1.7. Relatives

Exercise 1. Fill in the correct relative pronoun or adverb.

1. When did you buy the jacket ____ you are wearing?

2. Is that the girl ______ sent you a Valentine’s card?

3. The reason ____ John is successful is that he works very hard.

4. Sam is mending the chair _______ he broke yesterday.

5. This is the town ____ my favourite singer lives.

6. I’ll never forget the time ____ she fell into the swimming pool.

7. Where are the children _______ ball broke our window?

8. What did you do with the money ______ I gave you?

9. Is this the place _______ you lost your grammar textbook?

10. English is a flexible language to learn, ______ was the main reason to choose it.

Exercise 2. Fill in the correct relative pronoun or adverb. Say in which sentences it can be omitted and in which it cannot.

A) The book ____ I borrowed from the library was about a girl______ works in Africa_____ there are many people starving. It’s a very sad story.

B) John is a man ____ ambition is to be rich. That’s the reason _____he works so hard. He doesn’t listen to people _____ tell him to slow down. The day ______ he becomes a millionaire will be the day _____ he has a rest.

C) Home is the place I like best. I’m a person ______ needs time to myself. The thing _____ I most like to do is relax in my living room, ______ I am free from stress and ______there are no interruptions.

D) The moment _____ I met Peter is a moment I’ll always remember. He’s someone _____ I’ll always admire for his courage, _____ has seen him through some difficult times. That’s the reason ______ I liked him straight away and ______ we became good friends ______ understand and respect each other.

Exercise 3. Put in which, what or that.

1. He spoke very fast, ____made it hard to understand him.

2. Thanks, but that's not ____I wanted.

3. I'll tell you something ____will surprise you.

4. I did ____I could.

5. I did everything ____I could.

6. She kept falling over ____made everybody laugh.

7. He's a university professor, ____is hard to believe.

8. You can have anything ____you want.

9. Her sense of humour - that's ___attracts people to her.

10. He said nothing ____made sense.

Exercise 4. Join each item from column A to the corresponding one from column B using which.

Example: 1-g I knew you would be hungry which is why I bought some sandwiches.

A) B)

1. It’s very cold today. a) This was very kind of him.

2. They got stuck in a traffic jam. b) That’s why the river burst its banks.

3. He gave me a present. c) That’s how I knew about the party.

4. I forgot to go to the bank. d) This made them late for work.

5. It rained a lot yesterday. e) It meant I couldn’t go shopping.

6. She sent me an invitation. f) That’s why I’m wearing a jumper.

Exercise 5. a) Say which type of relative clause each of the following pairs of sentences contains and what the difference in meaning is:

1. A) I took my jacket to the dry cleaner's, which had a two hour service; B) I took my jacket to the dry cleaner's which had a two hour service.

2. A) Commuters who had heard about the derailment arranged alternative transport home; B) Commuters, who had heard about the derailment, arranged alternative transport home.

3. A) The cars, whose owners had double-parked, were towed away by the police; B) The cars whose owners had double-parked were towed away by the police.

b) Punctuate the following sentences according to whether they contain defining (identifying) or non-defining (non-identifying) clauses. Sometimes the same clause can be both types, but with a different meaning.

1. My wife who works as a journalist is an excellent cook.

2. My daughter who works in New York is getting married soon.

3. The engagement which was announced last week came as a bit of a shock.

4. The man she’s getting married to is an artist.

5. It doesn’t seem to me that artists are the kind of people who can be relied on to provide an income.

6. Artists who are unproductive are not much use to anyone.

7. My daughter has been married once before which means she should know what she’s doing.

8. Her previous marriage which ended in divorce was to a Spaniard.

9. Her parents-in-law who were always exceptionally kind were very upset when the marriage broke down.

10. The children who spoke Spanish went to live with their father after the divorce.

Exercise 6. Fill in the relative pronoun or adverb. Put commas where necessary. Say whether the relative clauses are identifying or non-identifying and whether the relative can be omitted or not.

1. Paul _____ birthday is on Friday is having a party tonight.

2. My office _______ is very big is on the first floor.

3. Martin ______ works in the library writes poetry in his spare time.

4. That’s the woman _____ house was burgled last week.

5. The day _____I left school was hot and sunny.

6. Sarah Jones ______ I knew at university is a doctor now.

7. The CD ______ I bought yesterday was awful.

8. Tina _______ lives next door is a wonderful cook.

9. People ______ play musical instrument are called musicians.

10. This is the reason _______ I haven’t finished.

11. My friend Peter ______ has just moved to Wales sent me a long letter.

12. My boss _______ office is next to mine is on holiday at the moment.

13. My favourite time of the year is summer ________ I can have a holiday.

14. The woman _______ won the lottery gave an interview to the newspaper.

Exercise 7. a) Combine the sentences to make one new sentence, including a defining relative clause. Make any necessary changes, and omit the relative pronoun if possible.

1. The bus goes up Edward Avenue. It doesn't stop at the railway station.

2. The debate went on all night. The backbenchers had demanded it.

3. The escaped convicts stashed away the gold bars. They had stolen the gold in an earlier bank raid.

4. It was her dream cottage! She had always wanted one like that.

5. They booked into the hotel. They had stayed there on their honeymoon.

6. The bodyguards were flanking the King. They had revolvers concealed inside their jackets.

7. It wasn't their dog. No, I was taking care of their cat.

8. The tree had died. They cut it down.

9. That's the cruise. I've always wanted to go on that one. 10 I think it was the manager. I was speaking to him.

b) Join the following sentences using the appropriate relative.

