Unit 10: Grammar: Relative Clauses (Review and Expansion)

Relative clauses function like adjectives; they provide more information about a noun . Mastering the difference between defining and non-defining clauses is a key B2 requirement. (الجمل الموصولة تعمل كالصفات لتعطي معلومات إضافية عن الاسم؛ إتقان الفرق بين المحددة وغير المحددة أساسي)

Essential information. The sentence doesn't make sense without it. No commas used. (معلومات أساسية بدون فواصل)

Extra information. We could remove it and the sentence still works. Always uses commas. (معلومات إضافية بين فاصلتين)

Who / Whom (للعاقل) For people. "The man who lives next door is a pilot." Which (لغير العاقل) For things/animals. "The car which he bought is very fast." Whose (للملكية) For possession (his/her/their). "The girl whose father is a doctor." Where (للمكان) For places. "The city where I was born is beautiful." When (للزمان) For time. "I remember the day when we met." Why (للسبب) For reasons. "That is the reason why I am late."

In Defining Clauses , you can delete the relative pronoun (who/which/that) if it is the object of the clause. (يمكن حذف الضمير الموصول في الجمل المحددة إذا كان مفعولاً به) Step 1: Pronoun as Object (الضمير كمفعول به) "The movie (which) I watched yesterday was boring." You can delete it because "I" is the subject. Step 2: Pronoun as Subject (الضمير كفاعل) "The man who called me is my uncle." You cannot delete it because "Who" is doing the action.

A common task is joining two sentences using a relative pronoun. • Sentences: "I saw a woman. She was wearing a green dress." • Joined: "I saw a woman who was wearing a green dress." Remember: If you use "That" , never use it in a Non-defining clause (the ones with commas). Incorrect: "My car, *that* is old, broke down." (لا تستخدم That أبداً في الجمل غير المحددة التي تحتوي على فواصل)