A Scientist I Admire (H3)
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EN: Non-defining relative clauses (using 'who', 'which', etc.) provide extra, non-essential information about a noun. They are separated from the main clause by commas. In this sentence, 'who won two Nobel Prizes' adds extra detail about Marie Curie, but the sentence 'Marie Curie inspires me' is still grammatically complete without it.
My father, who loves cooking, made a delicious dinner.
EN: The subject-verb agreement for singular proper nouns. 'Marie Curie' is a singular proper noun, so the present tense verb 'inspire' must take the third-person singular ending '-s', becoming 'inspires'.
EN: Marie Curie is a legendary figure in science, being the first person and only woman to win two Nobel Prizes (in Physics and Chemistry). Her legacy is a frequent topic in academic and inspirational contexts in English-speaking countries.
EN: The structure 'preposition + relative pronoun' (in which) is used in formal English to introduce a relative clause. 'In which' functions as an adverbial of place, equivalent to 'where', indicating the location where the action took place.
This is the house in which I grew up.
EN: The collocation 'make discoveries' means to find or find out about something for the first time. 'Make' is the light verb used here with the plural noun 'discoveries'.
Scientists hope to make new discoveries about Mars.
EN: In written or formal spoken English, using 'preposition + which' (like 'in which', 'with whom') is highly preferred over ending a sentence with a dangling preposition (e.g., 'the lab she made discoveries in'). It conveys a professional and academic tone, which is very fitting when discussing scientific achievements like those of Marie Curie.
EN: The relative pronoun 'whose' is used to show possession. It replaces a possessive adjective (like 'her', 'his', 'their') and introduces a relative clause that describes the noun before it (the antecedent). In this sentence, 'whose work' means 'her daughter's work'.
I met a writer whose books are very popular.
EN: The adverb 'also' is used to add extra information, meaning 'in addition' or 'too'. It typically occupies the mid-position in a sentence, which is after auxiliary/modal verbs (like 'won' in its past form, or here placed before the main verb 'won' as there is no auxiliary).
He plays the piano and also sings beautifully.
EN: This sentence refers to Irène Joliot-Curie, the daughter of Marie Curie, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935. It highlights a remarkable family legacy of scientific achievement, which is highly celebrated in scientific history.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses (also called non-restrictive relative clauses) are used to add extra, non-essential information about a noun. They are separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. The relative pronoun 'which' is used for things, and it cannot be replaced by 'that' in non-defining clauses.
The book, which I bought yesterday, is very interesting.
EN: The verb 'is' serves as the main linking verb connecting the subject 'The element' to its subject complement 'radium'. The relative clause 'which she discovered' is embedded within the subject noun phrase but does not change the core subject-verb agreement.
EN: This sentence refers to the scientific achievements of Marie Curie, who discovered the radioactive elements polonium and radium. Radium's discovery revolutionized physics and medicine, though its radioactive nature posed extreme health risks to early researchers.
EN: The structure 'preposition + whom' is used in formal English to introduce a relative clause. The preposition (here, 'with') is placed before the relative pronoun 'whom' (which refers to a person as the object of the preposition). In informal English, the preposition is usually placed at the end of the clause (e.g., 'the engineer whom I want to study with').
She is the mentor with whom I shared my research.
EN: The infinitive 'to study' is used as the direct object of the verb 'want', expressing a desire or intention to perform an action.
They want to design a new system.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses with 'whose' are used to add extra, non-essential information about a person's possessions or creations. 'Whose' functions as a possessive relative pronoun (meaning 'his', 'her', or 'their') and is placed between commas in writing.
Marie Curie, whose research changed medicine, was a pioneer.
EN: The simple past tense ('shaped', 'was') is used to describe completed actions or states in the past, especially when referring to historical figures and their contributions.
EN: Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor and engineer known for his revolutionary contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. Describing him as 'bold' highlights his visionary and often unconventional ideas that were ahead of his time.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses (using 'which') add extra, non-essential information about a noun. They are separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. If removed, the sentence still makes complete sense.
The book, which I bought yesterday, is very interesting.
EN: The past simple tense is used here ('changed') to describe an action that was completed in the past and has a permanent historical impact.
The invention of the steam engine changed the world.
EN: This sentence refers to the Industrial Revolution, where the invention and refinement of the steam engine transformed manual labor into machine-based manufacturing, reshaping global society and economy.
