Stage 15Relative Clauses

More than you probably want to know about

relatives!

Not these..... These are Augustus’s relatives!

What we’ll cover• What is a clause?• The English relative clause• The English relative pronoun• The Latin relative pronoun• Latin relative clauses

What is a clause?• Any thought, idea, or event which is expressed

in language

Clause 1: Rufilla is unhappy.Clause 2: Rufilla lives far fom London.

2 clauses: Rufilla is unhappy because she lives far fom London.2 clauses: Rufilla, who lives far fom London, is unhappy.

An English Relative Clause is...

... a giant adjective clause, giving us information about a noun in another clause.

Let’s look at an example showing how the relative clause evolves.....

Clause 1: The boys are not listening to the master.

Clause 2: The master is reading a very long story.

Here’s an example – we have two single clauses:

Relative Clause

Step 1:Clause 1: The boys are not listening to the master.

Clause 2: The master is reading a very long story.

Substitute a pronoun for “master” in Clause 2.

Clause 1: The boys are not listening to the master.

Clause 2: He is reading a very long story.

Now, we’ll weave the two clauses into one sentence – with a Main Clause and a relative clause describing a noun in the Main Clause.

Weave into one sentence

Weave them together into one sentence.....

MAIN CLAUSE: The boys are not listening to the master,

RELATIVE CLAUSE: ? is reading a very long story.who

Step 2:Clause 1: The boys are not listening to the master.

Clause 2: He is reading a very long story.

giant adjective describing the master

English Relative Pronoun• The English relative pronoun has cases – just like in

Latin!

PEOPLE/ANIMALS ANIMALS/THINGS

Nominative who which

Acusative whom which

Note: 1. In English, we often say “that” instead of “who,””whom,” or “which.”

The boy whom I like plays basketball becomes The boy that I like plays basketball

2. In English we also can omit the relative pronoun altogether.

The boy I Iike plays basketball.

THIS CANNOT HAPPEN IN LATIN – LATI N MUST ALWAYS USE A RELATIVE PRONOUN

Another Example• Clause 1: The slave is terrified.• Clause 2: The bull is chasing the slave.

• Clause 1: The slave is terrified.• Clause 2: The bull is chasing the slave.

Step 1: Replace “slave” in Clause 2 with a pronoun – what pronoun?

Clause 1: The slave is terrified.Clause 2: The bull is chasing __?__.

Now, we’ll weave the two clauses into one sentence – with a Main Clause and a relative clause describing a noun in the Main Clause.

him

Clause 1: The slave is terrified.Clause 2: The bull is chasing him.

Step 2A: Merge the two sentences....

The slave – the bull is chasing him – is terrified

Step 2B: A bit more work to make one MAIN CLAUSE and one RELATIVE CLAUSE

The slave – the bull is chasing him – is terrified

Now, replace the pronoun “him” with a relative pronoun – what relative pronoun?

whom

Final Adjustments

The slave – the bull is chasing whom - is terrified.

That’s not how we really would say it....So, move the relative pronoun – whom – to the

beginning of the relative clause....

And EUGE!

The slave, whom the bull is chasing, is terrified.

giant mutant adjective describing the slave