Avoiding Resumptive Clitics in Formal Relatives
Ordinary formal relatives avoid a clitic that redundantly repeats the relative pronoun’s function.
How It Works
L'autora a qui vaig escriure already represents the recipient with a qui. Adding li inside that ordinary relative duplicates the same function in a pattern formal prose generally avoids. Likewise, el document que he llegit does not need an extra l’ as its object.
This is different from topic dislocation, where aquest document, l'he llegit normally requires resumption. It is also different from a lexicalized pronoun belonging to a verb's established meaning. Do not delete every pronoun found anywhere inside a relative.
Identify the exact function carried by the relative expression, then check whether a clitic repeats that function or performs an independent, necessary role. Rewriting a complicated relative may be clearer than applying a blanket deletion.
Examples (3)
- És l’autora a qui vaig escriure.
She is the author I wrote to.
- Aquest és el document que he llegit.
This is the document I read.
- És el projecte de què depèn l’acord.
It is the project on which the agreement depends.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Identify the relative’s subject or object role and its clause boundary. Keep the preposition licensed by the relative’s embedded function.
Related Patterns
Practice Avoiding Resumptive Clitics in Formal Relatives in Bubblegum
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