Exercises
- Underline the finite subordinate clauses
in the following examples and say whether
they are (a) relative clauses; (b) declara
tive content clauses; or (c) ambiguous
between the two. Give evidence in support
of your answers.
i She ridiculed the idea that he had pro
posed.
ii Thefact that it's illegal didn't seem to
bother them.
iii I've lost the map that you lent me.
iv He was motivated by the conviction
that he had been seriously wronged.
v They are spreading a rumour that is
causing her great distress.
- All the following examples contain a finite
subordinate clause: underline those that
are relative, and for each of them identify
the antecedent and the function of the
(overt or covert) relativised element.
I wonder who they have in mind fo r
the job.
11 I made a mistake I'll never fo rget.
III Go back the way you came.
iv The prize was awarded to the girl who
spoke first.
v He 's not the man he used to be.
vi It's the best movie I've seen all year.
vii The fa ct that they are cousins is
irrelevant.
viii She started a shelter fo r women whose
husbands beat them.
ix She goes to the same school that her
mother went to.
x Which is the one you said you liked
best?
- Convert any non-wh relatives in the fol
lowing examples into their wh relative
counterparts.
The reason he gave was that he wanted
to spend more time with his fa mily.
ii The reason he resigned was that he
wanted to spend more time with his
fa mily.
Exercises 193
iii The one that impressed me most was
your sister.
iv Do you remember the time we first went
out together?
v The concept that the agency came up
with is really insulting.
vi The notion that he came up with was
really ingenious.
vii That's a person I wouldn't want to
cross a river with.
viii Do you have a socket wrench I could
borrow?
ix They said that the one that I wanted
was sold out.
x That car made the one that I was
driving look crummy.
- The following examples are presented
without the usual internal punctuation so
as to avoid giving any clues as to whether
the relative clauses are integrated or sup
plementary. Identify the relative clauses,
and for each say whether it could be inter
preted in either way (with corresponding
differences in meaning and punctuation)
or in only one way. In the latter case,
specify which interpretation is required
and explain why the other is excluded.
This year we 're going to Majorca which
is where we spent our honeymoon.
11 The necklace which Elvis gave her is
in the safe.
m Usa has just gone down with flu which
means that the wedding will be post
poned.
iv The only thing I can 't understand is
why you appointed him in the first
place.
v They're interviewing the neighbours
who saw her leave.
vi She was deeply offended by the letter
which accused her of racism.
vii No one who has studied the
evidence could possibly doubt her
innocence.
