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ESL forum >
Ask for help > Relative clause
Relative clause
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tommy1996
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Relative clause
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Please tell me we have to uae defining or non definingvrelative clause
The English people whom I met yester day are very friendly
or The English people, whom I met yesterday are very friendly
And Can we use "that" here?
Thanks |
10 Apr 2018
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FrauSue
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You should not use commas here as your are specifying a particular subset of English people. The English people whom I met yesterday are friendly. (I met some English people yesterday, and the people I met are friendly.) With a pair of commas, it would suggest that yesterday you met all the English people. The English people, who are famous for their stiff upper lip, often choose not to show much emotion. (All English people; the information in commas is just an extra piece of information but does not define the opening term in any way.) |
10 Apr 2018
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cunliffe
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FrauSue makes a good point about the comma. Just to add to that, using �whom � is very formal, most people would use �who � nowadays and nobody would think to correct them. By far the most natural statement here is to omit a relative clause altogether. �The English people I met yesterday were very friendly. � Using �that � is OK. |
10 Apr 2018
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almaz
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Lynne, your shortened version actually contains what is sometimes referred to as a zero relative clause. I�m sure you meant to write �omit the relative pronoun altogether� there  (the relative pronoun can be omitted when it�s the object of a restrictive relative clause � a zero relativizer, in other words) Alex
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11 Apr 2018
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cunliffe
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Yes, of course I meant omit the relative pronoun, thank you. I hadn �t actually heard of zero relativizers, so thank you for that, as well!
Edit: Nice to �see� you on the forum, Alex!
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11 Apr 2018
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