Relative pronouns

Question 1

What is a relative pronoun?

Answer 1

words used to connect two or more ideas that could be expressed in independent clauses.

Question 2

What are the 8 relative pronouns?

Answer 2

1. • QUE
2. • QUIEN, QUIENES
3. • EL/LA/LOS/LAS QUE, EL/LA CUAL, LOS/LAS CUALES
4. • CUYO, CUYA, CUYOS, CUYAS
5. • LO CUAL
6. • LO QUE
7. • DONDE
8. • CUANTO, CUANTA, CUANTOS, CUANTAS

Question 3

How distinguish relative pronouns from interrogative pronouns?

Answer 3

They don’t have an accent.

Question 4

What is “que” used for?

Answer 4

is used for people and things

Question 5

What are “quien/quienes” used for?

Answer 5

are only used for people

Question 6

What are “el/la/los/las que” used for?

Answer 6

substitutes for “que” in formal situations

Question 7

What are “cuyo/a/os/as” used for?

Answer 7

to indicate possession

Question 8

What is “lo cual” used for?

Answer 8

to talk about aforementioned ideas

Question 9

What is “lo que” used for?

Answer 9

to talk about aforementioned ideas

Question 10

What is “donde” used for?

Answer 10

for places or locations

Question 11

What are “cuanto/a/os/as” used for?

Answer 11

are not used in spoken Spanish nowadays.

Question 12

What do use instead of cuanto/a/os/as these days?

Answer 12

TODO/A/OS/AS LO QUE

Question 13

Te prestaré cuanto necesites … what should we say these days?

Answer 13

Te prestaré todo lo que necesites = I’ll lend you as much as you need.

Question 14

Este es el parque donde robaron a mi primo.

Answer 14

This is the park where my cousin got robbed.

Question 15

Te voy a decir lo que me dijo Juan el otro día.

Answer 15

I’m going to tell you what Juan told me the other day.

Question 16

Mi jefe, cuyo despacho está al final del pasillo, está casado y tiene dos hijos.

Answer 16

My boss, whose office is at the end of the corridor, is married and has two kids.

Question 17

Estos son los informes los cuales hay que enviar a las oficinas centrales.

Answer 17

These are the reports which have to be sent to the headquarters.

Question 18

Mis amigos, quienes se casan mañana, llevan juntos diez años.

Answer 18

My friends, who are getting married tomorrow, have been together for 10 years.

Question 19

La casa que está en la esquina está encantada.

Answer 19

The house that is on the corner is haunted.

Question 20

What is the main use of “cuyo”? (1 of 3)

Answer 20

to give a definite value to a noun to which it always precedes and with which matches in gender and number:

Question 21

What is the main use of “cuyo”? (2 of 3)

Answer 21

a possessive meaning. Note here agrees in gender and number to the noun which comes AFTER it.

Question 22

What is the main use of “cuyo”? (3 of 3)

Answer 22

where it has a relative value instead of a possessive value and is used in idioms

Question 23

Deja papel y bolígrafo cerca del teléfono EN CUYO CASO no encontrarás ninguno cuando lo necesites… which use of cuyo (? of 3)?

Answer 23

3 of 3 ie relative value and an idiom, “Leave a pen and paper near the telephone in which case you will not find any when you need it.”

Question 24

what are the idiomatic expressions of cuyo? (4)

Answer 24

• en cuyo caso - in which case
• por cuya razón - for that reason, because of which
• con cuyo objeto - with the purpose
• a cuyo fin - to which end

Question 25

Esa es la falda cuya cremallera se rompió… which use (? or 3) of cuyo?

Answer 25

Use 1, to give a definite value to the preceding noun, “That’s the skirt whose zipper broke.”

Question 26

Aquella casa, cuyas ventanas están rotas, está puesta a la venta desde diciembre. .. which use (? or 3) of cuyo?

Answer 26

Use 2, a possessive meaning of the following noun, “That house whose windows are broken is on sale since December.”

