A Student's Introduction to English Grammar

§3 Relative words in integrated and supplementary relative clauses^189

Wh relatives vs non-wh relatives

Supplementary relatives are almost always of the wh type: the bare construction is
not allowed at all as a supplementary relative, and supplementary that relatives are
extremely rare and really only marginally present in Standard English.

Antecedents allowed for supplementary relatives

Supplementary relatives allow a wider range of antecedents than integrated ones.
Most importantly, they accept clauses, and proper nouns without determiners, as
in [13]:

[13] i Max arrived late, which caused some delay.

ii Max, who was usually very punctual. was twenty minutes late.

In [i] the antecedent of which is the preceding clause. In our representation

HR caused some delay", the R is interpreted as Max's arriving late.

In [ii] the antecedent of who is Max: we understand that Max was usually very

punctual. Proper nouns normally occur with integrated relatives only if there is a

determiner, as in He 's not [the Max I was refe rring to].

Which as pronoun or determinative

Which occurs in integrated relatives only as a pronoun, but in supplementary

relatives it can also be a determinative:

[14] Th is will keep us busy until Friday, by which time the boss will be back.

Note that here the relativised element is which time (not which alone): it is this
element that derives its interpretation from the antecedent Friday.

Function

Integrated relatives function as dependent - more specifically, modifier - within the
construction containing them, but supplementary relatives are attached more
loosely, and indeed may constitute a separate sentence, as in [15] (where, again,
which has a clause as antecedent):

[15] A: Our rent is due next week.

B: Wh ich is why we shouldn 't be going out to dinner tonight.

3 Relative words in integrated and supplementary

relative clauses

in [16]:

[ 16]

The major relative words in the constructions discussed above are listed

who whom whose which when where why

When, where, and why indicate time, place, and reason respectively, as we illus­

trated in [5iv-vi].