Page 155 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

K e i a t i v e c l a u s e s ( 4 ) : p r e p o s i t i o n s i n r e i a u v e
c l a u s e s

In formal styles we often put a preposition before the relative pronouns which and whom:
• The rate at which a material heats up depends on its chemical composition.
• In the novel by Peters, on which the film is based, the main character is a teenager.
• An actor with whom Gelson had previously worked contacted him about the role.
• Her many friends, among whom I like to be considered, gave her encouragement.
Notice that after a preposition you can't use who instead of whom, and you can't use that or zero
relative pronoun:
• Is it right that politicians should make important decisions without consulting the public to
whom they are accountable? (not ...the public to who they are accountable.)
• The valley in which the town lies is heavily polluted, (not The valley in that the town...)
• Arnold tried to gauge the speed at which they were travelling, (not ...the speed at they were
travelling.)
In informal English we usually put the preposition later in the relative clause rather than at the
beginning:
• The office which Graham led the way to was filled with books.
• Jim's footballing ability, which he was noted for, had been encouraged by his parents.
• The playground wasn't used by those children who it was built for.
this case we prefer who rather than whom (although 'whom' is used in formal contexts). In
'defining relative clauses we can also use that or zero relative pronoun instead of who or which
(e.g. ...the children (that) it was built for).
If the verb in the relative clause is a two- or three-word verb (e.g. come across, fill in, go
through, look after, look up to, put up with, take on) we don't usually put the preposition
before the relative pronoun:
• Your essay is one of those (which/that) I'll go through tomorrow, (rather than ...through
which I'll go tomorrow.)
• She is one of the few people (who/that) I look up to. (not ...to whom I look up.)

In formal written English, we often prefer to use of which rather than whose to talk about
things:
• A huge amount of oil was spilled, the effects of which are still being felt, (or ...whose effects
are still being felt.)
• The end of the war, the anniversary of which is on the 16th of November, will be
commemorated in cities throughout the country, (or ...whose anniversary is on...)
Notice that we can't use of which instead of whose in the patterns described in Unit 71B:
• Dorothy was able to switch between German, Polish and Russian, all of which she spoke
fluently, (not ...all whose she spoke...)
We can sometimes use that...of instead of of which. This is less formal than of which and whose,
and is mainly used in spoken English:
• The school that she is head of is closing down, (or The school of which she is head...)
Whose can come after a preposition in a relative clause. However, it is more natural to put the
preposition at the end of the clause in less formal contexts and in spoken English:
• We were grateful to Mr Marks, in whose car we had travelled home, (or ...whose car we had
travelled home in.)
• I now turn to Freud, from whose work the following quotation is taken, (or ...whose work
the following quotation is taken from.)

Relative clauses => Two- and three-word verbs => IIIIHULI