2009/08/31

関係代名詞の使い方, part 20: whom

I think I've said almost everything (that) I want to say about relative pronouns. The last thing I want to mention is "whom".

The rule for "whom" is that you can use it when it represents the object of the verb in the relative clause, like this:
  • The guy whom I met this morning wears glasses that are as yellow as these grapefruits.
The truth is, though, that many native speakers don't bother using "whom" nowadays.
  • We don't bother to learn about the details of other cultures until we have to. 私たちは必要に迫られるまで他の文化の細かいことなどわざわざ知ろうとはしない。(example from Eijiro on the Web)
There are two alternatives. The first is to use "who".
  • The guy who I met this morning wears glasses that are as yellow as these grapefruits.
The second is to leave out the relative pronoun. Since it represents the object, we can do that if it's not in a nonessential relative clause.
  • The guy I met this morning wears glasses that are as yellow as these grapefruits.
The friends (whom) I saw yesterday were visiting Japan from France. They live in Lyon. We had lunch in Shibuya, and I had a chance to play with their five-year-old son. He speaks French and Japanese, so I did my best to communicate with him in Japanese. It turned out that he loved riding piggyback, so I alternated between carrying him on my shoulders and making him "fly" down the sidewalk.
  • 肩車 (かたぐるま) (n) riding piggyback; riding on someone's shoulders;
We were having too much fun; at one point, I almost hit some 20-something women. The women (whom) I almost hit, though, were kind enough just to laugh.

You are the people (whom) I want to please with this blog, so let me know if you have any questions.

2009/08/28

関係代名詞の使い方, part 19: 関係代名と前置詞

Last time I was talking about stranded prepositions and relative clauses.
  • stranded preposition 残置前置詞{ざんち ぜんちし}
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-18.html
Like I said yesterday, native speakers use this pattern all the time, even though some really strict teachers don't like it.

Start with a sentence with a prepositional phrase.
  • prepositional phrase 前置詞句
  • I was studying programming in this room on Sunday evening.
Take the object of the preposition, and make a new sentence
  • prepositional object 前置詞付き目的語
  • This room is a laboratory at my university.
Now put the two together with a relative pronoun.
  • This room, which I was studying programming in on Sunday, is a laboratory at my university.
The preposition is said to be "stranded" because there's no object right after it.
  • 擱座 (かくざ) (n,vs) running aground; stalled; stranded;
I turned off the lights and just used a lamp. That's more comfortable than the florescent lights. The lights (which) I turned off were fluorescent. Maybe I'll be doing the same thing this Sunday.
  • 蛍光灯 (けいこうとう) (n) (1) fluorescent lamp; fluorescent light;
Enjoy your weekend!

2009/08/27

関係代名詞の使い方, part 18: 関係代名と前置詞

Another tricky thing about relative clauses is when prepositions are also involved. Look at these sentences:
I often eat at this restaurant.
It serves this dish.
This restaurant, at which I often eat, serves this dish. <- less natural
This restaurant, which I often eat at, serves this dish. <- more natural
The dish is called falafel. It's made from chickpeas.
  • falafel ファラフェル◆ひよこ豆のコロッケ、もしくはひよこ豆のコロッケをピタパンなどに挟んだサンドイッチ
Now look at these sentences.
That is a pita.
The falafel is served in it.
That is a pita that the falafel is served in.
The truth is that strict teachers say this kind of sentence is wrong. The "at" in that sentence is called a "stranded preposition".
  • stranded preposition 残置前置詞{ざんち ぜんちし}
There's a whole page about it on Wikipedia, but that page might be kind of tough to understand:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preposition_stranding
Anyway, even though some strict teachers say it's not right, native speakers use them ALL THE TIME. I recommend this pattern for you, too.

You might remember this topic from when I was talking about "where". Now is a good time to go back and review that post:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-6-where.html
More on relative pronouns and prepositions soon.

2009/08/24

関係代名詞の使い方, part 17: 関係代名詞は省略できる?

