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44. WHAT IS A RELATIVE PRONOUN? A relative pronoun is a word that serves two purposes: 1. As a pronoun it stands for a noun or another pronoun previously mentioned. The noun or pronoun referred to is called the antecedent. This is the boy who broke the window. antecedent 2. It introduces a subordinate clause, that is, a group of words having a subject and verb separate from the subject and verb of the main sentence. A subordinate clause does not express a complete thought. A main clause can stand alone as a complete sentence. main clause subordinate clause I I I This is the boy who broke the window. I I subject verb [“who broke the window” is not a complete sentence] The above subordinate clause is also called a relative clause because it starts with the relative pronoun who. The relative clause gives us additional information about the antecedent boy. Relative clauses are very common. We use them in our everyday speech without giving much thought to why and how we construct them. The relative pronoun allows us to combine in a single sentence two thoughts which have a common element. sentence a I met the teacher. sentence b He teaches Spanish in my school. combined I met the teacher who teaches Spanish in my school. When sentences are combined with a relative pronoun, the relative pronoun can have different functions in the relative clause. It can be the subject, the direct object, the indirect object, or the object of a preposition. Since your selection of the relative pronoun will depend on its function, we shall study each function separately. IN ENGLISH In an English sentence, the relative pronoun is often omitted. The book I’m reading is interesting. The book that I’m reading is interesting. relative pronoun In many cases the selection of a relative pronoun depends not only on its function in the relative clause, but also on whether the antecedent is a “person” (this category includes human beings and live animals) or a “thing” (this category includes objects and ideas). IN SPANISH Relative pronouns are used just as they are in English. The main dif- ference is that, unlike English, where the relative pronoun can some- times be omitted at the beginning of a relative clause, the relative pro- noun must always be expressed.1
Subject of the Relative Clause IN ENGLISH There are three relative pronouns that can be used as subjects of a rel- ative clause, depending on whether the relative pronoun refers to a person or to a thing. “Person” Who or that is used for the subject of the sentence. She is the only student who answered all the time. antecedent Who is the subject of answered. She is the only student that answered all the time. antecedent That is the subject of answered. “Thing” Which or that is used for the subject of the sentence. The movie which is so popular was filmed in Spain. antecedent Which is the subject of is. The movie that is so popular was filmed in Spain. antecedent That is the subject of is.
1This handbook will deal with the relative pronouns quit, qnleui(.es), and lo quit. Forms of S quit, S cnal, and the relative adjective cuyo are not included since most beginning textbooks do not treat them. 171 IN SPANISH Que is used as the subject of a relative clause, regardless of whether the antecedent is a person or a thing. Que is invariable. John is the student that (who) answered. antecedent person That (who) is the subject of answered. Juan es el estudiante que respondid. This is the phone that (which) isn’t working. antecedent thing That (which) is the subject of isn’t working. Aqui está el teléfono que no funciona.
Combining Sentences With a Relative Pronoun Subject IN ENGLISH sentence a The students passed the exam. sentence b They studied. 1. Identify the element the two sentences have in common. The students and they; both words refer to the same persons. 2. The relative pronoun always replaces the element which the second sentence has in common with the first sentence. They will be replaced by a relative pronoun. 3. The relative pronoun in the relative clause will have the same func- tion as the word it replaces. They is the subject of studied. The relative pronoun will be the subject of studied. 4. Choose the relative pronoun according to whether its antecedent is a person or a thing. They refers to students. Therefore, its antecedent is a person. 5. Select the relative pronoun. Who or that is the subject relative pronoun referring to a person. 6. Place the relative pronoun right after its antecedent. The students who studied passed the exam. The students that studied passed the exam. I _____________________ antecedent relative clause IN SPANISH sentence a Los estudiantes aprobaron el examen. sentence b Estudiaron. Follow the same steps as under In English above, skipping step 4. Los estudiantes estudiaron aprobaron el examen. antecedent relative clause Direct Object of the Relative Clause IN ENGLISH There are three relative pronouns that can be used as direct objects of a relative clause, depending on whether the relative pronoun refers to a person or a thing. We have indicated relative pronouns in paren- theses because they are often omitted. “Person” Whom or that is used as a direct object of a sentence. This is the student (whom) I saw yesterday. antecedent Whom is the direct object of saw. (I is the subject of the relative clause.) This~ is the student (that) I saw yesterday. antecedent That is the direct object of saw. (I is the subject of the relative clause.) “Thing” Which or that is used as a direct object of a sentence. This is the book (which) Paul bought. antecedent Which is the direct object of bought. (Paul is the subject of the relative clause.) This is the book (that) Paul bought. antecedent That is the direct object of bought. (Paul is the subject of the relative clause.) IN SPANISH Que is used as the direct object of a relative clause, regardless of whether the antecedent is a person or a thing. Que is invariable. 