6.3        Clauses and Sentences

Day 3    Prepositional and Adjectival Clauses  

The formal rule

Some grammar books state that a preposition cannot come at the end of a sentence. This is a formal rule that is not regarded much nowadays. However, this formal rule applies not just to sentences but also to adjective clauses.

有些談及英文文法的書籍會表示一個介詞不可以在句末出現。這是一個簡例，但現在已經大多不被理會了。

e.g. The house which we had the party in belongs to my aunt.

You have put the preposition “in” at the end of your adjective clause. Please keep in mind that this is acceptable nowadays. But when you are required to write in accordance with the formal rule that forbids any preposition to come at the end, you should know how to do this.

在這個例子中，我們必須把介詞放在形容詞子句的最後。請緊記這種做法現在已經可以被接受。但你假若你是被要求要跟從簡例去寫時，你也要懂得怎樣去做。

How to follow the formal rule? 怎樣跟從簡例去寫呢?

It is very simple. You just move the preposition to the front of your adjective clause, before the relative pronoun. To rewrite the above example,

其實很簡單。你只需要把介詞放在你的形容詞子句前面，在關係代名詞的後面即可。若跟從簡例去寫，上面的例子就會變成這樣 :

The house in which we had the party belongs to my aunt.

But remember, when you use this formal structure, you must always use which for things and whom for people.

有一點要記著，當你跟從簡例去寫時，當你要提及物件時，永遠要用which，而當你要提及人時，永遠要用whom。

Remember this formal rule is only applicable to adjective clauses that actually require a preposition. Do not add prepositions casually.

還有一點要記著，這個簡例只適用於本身需要介詞的形容詞子句。可不要隨便加上介詞啊 !