Here's a fourth rule about leaving out relative pronouns.
You can leave out these relative pronouns: that, which, who, where, when.
You cannot leave out these relative pronouns: whose, what.
Take a look at this rule in action.
  • in action - 活動中{かつどう ちゅう}で、行動中{こうどう ちゅう}で、作動中{さどう ちゅう}で、実施中{じっし ちゅう}
○ There's something that I feel really lucky to find out today.
○ There's something I feel really lucky to find out today.

○ The thing which I'm holding in this picture is my helmet.
○ The thing I'm holding in this picture is my helmet.

○ Discovering my helmet had completely broken is what I feel lucky about.
× Discovering my helmet had completely broken is I feel lucky about.

○ The place where the helmet is broken is the front center.
○ The place the helmet is broken is the front center.

○ Someone whose helmet had broken but hadn't realized it would be in a dangerous situation.
× Someone helmet had broken but hadn't realized it would be in a dangerous situation.
Still, I'm surprised that a helmet which hasn't been in an accident can break like this. If it can break just through regular use and maybe being dropped a few times, I think I can't expect it to protect my head in a crash. I'm going to replace it with a hard shell helmet that won't break. Anyway, I consider it lucky to have found out this way rather than in a crash.

If there are some questions (which) you have about relative clauses, please send me an email!

2009/08/23

関係代名詞の使い方, part 16: 関係代名詞は省略できる?

Here's a third rule about leaving out relative pronouns:
It's OK to leave out "which" when the relative clause is an essential one. It's not OK to leave out "which" in a nonessential relative clause.
For a review on essential and nonessential relative clauses, see this post:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-9-comma-or-no-comma.html
Now look at some examples:
○ I took a photo of a bike which I feel is strange.
○ I took a photo of a bike I feel is strange.

× This photo, I took near Shinochanomizu Station, is of a type of bicycle I've seen a lot lately.
○ This photo, which I took near Shinochanomizu Station, is of a type of bicycle I've seen a lot lately.

× The bicycle, has motorcycle styling, really puzzles me.
○ The bicycle, which has motorcycle styling, really puzzles me.
  • styling スタイリング、あるスタイルを与えること、様式{ようしき}、整髪{せいはつ}
  • 迷わす (まよわす) (v5s,vt) to puzzle; perplex; bewilder; delude; mislead; fascinate;
× The handlebars, point up and outwards, seem really hard to grasp.
○ The handlebars, which point up and outwards, seem really hard to grasp.
  • handlebars - ハンドル
  • 把持 (はじ) (n,vs) grasp; hold; grip;
  • 握る (にぎる) (v5r,vt) to grasp; to seize; to mould sushi; to mold sushi; (P);
  • 外向き (そとむき) (n) facing outward;
  • 外形的 (がいけいてき) (adj-na) external; outward;
○ I can't imagine how the owner of the bicycle which I photographed rides it.
○ I can't imagine how the owner of the bicycle I photographed rides it.
If I find one (which is) at a bike shop, I'm going to try it to see just how uncomfortable it is. I'm really curious about it.

Enjoy the last few hours of the weekend!

2009/08/20

関係代名詞の使い方, part 15: 関係代名詞は省略できる?

Here are the questions which I left you with yesterday.
Here are the questions I left you with yesterday.
leave A with B (definition and examples from Eijiro on the Web)
AをBに預ける[託す・任す]
She left the wallet she found with the station staff. : 彼女は偶然見つけた財布を駅員に届けた。
The deliverer left the package with me to give to the neighbor. : 配達人はその包みを隣の家の人に渡すよう私に託して行った
First, remember the second rule:

