Nominal Relative Clauses
“Fused” Relative Pronouns Acting as Nouns.
Before we start
Before starting to nominal Relative Clauses, you may want to check out Relative Clauses again.
⏰ When do we use Nominal Relative Clauses?
We use these clauses to make our speech and writing more concise. Instead of using a noun plus a relative pronoun (e.g., “the thing which”), we “fuse” them into a single word (e.g., “what”).
We also use them to:
- Shift focus or add emphasis to a specific part of a sentence (Cleft sentences).
- Discuss general ideas rather than specific, identified nouns.
- Generalize utilizing -ever words (whoever, whatever, whichever).
📌 Structure
A nominal relative clause functions exactly like a noun or a noun phrase. It can act as the subject, the object, or the complement of a sentence.
The Formula: Nominal Relative Pronoun + Clause
Common Nominal Relative Pronouns:
- What = The thing(s) that / The thing(s) which
- Who(ever) = The person who / Any person who
- Where = The place where
- When = The time when
- Why = The reason why
- How = The way in which
📝 Notes
The “What” vs. “That” Trap: This is the most common mistake.
- Incorrect: “The book contains what describes the history.” (You cannot use what after a specific noun like ‘book’).
- Correct: “The book contains information that describes the history.”
- Correct (Nominal): “What the book contains is history.”
Emphasis (Cleft Sentences): We often use these after phrases like This/That is… combined with adverbs like just, exactly, or precisely.
- “That is exactly what I meant.”
Infinitive Use: Nominal relative pronouns are frequently followed by a to-infinitive when discussing knowledge, decisions, or instructions.
- “I don’t know what to do.” (I don’t know the thing that I should do).
Comparison Table
| Feature | Standard Relative Clause | Nominal Relative Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Antecedent | Requires a noun before it. | No noun before it (it is the noun). |
| Example | I ate the food which you cooked. | I ate what you cooked. |
| Pronoun | who, which, that, whose | what, who(ever), where, why, how |
💬 Examples
- Subject Position: “What other people think is irrelevant.” (The things that other people think…).
- Object Position: “I can’t imagine why he said that.” (I can’t imagine the reason why…).
- With -ever (Generalization): “Whoever wins goes forward to the next stage.” (Any person who wins…).
- With Infinitives: “The manual illustrates how to troubleshoot problems.” (The way in which one should troubleshoot…).