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Pastsimple Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Relative clauses: a funny (and tricky) one

0 Sentence #1: 01b00We stayed in a hotel that was very expensive.02b02br
02br
01i00can be rewritten as two sentences:02br
02i00a) We stayed in a hotel.02br
00b) It (the hotel) was very expensive.02br
02br
00#2. 01b00The girl I live with eats fried grashoppers.02b02br
00a) The girl eats fried grashoppers.02br
00b) I live with her (the girl).02br
02br
00How would you rewrite:02br
02br
01b00I don't know a dog that can speak Norwegian.02b02br
02br
00If it was positive, it would be easy (I know a dog. + It can speak02br
00Norwegian. = I know a dog that can speak Norwegian.) but when negative02br
00comes into play I'm lost and think it may not be possible. 0-
  

Top answer

0 Hello Pastsimple02br 02br 00Your question interested me and I am inclined to agree with you. 02br 02br 00Historically speaking, according to the Oxford Dictionary, English relative sentences have developed from a combination of two simple sentences in the way like "He came to a river; that (=the river) was broad and deep". 02br 02br 00paco 0-

— Paco2004

  • 0 Hello Pastsimple02br 02br 00Your question interested me and I am inclined to agree with you.
  • 02br 02br 00Historically speaking, according to the Oxford Dictionary, English relative sentences have developed from a combination of two simple sentences in the way like "He came to a river; that (=the river) was broad and deep".
  • 02br 02br 00paco 0-
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8 Answers
0
0 Hello Pastsimple02br
02br
00Your question interested me and I am inclined to agree with you. 02br
02br
00Historically speaking, according to the Oxford Dictionary, English relative sentences have developed from a combination of two simple sentences in the way like "He came to a river; that (=the river) was broad and deep". But it is likely the uses of re
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Pastsimple12cite10Sentence #1: 11b10We stayed in a hotel that was very expensive.12b12br
12br
11i10can be rewritten as two sentences:12br
12i10a) We stayed in a hotel.12br
10b) It (the hotel) was very expensive.12br
12br
10#2. 11b
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0
0 01blockquote
01cite10Goodman12cite10Your examples could be combined into a single sentence with an adjective: We stayed in an expensive hotel. 12br
12br
12blockquote
10Yes, but "I live with a grashopper-eating girl" would seem very odd to me. 050010id1
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0 I must be missing something, because if you are just splitting these into two sentences, why not:02br
02br
01i00I don't know a dog.02br
00 It (the dog) can speak Norwegian.02i02br
02br
00 That makes as much sense as the others, doesn't it?02br
02br
00 CJ0-
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10CalifJim12cite10I must be missing something, because if you are just splitting these into two sentences, why not:12br
12br
11i10I don't know a dog.12br
10It (the dog) can speak Norwegian.12i12br
12br
10That makes as much sense as the others, doesn't it?12br
0
0
0Now there's a visual I could have done without. 050010id1
0
0
0 01blockquote
01cite10CalifJim12cite10I must be missing something, because if you are just splitting these into two sentences, why not:12br
12br
11i10I don't know a dog.12br
10It (the dog) can speak Norwegian.12i12br
12br
10That makes as much sense as the others, doesn't it?12br
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0
0Hi guys,02br
02br
01font00Original example:01b00 I don't know a dog that can speak Norwegian.02b02br
02font02br
02br
01font00CJ's suggestion: 01i00I don't know a dog. It (the dog) can speak Norwegian.02i02br
02font01font
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