前置詞 + 関係代名詞
フォーマルな文体で使われる「前置詞+which/whom」の形を学びます。関係副詞との書き換えも重要です。
基本ルール
文末に残った前置詞を関係代名詞の前に移動させた形(フォーマル):
「This is the house which he lives in.」(口語)→「This is the house in which he lives.」(フォーマル)
「She is the person whom I spoke to.」→「She is the person to whom I spoke.」
前置詞 + which は関係副詞に書き換えできることが多い:
「the house in which he lives」= 「the house where he lives」
📘 例文
The company for which he works is very successful.(彼が働く会社はとても成功している)
That is the reason for which she refused the offer.(それが彼女がオファーを断った理由だ)
The book whose cover is red / the book the cover of which is red.(カバーが赤い本)← of which
The company for which he works is very successful.(彼が働く会社はとても成功している)
That is the reason for which she refused the offer.(それが彼女がオファーを断った理由だ)
The book whose cover is red / the book the cover of which is red.(カバーが赤い本)← of which
注意点
① 前置詞の前には that を使えない:「× the house in that he lives」は誤り。
② 前置詞の選択:動詞や形容詞と一緒に使う前置詞をそのまま関係代名詞の前に移動。「depend on → the person on whom we depend」
③ of which:所有格の whose の代わりに使う場合がある(特に物)。
💡 ポイント
- 前置詞 + which/whom:フォーマルな形
- 前置詞の前に that は使えない(which/whom のみ)
- 前置詞 + which ⇔ 関係副詞(in which = where など)
- of which = whose(特に物の先行詞)
練習
- 次をフォーマルな形(前置詞+関係代名詞)に書き換えなさい:This is the topic which we were talking about.
- 次を関係副詞を使って書き換えなさい:The city in which I grew up is now very different.
- 誤りを正しなさい:The reason for that she was absent is unknown.