Relative Pronoun

Question

Hi Everyone,I am looking at Relative Pronoun rules, and they clearly show that 'where' is not a relative pronoun. Is this right?It seems in the following sentence, the word 'where' is a relative pronoun.I went to New York where there are a lot of parks.OrI visited New York where I have a lot of friends.Thanks,Amy

Rover_KE · Accepted Answer

Where is not a relative pronoun.

In your sentences, 'where' is either a relative adverb or a conjunction. I'm not sure which - probably a conjunction if it really matters.

Where can be used in the following ways:

as a question adverb (introducing a direct or indirect question): Where are you going?? I wonder where she lives.

as a relative adverb (referring back to a noun and introducing a relative clause): I know a place where you can hide. (introducing a clause that is subject, object, or complement of another clause): Stratford is where Shakespeare was born.

as a conjunction (connecting two clauses): I’ve hidden the money where no one will find it.

(Macmillan Dictionary)

Rover

BillJ · Answer

Rover_KEn your sentences, 'where' is either a relative adverb or a conjunction. I'm not sure which - probably a conjunction if it really matters.

I'd call "where" a relative adverb. Subordinating conjunctions are quite different: they have no meaning of their own; they're just markers of subordination, whereas relative words, be they pronouns, adverbs or whatever, have a distinct meaning that is derived from an antecedent. Crucially, unlike subordinators, relative words have a range of functions in the relative clause such as subject, object, complement of a prep, or adjunct.

Rover_KEas a conjunction (connecting two clauses): I’ve hidden the money where no one will find it

I see that example as a 'fused' relative construction in which "where" is a 'fused' relative word meaning 'in a place". It's comparable with:

"I've hidden the money in [a place where no one will find it]".

"Where" in the original sentence, is effectively, simultaneously head of the bracketed NP, and adjunct in the underlined relative clause; hence the term 'fused'.

BillJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks, but I'm still none the wiser. I'll admit, my knowledge of relative pronouns is not strong, so a lot of the technical answers are a bit baffling (sorry).

How about this sentence:

- New York, where there are many Italian cafes, is a wonderful city.

Isn't 'where' in this sentence, a relative pronoun?

Thanks again,

Amy

Mister Micawber · Answer

Isn't 'where' in this sentence, a relative pronoun?-- No, it is a relative adverb.

Edit: Ah, I see Bill has already told you that.

BillJ · Answer

AnonymousThanks, but I'm still none the wiser. I'll admit, my knowledge of relative pronouns is not strong, so a lot of the technical answers are a bit baffling (sorry).How about this sentence:- New York, where there are many Italian cafes, is a wonderful city.Isn't 'where' in this sentence, a relative pronoun?

"New York, where there are many Italian cafes, is a wonderful city"

I think I may know what's causing your confusion about 'where'.

Try to think of the two words 'relative' and 'adverb' as having distinct meanings: ''Relative' refers to the fact that 'where' is introducing a relative clause (underlined), and 'adverb' is the category (part of speech) that 'where' belong to.

You see, Amy, not all words that introduce relative clauses are pronouns. While it's true that many (like 'who', 'what', 'whom', whose, etc) are pronouns, others are not. For example, 'when', 'why', 'while' and 'where' (as we've seen) are adverbs.

To add to the confusion, 'which' is a relative pronoun in "a dog which is barking", and a relative determiner in "I may be late, in which case I suggest you start without me".

This is why I usually refer to all words that introduce relative clauses as simply 'relative words', and only worry about their precise category when specifically asked to; like now!

Does that help?

BillJ

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