1. This is the motorbike. I repaired it myself.

2. Mr Smith owns a company. He’s a successful businessman.

3. I’m afraid of water. That’s why I never swim in the sea.

4. The boy broke the window. He said he was sorry.

5. Paris is the city. The French built it for the world. London is the city. The English built it for themselves.

6. The best time to go shopping is in the morning. The shops are not busy then.

7. He lent me some money. That was very kind of him.

8. Michael lives next door to me. He is an architect.

9. This is the suit. I bought it last week. It doesn’t fit me.

10. A cynic is a person. He knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. (O. Wilde).

11. Growling in the corner were two big dogs. They both looked extremely dangerous.

12. The manager called in my new colleagues. I had met one or two of them already.

13. There were several large holes in the road. Three of them had to be repaired urgently.

14. There were some vegetables left over. I was able to use a few of them in some soup for supper.

15. The lectures were attended by over two hundred students. Few of them completed the assignments set by the professor.

16. The researchers reported back on the questionnaires. The most interesting ones showed a marked change in leisure habits among older people.

17. The woman lives next door. She bought an Old English sheepdog. It barks all night.

18. We rented a cottage from a man. He has written a novel. The novel has become a bestseller.

19. The zoo's most famous giant panda has died. Its name was Chi-Chi.

20. I told you about a record. The record will be released next week. It has been produced by a completely new method.

Exercise 8. a) In the following sentences there are mistakes in the relative clauses. Find them and correct.

1. A man to whom I was talking to recently told me a joke, which was very funny, but that I have unfortunately forgotten.

2. Our director for who’s job I applied when the previous director left, has announced that the pay rise, which we asked for, has had to be postponed, that really upset us.

3. The actress Joan Kelly whose most famous film was One for the Road for that she won an Oscar award, has died at the age of 77 at her home in California, in which she had lived for the last 25 years.

4. This morning, I got a cheque in the post that I wasn’t expecting, for some work, which I did a long time ago, translating business texts.

5. Lord Brown on whom many people look as the best prime minister of the century and who’s memoirs that were published last year caused a scandal, got married to a woman, who he first met 55 years ago, when they were at school together.

b) Correct the sentences if necessary. Tick any which are already correct.

1. There's the woman who she sold me the oranges.

2. This is my brother, who's wife's French.

3. Did you ever meet the model who's married Jeff’s cousin?

4. I don't like people which talk too loudly.

5. That's the car whose brakes are being repaired.

6. I know a little tavern at where you can get a wonderful meal.

7. Do you understand what he said?

8. I suppose that's the house where we'll have to stay in.

9. Could we arrange a time when we'll both be free?

10. I'm afraid I haven't sent exactly what he asked for.

11. That I can't stand is queuing in the rain.

12. Have you any idea to whom I'll be speaking to?

13. Is that the school which you studied?

14. He'll show the new students which to do.

15. You'd better tell me the reason for he didn't turn up.

16. That's the old chap whom you met at the bus-stop last week, isn't it?

17. That was the day when I mislaid my passport.

18. What he told you is hopelessly inaccurate.

Exercise 2. Join the sentences together into one sentence using WH-CLAUSES or THAT- CLAUSES.

Example: Не saw something. He didn't like it.  He didn't like what he saw.

1) I'll do something or other, and it will be well thought out. Whatever.....................................................................................

2) It must be Pete's brother! This suddenly dawned on me.

It..................................................................................................

3) What are we looking for? We don't know.

We...........................................................................

4) This man is your brother. We are certain of it.

We................................................................................................

5)Something or other was going on in the investigation; he felt he was closer to it than he had been before.

He...............................................................................................

6) Improved breathing would bring better co-ordination. This was the vital factor.

The..............................................................................................

7) Why should they wish to look like that appalling man? It's beyond me. It's...............................................................................................

8) We have 28 professionals. You can't run away from that fact. You..............................................................................................

9) The document has been wrongly dated and ought to read 1932 instead of 1931. This is clear from the contents.

From............................................................................................

10) Someone said history repeats itself first as tragedy, then as farce.

They were right.

Whoever.......................................................................................

11) I am going to say something. Please listen carefully.

Please..........................................................................................

12) Who does it belong to? That's something they are still arguing over. They"....;.......................................................................................

13) Whose money is it? That doesn't matter!

It ...............................................................................

14) How should we handle this? Let's talk about it.

Let's............................................................................................

Exercise 9. Translate into Russian:

1. Вилы это инструмент, предназначенный для уборки сена и соломы.

2. Я знаю одного человека, который работает юристом и хорошо знаком с этой системой..

3. Помнишь, когда мы впервые познакомились.

4. Она провалила сессию, что очень расстроило ее родителей.

5. Мне хочется поехать куда-нибудь, где природа еще осталась нетронутой.

6. Фильм, который я так хотел посмотреть, оказался скучным.

7. Женщина, с которой ты вчера разговаривала, работает в больнице для неизлечимых больных.

8. Это кольцо – подарок моего мужа в день свадьбы, что очень ценно для меня.

9. Это то самое кафе, куда мы любили заглядывать, когда были студентами.

10. Не ошибается тот, кто ничегоне делает (посл.).