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Listenever Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

Relative clause parsing

The movie clip starts with a teacher saying this line:

Okay, now that we've finished our tests, I want you all to start thinking about our fifth grade science fair projects, which you will need to work on to have ready after spring break.

Here, the relative word 'which' refers back to 'our fifth grade science fair projects', and there are two gaps in the relative clause as follows:

(1) ...which you will need to work on ______ to have ______ ready after spring break

Where both the gaps refer back to 'which'.


Am I right about this analysis?


Also, is it possible to fill in either of the gaps with a pronoun them as follows?

(2) ...which you will need to work on them to have ______ ready after spring break

(3) ...which you will need to work on ______ to have them ready after spring break


If both (2) and (3) are also possible, which is the most natural, (1), (2) or (3)?

  

Top answer

listenever Am I right about this analysis? Yes. When we analyse a clause, we use the gap notation '_____' for the missing relativised element(s), as in (1) listenever If both (2) and (3) are also possible, which is the most natural, (1), (2) or (3)?

— BillJ

  • listenever Am I right about this analysis?
  • Yes.
  • When we analyse a clause, we use the gap notation '_____' for the missing relativised element(s), as in (1) listenever If both (2) and (3) are also possible, which is the most natural, (1), (2) or (3)?
  • (1) is the usual way to diagram a relative clause.
  • I don't know why you have replaced one of the gaps with the pronoun "them" when the antecedent is 'our fifth grade science fair projects'.
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1 Answers
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listeneverAm I right about this analysis?

Yes. When we analyse a clause, we use the gap notation '_____' for the missing relativised element(s), as in (1)

listeneverIf both (2) and (3) are also possible, which is the most natural, (1), (2) or (3)?

(1) is the usual way to diagram a relative clause. I don't know why

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