Relative clauses and songs

Relative clauses in songs

Relative clauses

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/relative-clauses

We use relative clauses to give additional information about something without starting another sentence. By combining sentences with a relative clause, your text becomes more fluent and you can avoid repeating certain words.

How to Form Relative Clauses 

Imagine, a girl is talking to Tom. You want to know who she is and ask a friend whether he knows her. You could say:

A girl is talking to Tom. Do you know the girl?

That sounds rather complicated, doesn't it? It would be easier with a relative clause: you put both pieces of information into one sentence. Start with the most important thing  – you want to know who the girl is.

Do you know the girl …

As your friend cannot know which girl you are talking about, you need to put in the additional information  – the girl is talking to Tom. Use „the girl“ only in the first part of the sentence, in the second part replace it with the relative pronoun (for people, use the relative pronoun „who“). So the final sentence is:

Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?

Relative Pronouns 

relative pronoun	use	example
who	subject or object pronoun for people	I told you about the woman wholives next door.
which	subject or object pronoun for animals and things	Do you see the cat which is lying on the roof?
which	referring to a whole sentence	He couldn’t read which surprised me.
whose	possession for people animals and things	Do you know the boy whosemother is a nurse?
whom	object pronoun for people, especially in non-defining relative clauses (in defining relative clauses we colloquially prefer who)	I was invited by the professor whom I met at the conference.
that	subject or object pronoun for people, animals and things in defining relative clauses (who or which are also possible)	I don’t like the table that stands in the kitchen.

Subject Pronoun or Object Pronoun? 

Subject and object pronouns cannot be distinguished by their forms - who, which, that are used for subject and object pronouns. You can, however, distinguish them as follows:

If the relative pronoun is followed by a verb, the relative pronoun is a subject pronoun. Subject pronouns must always be used.

the apple which is lying on the table

If the relative pronoun is not followed by a verb (but by a noun or pronoun), the relative pronoun is an object pronoun. Object pronouns can be dropped in defining relative clauses, which are then called Contact Clauses.

the apple (which) George lay on the table

Relative Adverbs 

A relative adverb can be used instead of a relative pronoun plus preposition. This often makes the sentence easier to understand.

This is the shop in which I bought my bike.
→ This is the shop where I bought my bike.

relative adverb	meaning	use	example
when	in/on which	refers to a time expression	the day when we met him
where	in/at which	refers to a place	the place where we met him
why	for which	refers to a reason	the reason why we met him

➡️ How to use them and when they can be omitted:

Relative adverbs

Defining Relative Clauses 

Defining relative clauses (also called identifying relative clauses or restrictive relative clauses) give detailed information defining a general term or expression. Defining relative clauses are not put in commas.

Imagine, Tom is in a room with five girls. One girl is talking to Tom and you ask somebody whether he knows this girl. Here the relative clause defines which of the five girls you mean.

Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?

Defining relative clauses are often used in definitions.

A seaman is someone who works on a ship.

Object pronouns in defining relative clauses can be dropped. (Sentences with a relative clause without the relative pronoun are called Contact Clauses.)

The boy (who/whom) we met yesterday is very nice.

Non-Defining Relative Clauses 

Non-defining relative clauses (also called non-identifying relative clauses or non-restrictive relative clauses) give additional information on something, but do not define it. Non-defining
relative clauses are put in commas.

Imagine, Tom is in a room with only one girl. The two are talking to each other and you ask somebody whether he knows this girl. Here the relative clause is non-defining because in this situation it is obvious which girl you mean.

Do you know the girl, who is talking to Tom?

Note: In non-defining relative clauses, who/which may not be replaced with that.

Object pronouns in non-defining relative clauses must be used.

Jim, who/whom we met yesterday, is very nice.

How to Shorten Relative Clauses? 

Relative clauses with who, which, that as subject pronoun can be replaced with a participle. This makes the sentence shorter and easier to understand.

I told you about the woman who lives next door. – I told you about the woman living next door.

Do you see the cat which is lying on the roof? – Do you see the cat lying on the roof?

Relative clauses and crocodiles.

I have always thought that learning is easier with song. Here's one page about relative clauses.... And a song with a cocodile. What does the animal refer to? Any ideas? Comments welcome!

http://marysenglishblog.com/2013/09/22/a-song-with-relative-clauses-present-simple-tense-present-continuous-tense-present-perfect-continuous-tense/

Why is this crocodile in the music video? I don’t know! What do YOU think?

          Songs are often short stories about a singer’s life. They usually use every-day language to describe the past, present, and/or future and so are valuable learning tools for students of English. The following song, Counting Stars, by One Republic is one such example. I’m not sure what they are singing about, but we can still examine some of the lines in the song and work out why those tenses have been used. (If you are interested in reading opinions on the meaning of this song, check out this site:)http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107859452557/)

* I suggest that, before you look at the Relative Clauses in the song, you refer to my post on Relative Clauses dated  July 24, 2013

** Grammar used in the song is explained below the lyrics.

Grammar is highlighted in these colours:    Present Perfect Continuous Tense Present Simple Tense       Present Continuous Tense     Relative Clauses

Here is a link to the Youtube video:  Song: Counting Stars by One Republic

[Chorus]

Lately I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep,

Dreaming about the things that we could be.