173 We have included the relative pronouns in the English sentences below to show you what the Spanish relative pronoun relates to; how- ever, since the relative pronoun is often omitted in an English sen- tence, we have put them between parentheses. This is the student (that or whom) John saw last night. antecedent person That or whom is the direct object of saw. (Juan is the subject of the relative clause.) Este es el estudiante que Juan vio anoche. This is the book (which or that) John bought antecedent thing Which or that is the direct object of bought. (John is the subject of the relative clause.) Este es el libro que Juan compro. Combining Sentences with a Relative Pronoun Direct Object IN ENGLISH sentence a The Spanish teacher is nice. sentence b I met her today. 1. COMMON ELEMENT: the Spanish teacher and her 2. ELEMENT TO BE REPLACED: her 3. FUNCTION OF HER: direct object 4. ANTECEDENT: the Spanish teacher is a person 5. SELECTION: whom or that 6. PLACEMENT: whom or that after the Spanish teacher The Spanish teacher (whom) I met today is nice. The Spanish teacher I met today is nice. Notice that the relative pronoun whom is left out in spoken English, making it difficult to identify the two clauses. IN SPANISH sentence a La profesora de espafiol es simpática. sentence b La conoci hoy. Follow the same steps as under In English above, skipping step 4. La profesora de español que conoci hoy es simpdtica. I I antecedent relative clause Indirect Object or Object of Preposition in the Relative Clause Both the relative pronoun as an indirect object and the relative pro- noun as an object of a preposition involve prepositions. It is difficult to identify the function of a relative pronoun because in English a preposition is often placed at the end of the sentence, sepa- rated from the relative pronoun to which it is linked. This separation of a preposition from its object is called a dangling preposition (see p. 130). To make it easier for you to identify a relative pronoun as an indirect object or as an object of a preposition, you will have to change the structure of the sentence so that the preposition is placed before the pronoun. This restructuring will not only make it easier for you to identify the function of the pronoun, but will also establish the word order for the Spanish sentence. IN ENGLISH There are two relative pronouns used as indirect objects, depending on whether you are referring to a person or a thing. “Person” Whom is used as an indirect object or as an object of a preposition. Here is the student I was speaking to. antecedent This English structure cannot be translated word-for-word into Spanish for two reasons: 1. The Spanish language does not permit dangling prepositions, and 2. the relative pronoun omitted in English must be expressed in Spanish. To establish the Spanish structure, you must restructure the English sentence, placing the preposition within the sentence and adding a relative pronoun. If you are not sure where to place the preposition and the relative pronoun, remember that they follow immediately after the antecedent. Spoken English —4 Restructured Here is the student Here is the student to I was speaking to. whom I was speaking. Whom is the indirect object of was speaking. Here is the student I was talking about. antecedent 175 As in the case of the indirect object, spoken English often omits the relative pronoun and places the preposition at the end of the sentence. Spoken English —> Restructured Here is the student I Here is the student was speaking about. about whom I was speaking. Whom is the object of the preposition about. Here is the student about whom I was speaking. antec~dent relative clause “Thing” Which is used as an indirect object or as an object of a preposition. Here is the museum he gave a painting to. antecedent Spoken English -4 Restructured Here is the museum he Here is the museum to gave the painting to. which he gave the painting. Which is the indirect object of gave. Here is the museum to which he gave the painting. antecedent relative clause IN SPANISH Quien or quienes is used as the indirect object as well as the object of a preposition of a relative clause. You will often need to restructure the English sentence before attempting to put it into Spanish. John is the boy I’m going with. I I singular antecedent preposition John is the boy with whom I am going. I I preposition object of preposition Juan es el chico con quien salgo. Restructured —+
Restructured —4 The girls I’m writing to live in Madrid. plural antecedent preposition The girls to whom I am writing live in Madrid. I I preposition object of preposition Las chicas a quienes les escribo viven en Madrid. “Thing” In conversational Spanish a preposition + que is generally used. This is the book I was talking about. antecedent preposition This is the book about which I was talking. I I preposition object of preposition Este es el libro de que hablaba. Restructured —* The following chart provides a summary of the relative pronouns. ENGLISH SPANISH subject subject person who, that person que thing that, which thing que direct object direct object person whom, that person que thing that, which thing que object of preposition object of preposition person whom person preposition + quien(-es) thing which thing preposition + que To find the correct relative pronoun you must go through the fol- lowing steps. 1. RELATIVE CLAUSE—Find the relative clause. Restructure the English clause if there is a dangling preposition and add the relative pro- noun if it has been omitted. 2. FUNCtiON OF PRONOUN—Establish the function of the relative pronoun in the Spanish sentence. SUBJECT—if the relative pronoun is the subject of the English sen- tence, it will be the subject of the Spanish sentence —+ que DIRECT OBJECT—if the Spanish verb takes a direct object —* quien INDIRECT OBJECT OR OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION—if a PERSON —+ preposition + quien (-es), if a mti’~o —* preposition + que 3. SELEcnor~I—Select the Spanish form. Let us apply these steps to some examples.
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