In the case of a relative pronoun followed by a "be" verb, both may be left out.
  • This photo, which was taken while walking along the Sumida River at night, shows the reflection of the lights on the water.
  • × This photo, was taken while walking along the Sumida River at night, shows the reflection of the lights on the water.
  • ○ This photo, taken while walking along the Sumida River at night, shows the reflection of the lights on the water.
  • I'm not sure what the building which is on the left side of the photo is.
  • × I'm not sure what the building is on the left side of the photo is.
  • ○ I'm not sure what the building on the left side of the photo is.
  • The fish which were jumping in the river can't be seen in the photo.
  • × The fish were jumping in the river can't be seen in the photo.
  • ○ The fish jumping in the river can't be seen in the photo.
These peaches, which are in season right now, are delicious!
These peaches, in season right now, are delicious!
  • Apples will be in season soon. I wonder if my grandmother in Aomori will send me some again this year.
  • もうすぐリンゴの季節。青森のおばあちゃん、今年もリンゴ送ってくれるかなあ。(sentence from Eijiro on the Web)
Tomorrow there will be another post about leaving out relative pronouns. Sleep well!

関係代名詞の使い方, part 14: 関係代名詞は省略できる?

I was just talking about leaving out relative pronouns. I asked you to get rid of the relative pronouns in this paragraph when possible. Here are the answers:
The bitter melon which I cooked was given to me by someone who I know. <- tricky... there are two relative pronouns in this sentence
The bitter melon I cooked was given to me by someone I know. <- both of them represent the object of a verb

This person knows that bitter melon is a vegetable which I'm not crazy about.
This person knows that bitter melon is a vegetable I'm not crazy about. <- this one, too

After washing it and cutting it open, I removed the seeds and fiber which were inside. <- according to the rule from last time, the relative pronoun is necessary
After washing it and cutting it open, I removed the seeds and fiber inside. <- however, a relative pronoun plus a "be" verb can be left out

The bitterness did not reach the level that I had been afraid of.
The bitterness did not reach the level I had been afraid of.

Anyway, for my health, I might buy another one, since this is a fruit which is in season right now. <- I prefer this sentence because I think it's easier to understand.
Anyway, for my health, I might buy another one, since this is a fruit in season right now. <- but this is OK, too, I think.
Once more, here's the new rule from above:
  • In the case of a relative pronoun followed by a "be" verb, both may be left out.
It's easy to use, so try to do that with the following sentences:
  • This photo, which was taken while walking along the Sumida River at night, shows the reflection of the lights on the water.
  • I'm not sure what the building which is on the left side of the photo is.
  • The fish which were jumping in the river can't be seen in the photo.
I hope you had a peaceful evening like the one which I had.

2009/08/18

関係代名詞の使い方, part 13: 関係代名詞は省略できる?

Sometimes! The first rule about leaving out a relative pronoun is related to my last post about subjects.

Here's the first part of the rules about leaving out relative pronouns.

If the relative pronoun represents the object of the verb in the relative clause, you can leave out the relative pronoun.
  • I made some dishes on Saturday night.
  • This is one of them.
  • ○ This is one dish which I made on Saturday night.
  • ○ This is one dish I made on Saturday night.
If the relative pronoun represents the subject of the verb in the relative clause, you cannot leave out the relative pronoun.
  • It's stir-fried bitter melon.
  • 苦い (にがい) (adj-i) bitter; (P);
  • 瓜 (うり) (n) melon; gourd;
  • 苦瓜,ゴーヤ bitter melon
  • The bitter melon had first been boiled for three minutes.
  • ○ It's stir-fried bitter melon which had first been boiled for three minutes.
  • × It's stir-fried bitter melon had first been boiled for three minutes.
Now, read this paragraph and see how many relative pronouns you can leave out:

The bitter melon which I cooked was given to me by someone who I know. This person knows that bitter melon is a vegetable which I'm not crazy about. However, she said not to be afraid. I took the fruit and said that I would cook it this weekend. After washing it and cutting it open, I removed the seeds and fiber which were inside. Then I sliced it and boiled it. Finally, I stir-fried it with pieces of fried tofu, garlic, spicy red peppers, and a bit of salt. The bitterness did not reach the level that I had been afraid of. In fact, it tasted pretty good! Still, this fruit is called "bitter" for a reason: it's bitter! Anyway, for my health, I might buy another one, since this is a fruit which is in season right now.