But baby I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard;

Said no more counting dollars.

We’ll be counting stars.

Yeah, we’ll be counting stars.

[Verse 1]

I see this life like a swinging vine

Swing my heart across the line.

In my face is flashing signs.

Seek it out and ye shall find.

Old, but I’m not that old.

Young, but I’m not that bold.

And I don’t think the world is sold.

I’m just doing what we’re told.

I feel something so right but (I’m)

doing the wrong thing.

I feel something so wrong but (I’m)

doing the right thing.

I could lie, could lie, could lie.

Everything that kills me makes me feel alive.

Ryan Tedder from ONE REPUBLIC

[Chorus] x 2

[Verse 2]

I feel the love and I feel it burn,

Down this river every turn.

Hope is a four letter word.

Make that money.

Watch it burn.

Old, but I’m not that old.

Young, but I’m not that bold.

And I don’t think the world is sold.

I’m just doing what we’retold.                            

And I feel something so wrong but (I’m)

doing the right thing.

I could lie, could lie, could lie.

Everything that drowns me makes me want to fly.

[Chorus] x 2

[Bridge 4x:]

Take that money.

Watch it burn.

Sink in the river the lessons I learned.

Everything that kills me makes me feel alive.

[Chorus] x 2

[Outro 4x:]

Take that money.

Watch it burn.

Sink in the river the lessons I learned.

 

* Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The song begins with Ryan Tedder singing “Lately I’ve been losing sleep.” This is a great introduction to his story. He uses Present Perfect Continuous Tense (have been losing) to describe an action that started in the past and has continued up to now. He has “… been dreaming about the things that we could be.” He has “… been praying hard”. It’s because of these recent actions that he is thinking about his life now and in the future.

These actions started in the past, but Past Simple Tense cannot be used because Past Simple Tense is only used for actions that started in the past and finished in the past. However, the losing sleep, the dreaming, and the praying, have not finished. To give information about the past and the present in one clause, we use Present Perfect Tense, or (as in this song) Present Perfect Continuous Tense when we want to make it clear that the action has been continuous and will probably continue.

* Present Simple Tense  * Present Continuous Tense

The singer describes his life. He uses Present Simple Tense because he is telling us about how things are, their state. He tells us how he feels, he gives opinions, and he gives advice:

       I see this life …

       … I’m not that old.

       I don’t think the world is sold.

       I feel something so wrong …

       Take that money.

       Watch it burn.

He uses Present Continuous Tense : I’m just doing what we’re told, because it’s an action in progress now,  at this time in his life. This is also true when he  sings that he’s “doingthe wrong thing” and that he’s “doing the right thing“.

* Relative Clauses

I see this life like a swinging vine.

I’ve been dreaming about the things that we could be.

Everything that kills me makes me feel alive.

Everything that drowns me makes me want to fly.

Sink in the river the lessons I learned.

** Refer to my post on Relative Clauses date  Posted on July 24, 2013

The Relative Clauses in the song relate, or refer to, “the things” he is dreaming about; “everything” and “the lessons”. Take out the Relative Clause and an Independent Clause remains:

I see this life.

       I’ve been dreaming about the things.

       Everything makes me feel alive.

       Everything makes me want to fly.

       Sink in the river the lessons. (This sentence has unusual word order. This often happens in songs because the song-writer needs to fit the rhythm of the song. In normal spoken language, you would say: Sink the lessons in the river./Sink the lessons I’ve learned in the river.)

The Relative Clauses are included because they relate to, or define something in the Independent Clause. They are vital for meaning.

- He doesn’t just see “life”, but life which is “like a swinging vine“.

- He hasn’t just been dreaming about “things”, but “things that we could be”.

- “Everything” doesn’t make him feel alive”; only “Everything that kills me”.

-“Everything” doesn’t make him want to fly”, only “Everything that drowns me”.

- He’s not suggesting that ALL lessons should “sink in the river”, just “the lessons I learned”.

Because the Relative Clauses define something and can’t be left out without changing the meaning, we call them DEFINING Relative Clauses.

For more information on Relative Clauses, refer to my post on Relative Clauses date  Posted on July 24, 2013 The post features a song by SHAKIRA containing Relative Clauses.  Another post links you to a song by SHANIA TWAIN containing Relative Clauses.

 I hope that you enjoy this wonderful song. The music is dynamic, the singer’s voice is fantastic and the language is colourful and powerful. Listen and learn and have fun!

Share this:

• Twitter4
• Facebook2
• More

Related

A Song with Reduced Relative Clauses: Part 1In "Advanced (Level 6+)"

Holiday Season RevisionIn "Advanced (Level 6+)"

Present Simple Tense & Present Continuous TenseIn "Elementary (Level 2)"