Dieses Unternehmen, dessen Arbeiter schon öfters gestreikt haben,
hat große finanzielle Probleme.
This firm, whose workers have often been on strike, has serious financial
problems.10.3 Relative pronouns are sometimes preceded by a preposition. Here the case of the
pronoun is determined by the preposition, and the finite verb is still placed at the end
of the clause:
Kennst du die Mädchen, mit denen Elke spielt?
Do you know the girls Elke is playing with?Das alte Gebäude, in dem wir arbeiten, wird gerade umgebaut.
The old building which we work in is at present being renovated.10.4 As the last example shows, the relative clause is usually placed within the main clause
immediately after the item(s) it refers to. Occasionally, however, lengthy relative
clauses may follow the main clause:
See 18.2–3 (p. 24), 19.4 (p. 27) and 20.7 (p. 33) on the use of prepositions with different
cases.Sie kann nun jeden Tag mit ihrem Mann verbringen, der nach zehn
schwierigen Monaten in Brasilien endlich nach Hause gekommen
ist.
She can now spend every day with her husband, who has finally
returned home after ten difficult months in Brazil.See^8 (p. 11) on subordinate clauses.
10.5 When it refers back to one of the following, ‘which’ is conveyed by was and the finite
verb is again sent to the end of the clause:
(a) A neuter indefinite:alles ‘everything’
einiges ‘some things’
etwas ‘something’
folgendes ‘the following’
manches ‘many things’
nichts ‘nothing’
vieles ‘lots’
weniges ‘few things’Alles, was ich hier mache, ist falsch.
Everything I do here is wrong.Following etwas, das may also be used.(b) The demonstrative das ‘that’:Ich bin mit dem, was er uns anbietet, gar nicht zufrieden.
I’m not at all pleased with what he’s offering us.10
Relative clauses