Absence of Relative Pronoun
Not all relative clauses contain relative pronouns. Some languages, such as Mandarin Chinese, do not have relative pronouns at all, and form relative clauses (or their equivalents) by different methods – these are described in detail in the article on relative clauses. English can also make relative clauses without relative pronouns in some cases, as in "The man you saw yesterday was my uncle", where the relative clause you saw yesterday contains no relative pronoun – it can be said to have a gap, or zero, in the position of the object of the verb saw...
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Famous quotes containing the words absence of, absence, relative and/or pronoun:
“The absence of the beloved, short though it may last, always lasts too long.”
—Molière [Jean Baptiste Poquelin] (1622–1673)
“Your absence has gone through me
Like thread through a needle.”
—William Stanley Merwin (b. 1927)
“It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Would mankind be but contented without the continual use of that little but significant pronoun “mine” or “my own,” with what luxurious delight might they revel in the property of others!... But if envy makes me sicken at the sight of everything that is excellent out of my own possession, then will the sweetest food be sharp as vinegar, and every beauty will in my depraved eyes appear as deformity.”
—Sarah Fielding (1710–1768)