You can check your answers in my next post. Check back soon!

2009/08/15

Holiday と vacation は同じ意味ですか?


Once again Obon is upon us which means quiet local train rides in Tokyo, congested highways, and packed malls. Are you enjoying the holidays? or Are you enjoying your vacation? Is there any difference?

I suppose it depends on where you are from. In American English a holiday is usually a special day of remembrance or celebration like Independence day or Thanksgiving. A vacation is usually longer, a few days or a few weeks. In British English a holiday means vacation.

There are also banking holidays or national holidays, like Respect for the Aged Day or Culture Day.

Anyway, I hope you are enjoying your Obon holidays. I will be taking a 3-day vacation starting tomorrow. Why do we celebrate Obon anyways? Can someone please explain? (Actually read Nick's blogs about relative clauses first and then try to explain it using relative clauses)

congested- 密集{みっしゅう}した、混雑した
drive on a heavily congested road- ひどく混んでいる道路{どうろ}を運転{うんてん}する
My nose is congested- 鼻がぐずぐずしている

packed- 混んだ、人でいっぱいの、すし詰めの、満員{まんいん}の、満席{まんせき}の、ぎゅうぎゅうで
packed train- 満員電車{まんいんでんしゃ}、満員列車
The trains which leave or arrive every few minutes are packed like sardines. :
数分おきに発着する電車は、すし詰め状態である。

2009/08/14

関係代名詞の使い方, part 12: 関係詞節の主語

I want to talk about leaving out relative pronouns in relative clauses. Before that, we should talk about the subject of the relative clause.
  • 主語 (しゅご) (n) (ling) subject; (P);
  • 関係詞節 relative clause
  • Some noodles are shown in this photo.
  • The noodles are sesame sauce noodles.
  • The noodles that are shown in this photo are sesame sauce noodles.
  • 胡麻 (ごま) (n) (uk) sesame (seeds);
The subject of the relative clause is "noodles".
  • The noodles were delicious and reminded me of Taiwan.
  • A Taiwanese vegetarian restaurant in Yokohama serves them.
  • The noodles, which a Taiwanese vegetarian restaurant in Yokohama serves, were delicious and reminded me of Taiwan.
In this case, "noodles" is the object of the verb "serves".
  • I ate them at a restaurant.
  • The restaurant is owned by a Taiwanese couple who have lived in Yokohama for more than 20 years.
  • The restaurant which I ate them at is owned by a Taiwanese couple who have lived in Yokohama for more than 20 years.
  • 有する (ゆうする) (vs-s) to own; to be endowed with; (P);
In this case, "restaurant" belongs to a prepositional phrase. It's not the subject or object.

Here's a page about the restaurant in Japanese:
http://r.tabelog.com/kanagawa/A1401/A140105/14009294/
They only gave the restaurant three stars, but I really like it. I go there every time I go to Yokohama. Try it if you get a chance.

More on 関係代名詞 soon.

2009/08/12

関係代名詞の使い方, part 11: commas and "that"

Here are the answers to the questions I asked yesterday:
  • The photo that you are looking at is the ceiling of the Tokyo International Forum, where I was waiting yesterday while my bicycle was being repaired.
  • × The ceiling, that is made of glass, is really beautiful. <- here's the mistake
  • ○ The ceiling, which is made of glass, is really beautiful. <- don't use "that" after a comma
  • Unfortunately the camera, which is in the iPhone, doesn't capture its beauty very well.
If you're not sure about those, review these recent posts.
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-9-comma-or-no-comma.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-10-commas-and-that.html
This stack of notebooks, which are full of grammar mistakes, is almost all that remains on this shelf. The other stuff that was on this shelf has been thrown away. I'm trying to get rid of half of the stuff that I own. If I can get rid of the things that I don't need, I will feel freer, maybe. The things that are leaving, which include wool suits, old boxes, and a space heater, were just taking up space. It's good to clean up while on vacation!
  • 捨てる (すてる) (v1,vt) to throw away; to cast aside; to abandon; to resign; to break up with (someone); (P); get rid of
  • electric space heater 電気暖房器
I'll continue to tell you about the mistakes that are in the notebooks. More soon!

