Lesson 2 ALIGNING NON-DEFINING

1. Look at the words in the table and use them to answer the question: What are the three things people can do to help the environment? Make sure you use modal verbs in your answers.

2. a) Compare the sentences below. What can you say about relations between the two parts of each sentence? Look through the Quick Grammar Aid (1, 2) on page 120 to explain your answer.

He wrote a letter to the manager, || but the manager didn't answer.

I told him || that I didn't know anything about their plans.

b) Identify simple, compound and complex sentences and point them out.

1) Paula and Bruno like the small town at the seaside where they spend their summer vacation.

2) Paula loves to go to the beach and spend her days sunbathing.

3) Bruno likes the view that he gets from the log cabin up in the mountains.

4) Paula prefers playing tennis and she often goes to a local tennis court.

5) Bruno dislikes sitting on the beach; he always gets nasty sunburn.

3. Read parts 3—5 of the Quick Grammar Aid and complete the sentences using the words in italics below. Explain your answers in class.

That, when, whom, which, where, who, whose, who.

1) They’re the people … want to buy our house.

2) We had a lovely meal at the place … Phil recommended

3) We don’t know the person … donated this money.

4) The picture … she has just finished is unique.

5) You are the partner …I want to work with.

6) I couldn't help the students … tests were a failure.

7) Sheila knows … it happened.

8) That is the swimming-pool…. I used to go swimming.

Did you know?

Urban areas make up 11.6% of the UK.

4. Read part 6 of the Quick Grammar Aid and complete the sentences. Remember about commas. Share your results with your classmates.

1) Clare is doing the London marathon this year, (who I work with)

2) We plan to raise £10,000 for local charities, (which help the homeless)

3) His brother is a friend of mine, (who works at the supermarket)

4) My boss travels to Paris regularly, (whose wife is French)

5) I returned home two days ago. (where I hadn't been for five years)

6) Her car broke down after just five miles, (which was very old)

7) Jim is my best friend, (whom I've known for years)

5. Look through the sentences and decide if they are defining or non-defining. Put commas where necessary. Explain your choice. Be attentive!

1) London which is the capital of England is one of the largest cities in the world.

2) This is the dress my mother has made for me.

3) Tom Cruise who has starred in a lot of films is a famous American actor.

4) The village where I grew up is very small.

5) Greg whose job involves travelling a lot has been in nearly all the countries in the world.

6) The office I have just rented is near my home.

7) This is the officer that arrested the burglar.

6. Join these sentences to make up defining or non-defining relative clauses. Pay attention to a change of certain words. Omit the pronoun if possible. Add commas if necessary. Check your results in class.

1) My school is very big. It is in Madrid.

2) Robert Pattinson is an actor. He works in the Shakespeare’s Theatre.

3) I bought this cake yesterday. It tastes delicious.

4) Mrs Kelly took me to the hospital. I graduated from a college.

5) Tomorrow Mark goes to Cambridge. He will study in the university.

6) We should care of our planet. The Earth is the only place for mankind.

7. Make up complex sentences from the simple ones with relative pronouns where necessary. Mark the clauses as defining and non-defining. Pay attention to the change of certain words. Add commas if necessary.

1) A teacher is a person. He helps others learn new things.

2) My aunt visited us last Monday. She moved from India.

3) Bob is going out with Mary. I know him very well.

4) This is the city. My Mom was born here.

5) Lucy rang me last night. I haven't seen her for ages.

6) It was in 1945. The World War II finished.

7) Where is the bicycle? You took it from me.

8) The woman is my aunt. She’s talking to Sue.

9) Shakespeare wrote "Romeo and Juliet". He lived in the 16th century.

10) There is a woman. Her daughter is a programmer.

11) My father always forgets his password. I helped my father to install software.

Quick Grammar Aid - Compound and complex sentences Relative clauses

1. A compound sentence consists of two (or more) independent simple sentences connected by conjunctions ’and’, ’or’ ’but’ or without conjunctions.

- Her children may watch TV here, or they may play in the yard.

- Mary lives in London (and / ;) her friend Elizabeth lives in New York.

2. A complex sentence consists of two clauses: the main clause and the subordinate clause. The subordinate clause depends on the main clause for its meaning; it can’t be used without the main clause.

3. There are two main types of subordinate clauses: conditional clauses and relative clauses.

4. Relative clauses are connected to main clauses by relative pronouns ’which’, ’whom’, ’whose’, ’when’, ’where’, ’who’ and ’that’.

- I bought the book that you asked for.

- I know where he lives.

5. We use defining relative clauses to give essential information about someone or something.

- Yesterday he met his friend who / that moved to India. (refers to people)

- I lost the map which / that you gave me. (refers to object)

- She complained to the man whose dog bit her. (refers to possession)

- We visited the house where our father was born. (refers to place)

- Christmas is a day when people are happy. (refers to time)

’That’ is mostly interchangeable with either of relative pronouns and is less formal. We can also drop ’that’ or ’which’ in some relative clauses:

- It reminded him the house I which / that / he used to rent in Oxford.

In writing, we don’t use commas in defining relative clauses.

6. We use non-defining relative clauses to give extra information about the person or thing.

It is not necessary information. They are separated by commas. We never use ’that’ in non-defining clauses.

- That building, which is in the end of the street, was built in the 16^th century.

- And this woman, who I’d never met before, came up and spoke to me.