EN: The relative pronoun 'whose' is used to show possession. It replaces a possessive adjective (like 'her', 'his', 'their') and connects two clauses. In this sentence, 'whose courage' means 'her courage' (the scientist's courage).
He is a writer whose books are very popular.
EN: In relative clauses starting with 'whose' + noun, the noun (courage) can function as the object of the verb (admire) in the relative clause. The word order is 'whose + noun + subject + verb' (whose courage we admire).
This is the artist whose paintings I love.
EN: The structure 'preposition + relative pronoun' (in this case, 'with which') is used in formal English to introduce a relative clause. 'Which' refers back to the noun 'the tool', and 'with' is the preposition that logically connects to the verb 'measure' (to measure with a tool).
This is the pen with which he wrote the novel.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used instead of 'who' or 'whom' because its antecedent ('the tool') is an inanimate object, not a person.
The house in which they live is very old.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses (also called non-restrictive relative clauses) are used to add extra, non-essential information about a noun. They are separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. The relative pronoun 'who' is used for people and cannot be replaced by 'that' in non-defining clauses.
My father, who is 60 years old, still runs every morning.
EN: The past simple tense ('guided', 'was') is used to describe completed actions or states in the past. In this sentence, both the act of guiding and the state of being kind refer to a specific, completed time in the past.
The teacher, who helped me with my homework, was very patient.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses (using 'which') provide extra, non-essential information about a noun. They are separated from the main clause by commas. If removed, the sentence still makes complete sense.
The movie, which I watched yesterday, was very exciting.
EN: The adverb 'just' is commonly used with the simple past tense (or present perfect) to indicate that an action was completed a very short time ago.
I just received your email.
EN: Preposition + Relative Pronoun (whom): In formal English, when a relative pronoun is the object of a preposition (like 'rely on'), the preposition is placed directly before 'whom'. 'Whom' is used instead of 'who' because it acts as the object of the preposition.
She is the colleague with whom I worked on the project.
EN: Phrasal Verb 'rely on': This verb means to depend on or trust someone or something. In relative clauses, the preposition 'on' can move to the front of the relative pronoun 'whom'.
We need a leader on whom we can rely during difficult times.
EN: The relative pronoun 'whom' is used as the object of the verb 'admire' in the relative clause. In formal English, 'whom' is preferred over 'who' when it functions as an object, although 'who' or omitting the pronoun is common in casual speech.
The teacher whom I met yesterday was very helpful.
EN: The infinitive 'to share' is used as the direct object of the verb 'want', expressing a desire or intention to perform an action.
EN: The relative pronoun 'whose' is used to show possession. It replaces a possessive adjective (like 'her', 'his', 'their') and connects a relative clause to a noun (the antecedent). In this sentence, 'whose curiosity' means 'her curiosity'.
He is a writer whose books are read worldwide.
EN: The past simple tense is used here ('was', 'faded') to describe a completed state and action in the past, referring to the researcher's life and her enduring curiosity during her lifetime.
She was a teacher whose lessons inspired many students.
EN: The relative adverb 'when' is used to introduce an adjective clause (relative clause) that modifies a noun of time (the antecedent), which in this case is 'a time'. It functions as an adverbial of time within the clause.
I remember the day when we first met.
EN: The word 'few' is a quantifier used with plural countable nouns (like 'women') to indicate a very small number, carrying a negative connotation meaning 'not many' or 'almost none'. It is different from 'a few', which has a positive connotation meaning 'some'.
Few people attended the lecture because of the heavy rain.
EN: This sentence reflects the historical context of the late 19th and early 20th centuries (the era of Marie Curie), when women faced severe systemic barriers in higher education and scientific research. Many universities did not admit female students, and those who did often denied them official degrees or academic positions.
EN: The prepositional relative clause structure 'preposition + which' is used in formal English to connect a relative clause. Here, 'in which' is equivalent to 'where', modifying the noun 'university'.
This is the room in which the meeting was held.
EN: The word 'little' is used as a determiner with uncountable nouns (like 'support') to mean 'almost none' or 'not enough'. It has a negative connotation, unlike 'a little' which means 'some'.
He had little hope of passing the exam.
EN: The prepositional phrase 'Despite this' is used as a transition to introduce a contrast, meaning 'in spite of' or 'regardless of' what was previously mentioned. It is followed by a comma when starting a sentence.
