§ 1 Relative clauses as modifiers of nouns^185Here the NP more time has been added as a direct object (and an appropriate one:
I needed more time is fully grammatical as a main clause). But it makes the sentence
ungrammatical. Why is that? Because needed has already got a direct object; it
just isn't overt in this relative clause construction. The '_' notation in [iiliii] thus
indicates the covert presence of the R element.
The relativised element
The overt or covert element R that is anaphorically linked to the head noun is called
the relativised element. It can have a range of functions within the relative clause,
as illustrated in [5] (where we use wh relatives because the relativised element is
overt):[5] SUBJECT
ii OBJECT
iii COMP OF PREPOSITION
iv ADJUNCT OF TIME
V ADJUNCT OF PLACE
vi ADJUNCT OF REASONsome friends [who saw her]
a key [which she fo und]
those books [which I refe rred to]
the day [when you were born]
a place [where you can relax]
the reason [why she got angry]
Notice the different words beginning with wh that are used here: who for people,
which for things, when for times, where for places, why for reasons.
Non-wh counterparts of the wh relatives in [5] are shown in [6], where the
notation '_' again marks the position of the covert R element:[6] SUBJECT
ii OBJECT
1lI COMP OF PREPOSITION
IV ADJUNCT OF TIME
V ADJUNCT OF PLACE
VI ADJUNCT OF REASONsome friends [that _ saw her]
a key [(that) she fo und _]
those books [(that) I refe rred to _]
the day [(that) you were born_]
a place [(that) you can relax_]
the reason [(that) she got angry _]
Parentheses around that indicate as usual that it is optional: in such cases both
that and bare relatives are permitted.
Where the gap is in subject position, that is not omissible. We can have, for
example, Anyone who wants this stuff can have it, but !Anyone wants this stuff
can have it is not Standard English.
The non-wh construction is not always available when the relativised element is
adjunct (or complement) of place; the example in [v], with the head noun place,
is perfectly acceptable, but in sentences with head nouns less likely to suggest
location, a wh relative would normally be required.^2R element within an embedded clause
It is possible for the R element to be located within a content clause embedded
inside the relative clause:2 That is, we would say This is the web page where the claim was first made, not *This is the web page
the claim was first made.