Unit 4 - Relative clauses with prepositions and other types

 Relative clauses with prepositions and other types

Relatives with prepositions

There are often prepositions in relative clauses, and a relative pronoun is the object of that preposition. In everyday English, the preposition is normally placed at the end of the relative clause and the pronoun may be included or omitted. In formal English, the preposition is placed before the relative pronoun, and in this case the pronoun cannot be omitted.

Omission

The relative pronoun can only be omitted when it is the object of the clause. When the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause, it cannot be omitted. You can usually tell when a relative pronoun is the object of the clause because it is followed by another subject + verb. 

Reduced relatives with -ing

As you may see from the chart below, a gerund can often be used instead of a relative pronoun and full verb.