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A complex sentence has two or more clauses, at least one of which is subordinate to a principal clause. Attributive clauses function as modifiers to a word of nominal character, which is generally called the antecedent. Introduced by connectives – relative pronouns or relative adverbs. The choice of the relative word depends on t he antecedent. 2 major types of att clauses:
a) Restrictive (defining, limiting, essential) clauses limit the semantics of the antecedent. They are essential to the meaning and structure of the sentence and couldn’t be eliminated.
i. Particularizing cl restricts the meaning of the antecedent by establishing a reference to a particular person or a thing. The antecedent is used with definite article or the demonstrative pronoun.
ii. Classifying restricts the meaning of the antecedent by establishing a reference to a certain class of persons or things. The antecedent is used with the indefinite article or zero article in plural.
b) Non-restrictive (non-defining, non-limiting, non-essential) attributive clauses give further information which is not needed to identify the person, thing or group you are talking about. A non-restrictive clause may refer back not to a noun but to a larger unit, a clause, a sentence. It is called a sentence-relative/continuative clause. Introduced by which