Question 27

What is wrong with “ Estos cuyos hijos”?

Answer 27

cuyo is not compatible with demonstrative adjectives nor the indefinite todo

Question 28

Why is the use of cuyo correct… “María, cuyo segundo hijo está estudiando en una universidad de Estados Unidos, está haciendo un gran esfuerzo para pagar la matrícula.”

Answer 28

Cuyo is compatible with numbers, “Maria, whose second children is studying in a U.S. university, is making a great effort to be able to pay the tuition.”

Question 29

Why is this incorrect… Devolví ese libro que sus páginas estaban manchadas? What is the correct sentence?

Answer 29

1. Cos’ using “que + sus” as a substitute for “cuyo”, “I returned the book whose pages were stained.”
2. Devolví ese libro cuyas páginas estaban manchadas.

Question 30

why is “cuya” not masculine in front of “agua” in …“El mar Mediterráneo cuya agua está siempre caliente en verano tiene unas de las mejores playas del mundo.”

Answer 30

Agua is a feminine noun, but because the stress is on the front “a” (or ha”) the definite object is masculine ie “el”. This rule doesn’t apply to cuyo.

Question 31

Why is que used?

Answer 31

To clarify or specify the idea or thing in the main sentence

Question 32

why is que used in … “El niño que tiene sobrepeso tiene problemas de salud” as cf. to “El niño tiene problemas de salud.”

Answer 32

The sentence is more specific with the relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun because now we know what specific kid we are talking about.

Question 33

yes, “quien/quienes” is used when 1st clause has a person, but what must the 2nd clause have?

Answer 33

it must have clarifying effect AND be separated by commas

Question 34

La secretaría, quien acaba de entrar a trabajar en la empresa, es muy eficiente.

Answer 34

The secretary, who recently started working in the company, is very efficient.

Question 35

Mis abuelos, quienes tienen mucho dinero, han comprado una casa en el Tirol austríaco.

Answer 35

My grandparents, who have a lot of money, have bought a house in the Austrian Tyrol.

Question 36

La chica con que estabas bailando es muy guapa … whys is substitution of “que” for “quien” incorrect here?

Answer 36

Can’t substitute “que” for “quien” when the relative clause is preceded by a preposition ie correct is “con quien”. “The girl you were dancing with / with whom you were dancing is very pretty.”

Question 37

What does there need to be before can use “lo qual”? why?

Answer 37

1. An antecedent ie a whole sentence

2. Because “lo qual” refers to a complete idea in the antecedent

Question 38

La empresa prometió un aumento de sueldo lo cual contentó a todo el personal…. why “lo qual” used?

Answer 38

Because it refers to the complete idea in the antecedent of the salary rise. “The company promised a salary raise which satisfied all employees.”

Question 39

what expression can use as a substitute for “lo qual”?

Answer 39

“lo que”

Question 40

why does “lo qual” become “el qual” … Este es el coche por el cual pagué 15.000 dólares.

Answer 40

Because “lo qual” can’t be preceded by a preposition when a relative pronoun. “This is the car for which I paid $15,000.”

Question 41

When is “lo que” used when can’t use “lo qual”?

Answer 41

When the antecedent is not expressed or is unknown

Question 42

Lo que has hecho está muy mal. Pídele perdón a tu hermana…. why “lo que” NOT “lo qual”?

Answer 42

Because the antecedent is not expressed ie what you did. “What you did is very wrong. Apologize to your sister.”

Question 43

Lo que mi madre dijo el otro día, me dejó muy sorprendido. …. why “lo que” NOT “lo qual”?

Answer 43

Because the antecedent is not expressed ie what your mother said. “I was surprised by what my mother said the other day.”

Question 44

where do use “adonde” instead of “donde”?

Answer 44

with verbs of movement eg “ir a”, viajar a”. There is no change of meaning.

Question 45

Iré adonde tú quieras ir.

Answer 45

I’ll go where ever you want to go. There is no change of meaning if use “donde” cos’ is with a verb of movement.