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Basic English Grammar Sample

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وئام زروق
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18 views

Basic English Grammar Sample

Uploaded by

وئام زروق
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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U.

Wh- CLAUSES
Questions
Who, what, which, whose, when, where, and why are used to begin questions.
Who and what are followed by the main verb when they are the subject of the sentence.
EXAMPLES: What caused this problem? Who knows about it?
Like which, when, where, and why, they are followed by an auxiliary verb when they are not the subject.
EXAMPLES: Who did you see at the party? Where did you find the bag? When can I get it from you?
Whose must be followed by a noun. Which is followed by a noun when it is used as an adjective.
EXAMPLE: Whose or which car did you come in tonight?

Relative clauses
These relative pronouns are used after a noun to identify it or give more information about it. There is
usually no punctuation mark before the relative clause if it is telling us which person or thing is meant,
but there are commas before and after the clause if it tells us more about something already mentioned.
Relative pronoun What it describes Example
which / that A thing This hotel, which I told you about last week, is very cheap.
who A person Jack, who phoned you this morning, is at the door.
when A time noun I get very tired in December, when I am busiest.
where A place noun Do you know the street where he lives?
why The reason I know the reason why you did this.
how The method I don’t know how to fix radios.
Whom is sometimes used in formal writing. It can not be the subject of the verb in the clause.
EXAMPLE: The publishers whom I met were impressed by my book.
In speech and informal writing, that can be used instead of which, if the clause identifies the person or
thing we mean (1), and does not give extra information about someone or something already identified (2).
EXAMPLES: 1 This is the knife that I use most. 2 This knife, which I use often, is quite sharp.
If there is a preposition, it will go at the end of the clause.
EXAMPLES: This is the knife that or which I was looking for.
When that or which is the object of the verb, it is sometimes left out, if the clause identifies the person or
thing we mean. That could have been left out of any of the sentences above, except that marked 2.

Noun clauses
Subject Verb Object
A clause starting with any of these John thought that he had won the prize.
words, or whether, can be the object I don’t know* why you did that.
of a verb. No punctuation is needed. My wife asked whether I would come home late.
* The verb can be negative. Don’t know stands for do not know.
Exercise
Fill in each gap with which, that, who, whose, when, where, how or why. Add commas if necessary.
a) ………. textbooks did you bring today? ………. told you to do that?
b) I have to finish this essay by Monday ………. we have to hand in all our assignments.
c) Michael showed me ………. to use the computer programme.
d) Auckland ………. is New Zealand’s largest city has a serious traffic problem.
e) I agree ………. telling the teacher was the right thing to do.
f) Devon Road ………. Jack lives is one of the longest streets in the city.
g) Ask Mr Smith ………. is the teacher in charge of lost property whether your bag has been handed in.
h) The teacher asked ………. Janet was not at school. He also wanted to know ……..…. she was.
i) I have been trying to find out ………. swimsuit this is. I don’t know …….. has used the pool today.

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