pronoun as an adjective does. Both relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, that and which) and the subordinating conjunctions (where, when and why) may be used as introducers to begin adjective clauses. Do remember that introducers play roles in the adjective clauses and relative pronouns replace the noun that the adjective clauses modify. A noun + an adjective clause Introducer + (subject) + predicate + He picked up a long pipe. The pipe was covered with coins. He picked up a long pipe which was covered with coins. (which = pipe, as a subject of the adjective clause.) He caught sight of a figure. He immediately recognized it. It was our local grocer. He caught sight of a figure whom he immediately recognized as our local grocer. (whom = figure, as an object of the adjective clause.) Why did he fail? The reason is still obscure. The reason why he failed is still obscure. (why = for which; which = reason; as an adverbial of the clause.) I can not remember the day. At that day, they got engaged. I can not remember the day when they got engaged (when = at which; which = day; as an adverbial of the clause.) She forgot the name of the store. At that store, her father bought her an MP4. She forgot the name of the store where her father bought her an MP4. (where = at which; which = store; as an adverbial of the clause.) 2. Kinds Adjective clauses can be divided into two kinds: restrictive and nonrestrictive. A restrictive adjective clause gives essential information. Without the clause, the complete meaning of the sentence would not be expressed clearly. A restrictive adjective clause should not be set off by commas. A clown is a person. He makes you laugh. A clown is a person who makes you laugh. (Without the clause, “A clown is a person” doesnt make sense.) Lets go to a country. In the country, the sun always shines. Lets go to a country where the sun always shines. (Without the clause, “Lets go to a country” doesnt make the meaning of the sentence clear.) When an adjective clause is not absolutely needed in order to express the complete meaning of a sentence, it is called a nonrestrictive adjective clause. It can be omitted from a sentence without affecting the basic meaning of the sentence. It should be set off by commas. We were worried about our nearest neighbors. They were newcomers to the district. We were worried about our nearest neighbors, who were newcomers to the district. (As “our nearest neighbors” are clear, the sentence makes sense without the clause.) A brother was lost for a long time. People presumed him to be dead. He was really alive all the time. A long-lost brother, who was presumed dead, was really alive all the time. (As “brother” has a modifier “long-lost”, it is still clear without the clause.) 3. Introducers 3.1. In restrictive adjective clauses The following relative pronouns are used to introduce restrictive adjective clauses. Person Things Subject who/that which/that Object whom, who, that/ which, that/ Possessive whose whose The following subordinating conjunctions are used in restrictive adjective clause. Place Time Reason Adverbial where when why who, whom and which can be replaced by that. This is very common in spoken English. that can be omitted () when it is the object of the clause. It is one of the ugliest faces (that) I have ever seen. whose is used for things as well as for people. The man whose bike was stolen called the local police. The car whose window has been broken is my neighbors. whom is very formal and is only used in written English. In spoken English, that is usually replaced by who/that, or nothing (). that is usually used after the words like something, anything, everything, nothing, all and superlatives. There is something that we will never forget. That was the most exciting news that I have ever heard. 3.2 In nonrestrictive adjective clauses The following relative pronouns are used to introduce nonrestrictive adjective clauses. Person Things Subject who which Object whom, who, which Possessive whose whose The following subordinating conjunctions are used in nonrestrictive adjective clauses. Place Time Reason Adverbial where when why We always use commas to separate a nonrestrictive adjective clause from the rest of the sentence. In nonrestrictive adjective clauses, we never use “that” to replace . We never omit the relative pronoun, even when it is the object of the verb in the adjective clause. 4. In spoken English, we usually put the preposition in nonrestrictive adjective clauses at the end of the clause; whereas, in written or formal English, we put the preposition before the pronoun. Last summer we visited the West Lake, for which Hangzhou is famous in the world. in written English This machine, which I have looked after for many years, is still working perfectly. in spoken English Combine the sentences in each set into a single clear sentence containing at least one adjective clause. 1. The big clock used to strike the hours day and night. It was damaged many years ago. The big clock which used to strike the hours day and night was damaged many years ago. 2. We have ever seen many shows. It was unfortunate. The show was one of the dullest. Unfortunately, the show was one of the dullest that we have ever seen. A man broke his right leg. People took him to hospital. It happened a few weeks before Christmas. A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas. 4. A desert island is a sort of paradise. There the sun always shines. We sometimes imagine so. We sometimes imagine a desert island to be a sort of paradise where the sun always shines. 5. People work in offices. They are frequently referred to as “white-collar workers. They usually wear a collar to go to work. They usually wear a tie to go to work People who work in offices are frequently referred to as “white-collar workers because they usually wear a collar and tie to go to work. 6. At first, they were able to take a great many photographs. The photographs were of the mountains. The mountains lay below. They soon ran into serious trouble. Though, at first, they were able to take a great many photographs of the mountains that lay below, they soon ran into serious trouble. Lack of Subject-Verb Agreement A verb must agree with its subject in person and number. A singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb. Kate are twelve years old now. Kate is twelve years old now. There are some milk in the glass. There is some milk in the glass. Two subjects joined by “and” are treated as plural; joined by “or”, they are treated as singular. If one subject is plural and the other singular, make the verb agree with the nearest one. Either you or you brother has read the letter before. Either you brother or you have read the letter before. Not only you but also I am planning to go. Not only I but also you are planning to go. 1. Do not mistake the object of a reposition for the subject of a sentence. The simple subject is never within a prepositional phrase. Make sure the verb agrees with the actual subject and not with the object of a preposition. People in the town is singing and dancing at the festive. People in the town are singing and dancing at the festive. A new collection of images have been issued from the White House Photo Office. A new collection of images has been issued from the White House Photo Office. 2. Do not be confused by a predicative. A predicative, also called a subject complement, is used after a link verb, renaming or describing the subject. A predictive has nothing to do with the verb in person or number. Only the subject affects the number of the linking verb. The worlds thickest book are 12.5 inches. The worlds thickest book is 12.5 inches. Recent studies on the behavior of wild animals is his topic for the day. Recent studies on the behavior of wild animals are his topic for the day. 3. Do not misuse collective nouns in number. As a collective noun is made up of more than one thing, it can be either singular or plural, depending on context. 1) a collective noun is treated as singular when it refers to a group as a whole. 2) a collective noun is treated as plural when it refers to each member of a group individually. The other team does not arrive, so our team wins by default. (a team as a whole) Our team were wearing blue shorts. (each member of the team) The family posed outside the house. (each member of the family) His family is not very well off. (the family as a whole) Correct, if any, the lacks of subject-verb agreement. He have finished her homework before he went to bed. Anybody, either a firm or an individual, have a chance to open a current account. Neither volleyball nor basketball are a hundred years old. Not only you but (also) I are to blame. There are an ocean of flowers. At present, there is a lot of pilot projects in the whole country in every large telecommunication operator. There are a group of figures on the left of the painting. The books on the desk is mine. The girl with two long feet are our new secretary. There are a small group of adjectives that normally precede the noun. Correcting: 1. her his 2. have has 3. are is 4. are am 5. are is 6. is are 7. are is 8. is are 9. are is 10. are is; precede precedes Assignment： The exercise in this section is to create effective passages by combining the short sentences which you think is related into longer, more complex ones. If there are some mistakes, correct them. Passage 1 (Adapted from Lesson 16, New Concept English III by L.G.Alexander) Mary and her husband Dimitri lived in small village. It was in the south of Greece, it named Parachora. One of Marys most precious possessions was a white lamb. It was her husband to give her. During the day, Mary tied the