时间:2019-01-12 作者:英语课 分类:2016年VOA慢速英语(四)月


英语课

Identify With Relative Pronouns 代词相关问题


In this week’s episode of Everyday Grammar, we are going to discuss the relative pronouns who, that and which.


A relative pronoun relates to the noun it is describing. Relative pronouns introduce a relative clause. Think of relative clauses as long adjectives. Adjectives are words that describe nouns.


Let’s start with an example sentence:


The woman who called me yesterday was my mother.


In this sentence who is the relative pronoun, and who called me yesterday is the relative clause. The clause is describing the noun woman.


In general, the relative pronouns who, that, and which do one of two things:


1. They help identify the noun or


2. They help give more information about the noun.


In the example sentence, the clause “who called me yesterday” identifies the noun, in this case woman.


When a relative clause adds more information about the noun, the clause is surrounded by commas. Here is an example sentence:


My mother, who called me yesterday, says she is coming to visit me this summer.


Who is just one example of a relative pronoun that you can use when talking about a person. Let’s listen to a scene from the comedy film Bridesmaids for another example. In this scene, the main character Annie is telling her best friend that she has changed. Listen for the relative pronoun:


“Lillian, this is not the you that I know! The you that I know would have walked in here and rolled your eyes and thought that this was completely over the top, ridiculous, and stupid!”


The relative pronoun Annie used in the scene is that -- when she says “the you that I know.” In this sentence, that I know describes the noun you.


Both who and that can be used in relative clauses that describe a person. That can also be used to describe a thing. For example:


“The bike that I bought last week was stolen.” The relative clause "that I bought yesterday” describes the noun bike.


The relative pronoun which is also used to describe a thing.


Here is an example sentence using which.


“My bike, which I bought last week, was stolen.”


In this example, the relative clause “which I bought last week” adds more information about the noun bike. The clause is surrounded by commas.


Here are some general rules about commas and relative clauses:


--If the clause begins with the relative pronoun that, you do not need commas.


--If the clause begins with the relative pronoun which, you generally need commas.


--If the clause begins with the relative pronoun who, you need commas if the clause is adding additional information about the noun.


Here is an example sentence using the relative pronoun who, with and without commas.


1. My sister who lives in New York bought an apartment


2. My sister, who lives in New York, bought an apartment.


In the first sentence, the relative clause who lives in New York is identifying the noun sister. The speaker might have more than one sister. The clause “who lives in New York” is identifying which sister he or she is talking about.


In the second sentence, the same relative clause is adding additional information about the noun sister.


Sometimes, English speakers remove the relative pronoun altogether. Listen for the relative clauses in Shania Twain’s song You’re Still the One.


You're still the one


You're still the one that I love


The only one I dream of


You're still the one I kiss good night


In one line, she keeps the relative pronoun that. In the rest, she omits -- or removes -- the relative pronoun. If the relative pronouns that and who are followed by a noun or pronoun, they can be omitted. That makes the sentences “You’re still the one that I love” and “You’re still the one I love” both correct.


We can talk about other relative pronouns in another episode of Everyday Grammar. But for now, listen for the relative pronouns as we end this episode with the David Bowie song “The Man Who Sold the World.”


Words in This Story


relate - v. to show or make a connection between (two or more things)


identify - v. to show who someone is or what something is


surround - v. to be on every side of something



标签: VOA慢速英语
学英语单词
acoustic homing torpedo
adfix
Ammianus Marcellinus
amorphoscelid
Ampharetidae
an old campaigner
anthroposcopy
azua
Ban Huai Khan
benzenesulfonamido-
bile medium
boy's room
CAD (computer-aided diagnosis)
calkinsite
campylorrhinus
castletons
circular sinus
class discussion
closet case
cold array
cond.
copper master alloy
coquettes
Ctrip
current element
daikin
Danysz effect
degumming loss
des pres
Discophora
Domingo de Guzman
ecotones
eosi
eragrostis fauriei
flywheel mark
fourstars
Garrel
generalized least squares
German lutes
GnuPG
gouy
hanging scaffold
heated plasma
heating and ventilating system
ichthyologies
in statu pillari
infanticide by drowning
information section
interaction prediction approach
juggling
kaijuka
least-square adjusted value
left out of
macroeconomic activity
main studio centre
mega-depression tectonics
Mermithidae
mgarr
Micractinium pusillum
mingus
multiple-part pattern
oil exporting developing country
ophthalmo-iconometer
OS.
Palra
parapentings
pestalotia lepironiae
post-disaster phase
propositional calculus
pulse radiation source
punkish
Płonka
rheumatic valvular disease
rhizosphere effect
rocking contact voltage regulator
ronis
rout ... out
San Tumas, Il-Baija ta'
sandbed
setvisualpage
Sibelius Seamount
single needle embroidery frame
siritch
skidoos
sludge gas holder
sorting by selection
spiffings
staurovsky
Stay-Wet
strong springing suspension
subject-areas
submitters
tail sheave
tapered string
taxing body
Tees, R.
toxotes joculatrix
transgenderness
tropidoneis maxima
undistractible
unmanned aerial vehicle /uav
watshed