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§161. An attributive descriptive clause is characterized by a looser connection with the
main clause. Usually it contains additional information about the antecedent and may be left out without any
serious change in the meaning of the main clause. Attributive descriptive clauses are generally commad off.
They are joined by the same connectives as limiting clauses, except the relative pronoun that, and asyndetic
connection hardly ever occurs.
The additional descriptive character of the attributive clause is determined by the fact that the antecedent
denotes a definite person, place, thing, notion, etc. It is either specified by a limiting attribute, or is expressed
by a proper name, or else denotes a unique notion (or one specified by the situation).
At this age, which I judged to be near fifty, he looked extremely young.
I returned to London, where I remained for a week.
I consulted my father, who promised to help me.
She was thinking how little the opening of this war - which had started that morning at five-eleven with
the German army’s marching into Poland - was like the opening of the last.
The supplementary status of the attributive clauses can be illustrated by the following transformation of the
first sentence given above.
At this age (and I judged him to be neat-fifty) he looked extremely young.
In formal English relative pronouns and adverbs introducing descriptive clauses may also occur in
prepositional phrases opening the subordinate clause, for example: according to which, instead of which, in
spite of which, on which, of which, to whom, since when, etc.; also within nominal phrases of the type: the
largest part of which, each of which, many examples of which, during which time, which fact, etc. The relative
pronoun approaches in its function the anaphoric demonstrative pronoun this, and the clause can be paraphrased
by a coordinate or parenthetical clause. For example:
Then a breakfast was given in his honour, on which occasion many speeches were pronounced (and on
this occasion many speeches were pronounced).
The medicine was overdosed, which fact caused the immediate death of the patient (and this fact caused
the immediate death of the patient).
Note:
Compounds of where and a preposition, such as whereby, wherefore, whereto, etc., are now confined to
extremely formal English only and are replaced in less formal style by for which, by which, to which, etc.
§ 162. An attributive descriptive clause referring to a whole clause, sentence, series of sentences, or even a
whole story is called a continuative (or sentential) attributive clause. It is
generally introduced by the connective which, occasionally by that.
When the attributive continuative clause refers to a sentence, it may be separated by a semicolon, a dash, or
even by a full stop.
She lived in two rooms over a teashop, which was convenient, since she could send down for cakes and
scones if she had visitors. (...Что было удобно... поскольку...).
Several times he caught her looking at him with a hurt, puzzled expression, which pleased his evil mood
(...что тешило его злобу).
The complex sentence with an adverbial clause
§ 163. Adverbial clauses are usually classified according to their meaning, that is, according to the relation
they bear to the main clause. They differ from nominal and attributive clauses in that they are introduced by
conjunctions with a more distinct meaning. Some types of adverbial clauses may be introduced by at least a
dozen different conjunctions (as for instance adverbial clauses of time). On the other hand, many of the
conjunctions are used to introduce more than one kind of clause (as, since, that, when, now that). In some cases