Relative Clauses Flashcards
What is a relative clause?
A clause that modifies the head noun in the matrix clause, restricting the possible set of the noun to the specific subset that the speaker wants to talk about the film (that we saw yesterday) the man (who i met today)
What are the 3 elements in English that make up relative clauses
head noun
modifying clause
relativiser, linking mod clause to head “that”
Give a property of a relative clause
They have a missing NP
Relativiser can be understood to refer back to the head noun
How can a relative clause be introduced?
relative pronoun (wh-)
relativiser
nothing (zero making)
What is a relativiser?
A special type of complementiser that marks a mod clause in a relative clause construction
Give some differences between relative pronouns and relativisers
RP=anaphoric, taking the head noun as its antedecent
RP can be inflected for case
How does the structure of relativisation vary across languages?
Head initial (English) - relative clause follows the head noun Head final (Turkish) - relative clause may precede head noun
What are the two types of relative clauses?
restrictive and non restrictive
What are some properties of non restrictive relative clauses?
referent of HN can be identified independently, without additional info given by RC
-names “the man”
identity of the referent is old information, mod clause contains new info
What are some properties of restrictive clauses?
HN designates a class to which the referent belongs Mod clause restricts the possible referents of the noun to a specific member of the clause
What are some differences between restrictive and non restrictive clauses in English?
intonation: Non res are preceded by a pause
NON are compatible with proper nouns
NON are always intoduced by a wh- word
RES can be introduced by wh- word, that, or zero marking
NON RES cannot be headed by quantifier nouns (every, all, any)
How do other languages differentiate between restrictive and non restrictive?
Bemba uses tonal distinction