関係代名詞の使い方, part 10: commas and "that"

Yesterday I was talking about whether you should use a comma or not with your relative pronoun.

There's another important point about commas. If you use a comma, you can't use "that".
× My apartment, that is on a high floor, shook a lot in the earthquake this morning.
○ My apartment, which is on a high floor, shook a lot in the earthquake this morning.
If your relative clause is an essential one, then you can use either "which" or "that" (or "who", "where", etc.).
○ The earthquake that hit Tokyo was a big one.
○ The earthquake which hit Tokyo was a big one.
Identify the relative clauses in this paragraph:
  • 指す (さす) (v5s,vt) (1) to point; (2) to nominate; to select someone; to specify some person; (3) to identify; to indicate; to point out; (P);
The photo that you are looking at is the ceiling of the Tokyo International Forum, where I was waiting yesterday while my bicycle was being repaired. The ceiling, that is made of glass, is really beautiful. Unfortunately the camera, which is in the iPhone, doesn't capture its beauty very well. <- can you spot the one mistake?
  • capture 引き付ける、とらえる、魅了{みりょう}する
There's still a lot to talk about regarding relative clauses. More soon!

2009/08/10

関係代名詞の使い方, part 9: comma or no comma?

I'm continuing my series on relative pronouns. A complete list of the posts which are about relative pronouns is at the end of this post.

Like I said late Friday night, the key point about using a comma or not is related to the word "essential". If the relative clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence, you cannot use commas. If the relative clause is nonessential to the meaning of the sentence, you must use commas.

To say it in another way, if you can leave out the relative clause without changing the meaning of the sentence, use commas. If you change the meaning of the sentence when you leave out the relative clause, don't use commas.
  • 除く (のぞく) (v5k,vt) to remove; to exclude; to except; to omit; to leave out;
On Friday, I asked you about these sentences:
  • The picture which I have posted today is of my ancestors. <- essential information
Look at the version without the relative clause:
  • The picture is of my ancestors. <- which picture? The meaning is not clear.
How about this one?
  • The pictures were gathered by my uncle, who lives in Georgia now. <- nonessential information
  • The pictures were gathered by my uncle. <- the meaning is still clear
Here are the sentences from yesterday's post:
  • The vegetable soup which is in this picture wasn't nearly as delicious as the chickpea curry which I made for breakfast today.
  • The vegetable soup wasn't nearly as delicious as the chickpea curry. <- which soup? which curry? These are essential relative clauses.
  • My iPhone, which always makes me angry, didn't save the photo somehow. <- you know which iPhone. The relative clause is not necessary.
Go back and look at all of these sentences in yesterday's post and see if you understand why some of the relative clauses are essential and the others are not.

This is a photo of my bicycle, which I took last night. My bicycle, which had a flat earlier today, has become essential for me.
  • have a flat tire パンクする Helen had a flat tire this morning, that's why she was late for work. : ヘレンは今朝、車がパンクしたので仕事に遅刻しました。(definition from 英辞郎 on the web)
Fortunately I was only a few blocks away from a place which could fix it. That was lucky! While I was there, I asked them to check my chain and my gears, which had been making a strange noise. Now my bike is in excellent condition, but it's still a bit dirty.

To review, here are all of the previous posts on relative clauses:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/07/no.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/07/part-2.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/07/part-3.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-4-that.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-5-who-which-where.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-6-where.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-7-comma-or-no-comma.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-8-comma-or-no-comma.html

関係代名詞の使い方, part 8: comma or no comma?

