Introduction to relative clauses

The nature of relative pronouns in relative clauses

One of the problems inherent in the study of grammar is the failure to explain the basics of grammar. Our understanding of relative clauses hinges on knowing the nature of pronouns and by extension, that of a relative pronoun.

In my English classes, I’ve always told my students, whenever I discuss pronouns with them, that the traditional function of a pronoun is to replace a noun or a noun phrase in a sentence. In other words, for every pronoun that appears in a sentence, there has once been an existing noun or noun phrase that it replaces.

In addition to this, a pronoun replaces a noun or a noun phrase to remove all sort of boring or monotonous expressions we may otherwise have got in the sentence when repetition of that same noun or noun phrase occurs more frequently.

Let’s discuss a relative pronoun

A relative pronoun is used to connect a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun. The clause modifies or describes the noun. The most common relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, and that. Sometimes, when, why and where can be used as relative pronouns as well.

What this means is that a relative pronoun connects a clause (a clause that describes or modifies a noun) to a noun or pronoun. Essentially, a relative pronoun introduces a relative or adjectival clause.

Of course, any element that describes a or modifies a noun or a noun phrase is an adjective, right? Great! Therefore, an adjectival or relative clause is just an extension—an element with a longer string of words.

Apart from looking at a clause as a group of words that has a finite verb, a clause is employed to express a broader meaning which cannot be sufficiently captured in a single word.

—Francis Ikuerowo, 2022

Let’s look at these examples:

1. They live in a house whose roof is full of holes.

2. Children who hate chocolate are uncommon.

3. An elephant is an animal that lives in hot countries.

4. Let's go to a country where the sun always shines.

5. The reason why I came here today is not important.

To understand the nature of relative pronouns in relative clauses is to look at the traditional function that a pronoun performs; that of replacing a noun.

Therefore, in relative clauses, as in the examples you have above, any noun or noun phrase (like a house, children, the reason etc) you can see there in these examples has once existed twice in their original environment and a relative pronoun only replaces one of them to avoid repeating both nouns.

Let’s take an example or two as a practical demonstration:

1. Children who hate chocolate are uncommon.

“Children” is the noun in this example that the relative clause in bold describes or modifies, right? Great! And the relative clause is introduced or headed by a relative pronoun “who”. This relative pronoun “who” has replaced another ‘children’ that was existing originally in its particular environment.

In their original environment, we have:

• Children are uncommon. (first environment where children is found);

• Children hate chocolate. (second environment where children is found).

• who, therefore, replaces the second ‘children’ to avoid repeating same noun.

Another example:

1. They live in a house whose roof is full of holes.

   • A roof of a house is full of holes; (first environment where a house is found with a possession [a roof])

   • They live in a house. (second environment where a house is found)

• whose (for possession) replaces a house that appears twice.

I have always argued that the best way to understand a relative clause is to break the entire sentence into two parts/sentences and identify the two nouns before using a relative pronoun. As a result of this, we can find out that the traditional function of a pronoun (a relative pronoun) has not changed.

—Francis Ikuerowo, 2022

Even the subject-verb agreement with the verbs firmly hinges on this fundamental…

Let’s look at two popular examples to explain this:

JAMB 2002: The quality of your questions which ....... always attracted attention ....... never been in doubt. A. have/has B. have/have C. has/has D. has/have

This is a highly tricky question. A student, who doesn’t take this fundamental into consideration and is quick to consider questions as the subject in the first blank space and the quality as another subject in the second blank space, would pick have and has respectively as the correct option. But have/has is not the correct option.

Let’s follow our fundamental and break the sentence into two:

1. The quality of your questions has always attracted attention.

2. The quality of your questions has never been in doubt.

Looking at this example, you’d agree with me that the entire noun phrase (the quality of your questions) is what the relative pronoun “which” has replaced, right? Great!

In a noun phrase, the head of a phrase determines the agreement with the verb. It is obvious here that the head of this phrase is “the quality” and not “your questions”.

This structure must also be maintained when and where a relative pronoun is found in a clause. A relative pronoun must agree with the ORIGINAL element (noun or noun phrase) that it replaces in a clause—in terms of verbs. As in the question above, “which” replaces “the quality” because as in the two parts we have above, it is the quality of your questions that both has belongs to. As you have come to believe now, “which” does not refer to your questions, but rather the quality.

Let’s look at another example:

JAMB 1987: One of the ladies who .... in the premises .... been asked to withdraw. A. sells/have B. sell/have C. sells/has D. sell/has

It is important that the first thing that you should do now is to break the sentence into two parts and identify the pronoun that takes the agreement.

• The ladies sell in the premises.

• One of the ladies has been asked to withdraw.

In this case, “who” refers to all the ladies that sell in the premises; however, only one of them (the ladies) has been asked to withdraw.

Practice Questions

1. I met some men __ I think like partying with ladies. A. who B. whom C. which D. whose

2. Ms Ayo Obe _____ one of those lawyers who ____ that the legal system should serve humanity at all times.   A. remain/believes     B. remains/believes     C. remain/believe       D. remains/believe

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Yours in English,

Francis