関係代名詞の主格

・主語の役割をする関係代名詞のこと｡

関係代名詞	先行詞
who	人・名前が付けられた動物
which	名前が付けられていない動物・物
that	名前が付けられていない動物・物・形容詞の最上級で修飾される人

・人や名前が付けられた動物が先行詞の場合"who"を使い、名前が付けられていない動物や物が先行詞の場合"which"か"that"を使う。
・シカゴマニュアルなどの主要な参考文献に、"which"は非制限用法に、"that"は制限用法に使うと書いてあるが、同意しない言語学者も少なくない。

［正］The boy who saved the little girl was praised.
［正］Pochi, who saved the little girl, was praised.
［誤］I saw a dog who was playing with a cat.
［？］I saw a dog which was playing with a cat.
［正］I saw a dog, which was playing with a cat.
［正］I saw a dog that was playing with a cat.

・先行詞が人の場合、"who"を使う。("that"を人に使うと「人以下」というニュアンスが出るので、アメリカ人は人に使うのを避ける傾向がある)

［正］The boy who came from America stayed at my home for three days.
［誤］The boy that came from America stayed at my home for three days.

・先行詞が人でも、物理的存在ではなく、能力や特質について述べる場合、"that"が使われることがある。

［正］He is the kind of person that will never betray you.
［正］He is the kind of person who will never betray you.

・先行詞が人でも、形容詞の最上級で修飾されると、"who"ではなく、"that"を使う。

［正］He is the tallest man that I've ever seen.
［誤］He is the tallest man who I've ever seen.
［正］He sat in the biggest chair that was in the house.
［誤］He sat in the biggest chair which was in the house.

・先行詞が人でも、"all"、"any(tｈing)"、"every(thing)"、"few"、"little"、"many" "much"、"no(thing)"、"none"、"some(thing)"などで修飾されると、"that"を使うことがある。

［正］He talked with all the people that came to the party?
［正］He talked with all the people who came to the party?
［正］I tried to sell it to any person who came to the shop.
［正］I tried to sell it to any person that came to the shop.
［正］He talked with everyone that came to the party?
［正］He talked with everyone who came to the party?

・"that"は制限用法でしか使えない。

［正］The dog that was playing with a cat looked happy.
［誤］The dog, that was playing with a cat, looked happy.
［正］The dog, which was playing with a cat, looked happy.

関係代名詞の主格の関連項目

• ⇒ 関係代名詞の所有格
• ⇒ 関係代名詞の目的格
• ⇒ 関係代名詞が前置詞の目的語になる場合
• ⇒ 関係代名詞"that"と"which"
• ⇒ I have a dog who plays Frisbee well.
• ⇒ ［？］I saw a bird which was sitting on her hand.