Despite this, she continued her research with great passion.
EN: The relative clause 'that changed the world' uses the relative pronoun 'that' as the subject of the clause to modify the noun 'discoveries' (the antecedent).
He wrote a book that inspired millions of people.
EN: Defining Relative Clauses with 'which': A defining relative clause identifies exactly which thing or person we are talking about. 'Which' is used as a relative pronoun to refer to things or animals. In this sentence, 'which she found' defines the specific 'element' being referred to.
The book which you lent me was fascinating.
EN: Present Simple Passive Voice: The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action or the receiver of the action, rather than the doer. It is formed using 'am/is/are + past participle'. Here, 'is still used' emphasizes the ongoing application of the element.
English is spoken all over the world.
EN: This sentence refers to the discovery of radium by Marie Curie. Radium's intense radioactivity made it useful in early cancer treatments (brachytherapy) in hospitals, highlighting the direct link between her scientific research and practical medical applications that saved lives.
EN: The sentence uses a non-defining relative clause introduced by a preposition + relative pronoun ('to whom'). In formal English, when a relative pronoun is the object of a preposition (give care to someone), the preposition is placed before 'whom'. The non-defining clause is set off by commas and adds extra information about the subject 'Her students'.
The mentor, with whom I shared my goals, offered great advice.
EN: The adverb 'too' is used at the end of the sentence to mean 'also' or 'as well'. It is typically preceded by a comma in writing to create a pause, emphasizing that the subject shares the same characteristic or action as others mentioned previously.
They wanted to join the research team too.
EN: The structure 'preposition + whom' is used in formal English to introduce a relative clause modifying a person. 'Whom' acts as the object of the preposition (here, 'with'), which is placed directly before it rather than at the end of the clause.
He is the mentor with whom I discussed my career plans.
EN: The determiner 'every' is used before a singular countable noun ('success') to refer to all members of a group or all instances of an event, emphasizing each one individually.
She remembered every detail of their conversation.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses (using 'which') add extra, non-essential information about a noun. They are separated from the rest of the sentence by commas, and the relative pronoun 'which' cannot be replaced by 'that'.
The book, which she wrote in 2020, became a bestseller.
EN: The idiom 'make history' (past tense: 'made history') means to do something important that will be recorded and remembered in history.
The team made history by winning the championship for the first time.
EN: This sentence refers to Marie Curie, who remains the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields (Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911). The phrase 'made history' perfectly captures the monumental nature of her achievements.
EN: The relative pronoun 'whose' is used to show possession. It replaces a possessive adjective (like 'their' in 'their dreams') and introduces a relative clause that describes the noun before it ('People').
I met a writer whose books are very popular.
EN: The linking verb 'seem' is used to describe how something appears. It is followed by an adjective (like 'impossible') to function as a subject complement.
The task seemed difficult at first.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses (using 'which') add extra, non-essential information about a noun. They are separated from the main clause by commas, and 'that' cannot be used as a replacement.
His book, which became a bestseller, took five years to write.
EN: The adverb 'still' is used to emphasize that an action or situation continues to exist or happen, especially when this might be surprising. It is typically placed before the main verb.
EN: The relative pronoun 'whose' is used to show possession. It replaces a possessive adjective (like 'his', 'her', 'their') and introduces a relative clause that describes the noun before it (the antecedent). In this sentence, 'whose work' means 'the work of that person'.
I want to support a charity whose mission is to protect animals.
EN: The verb 'hope' is followed by an infinitive ('to' + base verb) when expressing a desire or plan for the future. 'Hope to become' indicates a future aspiration.
She hopes to study medicine in college.
EN: This sentence contains a relative clause (adjective clause) 'you admire' modifying the noun 'innovator'. The relative pronoun 'whom' or 'that' is omitted because it functions as the direct object of the verb 'admire' in the relative clause.
The teacher you met yesterday is my uncle.
EN: Direct address in English: When addressing someone directly by name (in this case, 'Emma'), a comma must separate the name from the rest of the sentence, usually placed at the end of the question.
Where are you going, John?
EN: In English-speaking professional and academic contexts, asking about role models or 'innovators' one admires is a common icebreaker or interview question. It helps to understand a person's values, interests, and professional aspirations.
