0
Uktous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Which non-defining relative clause can be shortened?

Hi,

Question:
Which sentence can be shortened?

non-defining relative clause

sentence1:
Mary, who is 25 years old, joins our company today.
sentence2:
Mary, who joins our company today, is 25 years old.
Sentence3:
Mary told me a story, which made me laugh.
Sentence4:
Mary told me a story, which was very funny.


my opinion:
all 4 can be shortened / reduced.

S1 --> Mary, 25 years old, joins our company today.
S2 --> Mary, joining our company today, is 25 years old.
S3 --> Mary told me a story, making me laugh.
S4 --> Mary told me a story, very funny.




thanks
  

Top answer

Sentence 4 can't be shortened. It's because "story" is the object of the sentence (not the subject of the sentence). Usually you can change the verb to -ing (like with made -->making) but the verb "to be" can't be changed to "being" because it's a stative verb.

— StuartMillEnglish

  • Sentence 4 can't be shortened.
  • It's because "story" is the object of the sentence (not the subject of the sentence).
  • Usually you can change the verb to -ing (like with made -->making) but the verb "to be" can't be changed to "being" because it's a stative verb.
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.

2 Answers
0
Sentence 4 can't be shortened. It's because "story" is the object of the sentence (not the subject of the sentence). Usually you can change the verb to -ing (like with made -->making) but the verb "to be" can't be changed to "being" because it's a stative verb.
0
0
S2 is a bit rare, but only S4 is not possible. The clause is the copula plus an adjective only, so it would reduce to 'Mary told me a very funny story'.
0

Related Questions