Extra practice

Join the following sentences using a relative clause (who or which):

1. This is my mobile phone. I bought it yesterday.

This is the mobile phone JXUwMDEx .

2. The man was arrested yesterday. He stole my car.

The man JXUwMDJmJXUwMDFmJXUwMDA3 JXUwMDM1JXUwMDE0 JXUwMDNiJXUwMDAyJXUwMDEz JXUwMDJmJXUwMDE2JXUwMDEy .

3. I bought a book. You had recommended it to me.

I bought JXUwMDJjJXUwMDFjJXUwMDBk JXUwMDNhJXUwMDBkJXUwMDAwJXUwMDA0 JXUwMDIxJXUwMDE2JXUwMDFh JXUwMDMwJXUwMDA5JXUwMDA1 JXUwMDJjJXUwMDFi JXUwMDM1JXUwMDA4 .

4. My computer doesn't work. I bought the computer a month ago.

The computer JXUwMDEx JXUwMDM5 JXUwMDM5JXUwMDA2JXUwMDA4 JXUwMDJmJXUwMDE4JXUwMDFkJXUwMDE5 .

5. The man got married last Saturday. He sold you the house.

The man JXUwMDJmJXUwMDFmJXUwMDA3 JXUwMDJiJXUwMDFjJXUwMDAzJXUwMDA4 JXUwMDIxJXUwMDE2JXUwMDFh JXUwMDJjJXUwMDFjJXUwMDBk JXUwMDNmJXUwMDA4JXUwMDFi JXUwMDM0JXUwMDBkJXUwMDEyJXUwMDA3 .

Omission of relative pronouns

Omission of relative pronouns

As we have already seen, the relative pronoun can sometimes be omitted. How do we know this? The answer is easy. We have to look at the relative pronoun and ask:

Is it the subject or the object of the relative clause?

In the example 'This is the man who loves me', 'who' is the subject of the relative clause 'who loves me'.

In the second example, 'This is the man who I love', 'who' is the object of the relative clause 'who I love' (the subject is 'I', and 'who' is the object). In these cases, the relative clause can be omitted and, in fact, it sounds better when it is omitted.

This is the man I love.

Can the relative pronoun be omitted in the following sentences?

1. This is the mobile phone which I bought yesterday.

2. The man who stole my car was arrested yesterday.

3. I bought the book which you had recommended to me.

4. Ottawa is the city that Paco chose to visit first of all.

5. Here he visited the famous canal that is used as a skating rink in winter.

6. This is the tower that they had to build in order to solve communications problems with some skyscrapers.

7. Can you remember this beautiful place which is in the border of Canada and the United States?
8. Finally, in Nunavut he learnt ... about the people who live there, the Inuit.

Reading: Paco visits the north of Canada

Audio

Reading: Paco visits the north of Canada

Paco is now in Nunavut, a region in the very north of Canada, as the map below shows. The capital city is called Iqaluit and it is located in one of the numerous islands that belong to Nunavut, Baffin Island. Although it is a very large region, it is the least populated province of Canada: only about 30,000 inhabitants. Most of the people who live here are Inuit, as they prefer to call themselves. They are indigenous people that are often referred to as Eskimos, a term which is considered pejorative by them. A possible reason is that one of the multiple meanings given to the word 'Eskimo' is 'eaters of raw meat'.

Paco arrived at the international airport of Iqaluit, and soon felt the amazingly freezing weather of this region in the Arctic. Now he can feel in his own flesh what it is to be in the North Pole. He is wearing a really warm coat which he bought especially for this place, and he remembers all those films of Eskimos, snow, igloos and sleds. And it is not the coldest time of the year!

The snow is present almost every month and it is a place of rich untouched flora and fauna and ancient traditions. Among the animals which can be seen in this region, we could mention polar bears, seals, elks, beavers, or caribous. There are attractive activities which the tourist can enjoy such as dog team races, igloo building demonstrations, ice sculpting, snowmobile races, and many other traditional Inuit activities and performances. The activity which Paco will probably enjoy more is a tour by dog sled! He will surely have a great time again!

By EOZyo, public domain

What examples of relative clauses can you find in the text?