EN: The relative pronoun 'whose' is used to show possession. It replaces a possessive adjective (like 'his', 'her', 'their') and introduces a relative clause that describes the noun before it. In this sentence, 'whose designs' means 'the designs of the engineer'.
I met a writer whose books are very popular.
EN: The subject of the main clause is 'An engineer' (singular), which is modified by the relative clause 'whose designs save energy'. The main verb is 'inspires', which must agree with the singular subject 'An engineer' by adding '-s'.
A teacher who loves children makes a great difference.
EN: The structure 'preposition + relative pronoun' (in which) is used in formal English to introduce a relative clause. The preposition 'in' belongs to the verb phrase 'work in' (to work in a field), and is placed before the relative pronoun 'which' instead of at the end of the sentence.
This is the building in which they conduct the experiments.
EN: The verb 'hope' is followed by an infinitive ('to' + base verb) to express a desire or plan to perform an action in the future.
She hopes to study physics at university.
EN: In academic and professional contexts, using 'preposition + which' (such as 'in which', 'with whom') is highly preferred as it sounds more elegant and formal than ending a sentence with a preposition (e.g., 'the field I hope to work in').
EN: Subject Relative Clauses: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a relative clause that modifies a person (in this case, 'the teacher'). In this clause, 'who' acts as the subject of the verb 'showed'.
He is the doctor who saved my life.
EN: Double Object Verbs (Dative Alternation): The verb 'show' can take two objects: an indirect object (the person receiving the action, 'me') and a direct object (the thing being shown, 'physics').
She showed us her new painting.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses (using 'which') add extra, non-essential information about a noun. They are separated from the main clause by commas. If removed, the sentence still makes complete grammatical sense.
The car, which was painted red, belonged to my uncle.
EN: The phrase 'the elderly' functions as a plural noun meaning 'elderly people' in general. It is formed by 'the' + adjective and always takes a plural verb if used as a subject.
The government is building new facilities to support the elderly.
EN: The prepositional relative clause structure 'preposition + whom' is used in formal English. 'Whom' is the objective case of 'who', and when it is the object of a preposition (like 'with'), the preposition can be placed directly before 'whom'.
She is the colleague with whom I shared the office.
EN: The verb 'discuss' is a transitive verb in English and is followed directly by its object (e.g., 'discuss ideas'), without the preposition 'about'.
We need to discuss the new project tomorrow.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses (also called non-restrictive relative clauses) are used to add extra, non-essential information about a noun. They are always separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. The relative pronoun 'which' is used to refer to things or concepts.
The book, which was written in 1920, is still popular today.
EN: The adjective 'huge' is used here as a subject complement following the linking verb 'was'. In this context, 'huge' figuratively means extremely important, significant, or monumental, rather than physically large.
EN: The relative pronoun 'whose' is a possessive relative pronoun used to show ownership or association. It introduces a relative clause (whose work is quiet) that modifies the noun 'People'. It functions as 'their' within the clause.
I met a writer whose books are very popular.
EN: The adverb 'still' is used to emphasize that a situation continues to exist, especially when this might be surprising. In this sentence, it highlights that despite their work being quiet, they continue to have a major impact.
He is ninety years old, but he still exercises every day.
EN: The relative adverb 'where' is used to introduce an adjective clause (relative clause) that modifies a noun of place (the antecedent, 'the lab'). It functions as an adverbial of place within the relative clause, meaning 'in/at which'.
This is the library where I study every weekend.
EN: The collocation 'make a breakthrough' means to make an important discovery or development, especially after trying for a long time. 'Breakthrough' acts as a noun here.
Scientists hope to make a breakthrough in cancer research.
EN: The relative pronoun 'whose' is a possessive relative pronoun used to show ownership or association. It replaces a possessive adjective (like 'his', 'her', 'their') and introduces a relative clause that modifies the preceding noun (the antecedent, 'anyone' in this sentence).
I met a writer whose book became a bestseller.
EN: The indefinite pronoun 'anyone' is used here as the direct object of the verb 'admire'. When followed by a relative clause, it refers to any person who meets the description in that clause, functioning similarly to 'any person who'.
We welcome anyone who wants to join our team.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
To find or learn something new, especially through scientific research or exploration.
To have a major influence on how society, technology, or the world develops.
To gradually change from being a child to being an adult.
To do something important that will be recorded and remembered in history.