Here I've marked the relative clauses from the sentences on Thursday night:
  • I'm going to enjoy some extra free time next week, which is a holiday.
  • The holiday, which is a Buddhist one, honors the spirits of our ancestors.
  • There's no holiday which is similar in America, I think.
  • America has holidays which are religious and holidays which are political, but nothing like O-Bon, I think.
  • I'm going to play the drum which I posted a picture of a few days ago.
In these sentences, what information is essential? For more on essential, see this post:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-essential.html
The vegetable soup which is in this picture wasn't nearly as delicious as the chickpea curry which I made for breakfast today. I would have shown that to you, but I just realized a problem. My iPhone, which always makes me angry, didn't save the photo somehow. Grrr! <- no commas, then commas... why?
  • 雛豆 (ひよこまめ) (n) chickpea (Cicer arietinum); garbanzo bean;
  • grr うおー!、うーっ!◆怒り
More tomorrow!

2009/08/08

It's essential.

The answer to yesterday's question is related to this vocabulary word: essential.

Here's the definition I want to use from Eijiro:
  1. 絶対必要{ぜったい ひつよう}な、絶対不可欠{ぜったい ふかけつ}な、欠くことのできない、必須{ひっす}の、最も重要{じゅうよう}な、肝心{かんじん}
    ・A necktie for a man in my line of work is absolutely essential. : 私のような職業に携わる者にとってネクタイは必需品です。
    ・Make sure you have all essential safety equipment before leaving. : 出発する前に、必須の安全器具を持っていることを確認しなさい。
The opposite is "nonessential" (不必要な).

It's essential that I clean up the wires and cables on my desk next week. What a wreck! I've got to remove the nonessential cables from my desk.
  • wreck ひどく破壊{はかい}されたもの、ボロボロになったもの;〔破壊{はかい}された〕残骸{ざんがい}
Back to relative pronouns this weekend!

2009/08/06

関係代名詞の使い方, part 7: comma or no comma?

Yesterday I left you with this question: how can you turn these two sentences into one sentence using "where"? Here's the answer:
  • I was teaching in a building at this intersection. The Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store is also located at this intersection.
  • I was teaching in a building at this intersection, where Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store is also located.
Now, think about these sentences. Identify the relative clauses. Some of them use commas, and some of them don't. Why?
I'm going to enjoy some extra free time next week, which is a holiday.
The holiday, which is a Buddhist one, honors the spirits of our ancestors. (see Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_festival )
  • 敬う (うやまう) (v5u,vt) to show respect; to honour; to honor; (P); <- is this right?
  • 先祖 (せんぞ) (n,adj-no) ancestor; (P); <- how about this one?
There's no holiday which is similar in America, I think.
America has holidays which are religious and holidays which are political, but nothing like O-Bon, I think.
I'm going to play the drum which I posted a picture of a few days ago.
The picture which I have posted today is of my ancestors. The pictures were gathered by my uncle, who lives in Georgia now. <- no comma, and then a comma... why?

More tomorrow!

関係代名詞の使い方, part 6: "where"

I'm continuing to talk about relative pronouns (関係代名詞) in this post. Last time, I left you with a question. Is this sentence OK?
  • London, where is the capital of the UK, has great music but bad food. <- right or wrong?
No! "Where" is a special relative pronoun. You should think of it like it has a preposition inside it. First, here's the correct version of the sentence above:
  • London is the capital of the UK. It has great music but bad food.
  • × London, where is the capital of the UK, has great music but bad food.
  • ○ London, which is the capital of the UK, has great music but bad food.
Look at this example. You can see the preposition and how it becomes "where".
I grew up in a city. It has a population of about 200,000. <- notice the preposition, "in" in the first sentence
○ One city in which I grew up has a population of about 200,000. <- this is the formal version
○ One city which I grew up in has a population of about 200,000. <- this is the casual version which most English speakers use
○ One city where I grew up has a population of about 200,000. <- here's the version with "where"
Here's another example:
The chair is near the window. I put my bag on it.
○ The chair on which I put my bag is near the window.
○ The chair which I put my bag on is near the window. <- this is the sentence which I recommend
○ The chair where I put my bag is near the window.
Be careful about cases like this, though. The preposition in "where" is "in", "at", or "on". Don't use "where" with the the preposition "about".
You told me about a place. Let's go there.
× Let's go to the place where you told me about. <- don't use "where" to mean "about", and if you use "where", don't repeat the preposition
○ Let's go to the place that you told me about.
○ Let's go to the place which you told me about.
I was teaching in a building at this intersection. The Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store is also located at this intersection. Can you turn these two sentences into one sentence using "where"? Check back for the answer tomorrow!

