0
Moon7296 Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

relative clause or?

One of the exercises sometimes used in workshops is to ask people to write down 10 words that describe themselves. Even at this first stage of the exercise people differ greatly—some initially focus on their appearance, their gender, or their possessions, while others focus on their emotions, attitudes, values or relationships. Depending upon my purpose for the exercise at the time, I might then ask them to go through their lists and underline those that they think really are them rather than qualities that have been given to them by others.

Q) Is the underlined "that" a relative clause? If so, what does it refer to? Is it like #1?

1. They think really that those are them
  

Top answer

The writer made a mistake. That refers to those , but those itself has no antecedent. Correction: …I might then ask them to go through their lists and underline qualities that they think really are them rather than those [qualities] that have been given to them by others.

— RandomGuy

  • The writer made a mistake.
  • That refers to those , but those itself has no antecedent.
  • Correction: …I might then ask them to go through their lists and underline qualities that they think really are them rather than those [qualities] that have been given to them by others.
  • That is a relative pronoun, by the way.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

5 Answers
0
The writer made a mistake. That refers to those, but those itself has no antecedent.

Correction:

…I might then ask them to go through their lists and underline qualities that they think really are them rather than those [qualities] that have been given to them by others.

That is a relative pronoun, by the way.
0
0
Aspara GusI might then ask them to go through their lists and underline qualities that they think really are them rather than those [qualities] that have been given to them by others.
…I might then ask them to go through their lists and underline qualities that they think really are them rather than those [qualities] that have been give
0
0
AnonymousMy question is: shouldn't it be the possessive "theirs" instead of "them" in the clause that they think really are them?
No, them is fine (but theirs is not wrong).
0
0
Ah. Thank you.
Aspara Gusqualities that they think really are them
Then how should I take that sentence?

1. This is the cat that I saw yesterday. (that = a relative clause refering to "the cat")
2. I saw the cat yesterday.

3. ...qualities that they think really are them. (that = a relative clause refering to "qualities")
4. They think t
0
0
moon7296Then how should I take that sentence?
underline qualities that they think really are them rather than those that have been given to them by others
= “underline only qualities that they think truly belong to them”

So suppose my list included such items as:

irritable
good-natured
0

Related Questions