2009/08/04

sleep in と oversleep の違いは何ですか?

Here is one mistake I often hear students make. "On Sunday I like to oversleep." What they mean to say is that they like to sleep in.

Sleep in means to sleep until later in the morning than you usually do.
Sample sentence from ALC space:

〔休日{きゅうじつ}などに〕遅くまで寝ている、ゆっくり寝る
・I like to sleep in on my day off. : 休みの日はゆっくり寝たいものさ.

If you oversleep it means you slept longer than you wanted to and as a result wake up late.
A sample sentence from ALC space: Oh, I've overslept! : あっ、寝過ごしてしまった.

Other "over(verb)" examples include
overrun--Sometimes the train overruns the platform and they have to reverse the train.
overeat--If you overeat, you will gain weight.
Can you think of any other over(verb) examples?

関係代名詞の使い方, part 5: "who, which, where"


We're continuing a series on relative pronouns. Here's the list of posts so far on this topic. If you haven't read them, you might want to review first.
  • 復習 (ふくしゅう) (n,vs) review; revision; (P);
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/07/no.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/07/part-2.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/07/part-3.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/08/part-4-that.html
You know that "who" is for people.
  • There were some people who were only wearing lettuce in Shibuya today to promote vegetarianism. <- true!
http://service.seoul.co.kr/photo/photoNewsView.php?groupID=17271&id=146353&section=0&spos=-4
  • promote causes
    運動{うんどう}を推進{すいしん}する
You know that "which" is for things and animals.
  • The red things which I put on top of my noodles are Chinese wolfberries.
  • wolfberry《植物》クコ、枸杞{くこ}◆ナス科の落葉低木。夏に花が咲き、秋に赤い実がなる。強壮薬、漢方薬、薬膳料理などに利用されている。
So that means "where" is for places, right?
  • London, where is the capital of the UK, has great music but bad food. <- right or wrong?
The answer to the question which I have just asked you will be posted tomorrow. Sleep well!

2009/08/02

関係代名詞の使い方, part 4: "that"

I've been talking about relative pronouns. Here's the list of post:
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/07/no.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/07/part-2.html
http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/07/part-3.html

Last time, I told you to break this sentence into two sentences. Here's the answer:
Of course, I'm always ready to answer any questions which you would like to ask.
  • You would like to ask some questions.
  • Of course, I'm always ready to answer those questions.
For speaking, probably the most useful relative pronoun is "that". You can use it for people, places, things, times -- basically any noun or noun phrase.
  • The chef that I met the other day at the Sri Lankan restaurant was a vegetarian.
  • The country that I lived in before Japan was Taiwan.
  • The food that I ate there was great.
  • The time that I spent there made me fall in love with Taiwanese food.
  • The buckwheat noodles in the bowl in front of me that I'm eating now were made just a few minutes ago.
Still, there are some times not to use "that".

Don't use "that" to describe a pronoun; in fact, don't use any relative pronoun to describe a pronoun.
× It that I'm eating was made a few minutes ago.
○ The noodles that I'm eating were made a few minutes ago.
What I'm eating was made a few minutes ago. <- we'll talk about "what" in a few days.
Don't use "that" after a comma.
× This peach, that I cut up after taking this picture, was delicious.
○ This peach, which I cut up after taking this picture, was delicious. <- we'll talk about the reason for using a comma later, too
I hope that you are enjoying peaches this summer. More on relative pronouns soon!

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