Places and Gadgets (J9A)
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EN: The relative pronoun 'that' is used to introduce a defining relative clause ('that helps me study') which modifies the noun 'app'. In this clause, 'that' acts as the subject of the verb 'helps'.
This is the book that inspired me to travel.
EN: The verb 'help' can be followed by an object and a bare infinitive (verb without 'to') or a full infinitive (with 'to'). In this sentence, 'helps me study' uses the bare infinitive 'study'.
She helps her brother do his homework.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that provides more information about a non-human noun (the antecedent 'a city'). In this sentence, 'which' acts as the subject of the relative clause 'which has tall buildings'.
This is the book which inspired my career.
EN: Direct speech reporting clause: When quoting someone directly, the reporting verb (e.g., 'says') and the speaker (e.g., 'Sarah') can be placed at the end of the sentence. In written English, the spoken words are enclosed in quotation marks, followed by a comma inside the quotation marks.
"I love this place," says Leo.
EN: Taipei is famous worldwide for 'Taipei 101', which was once the tallest building in the world. This makes the sentence highly relevant and culturally accurate when describing the skyline of Taiwan's capital.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that describes a person. In this sentence, 'who designed this park' modifies the noun 'person'. Since 'who' acts as the subject of the relative clause, it is followed directly by the verb 'designed'.
She is the teacher who inspired me to study English.
EN: In written English, when reporting direct speech, the reporting verb (e.g., 'says') and its subject (e.g., 'Emma') can be placed at the end of the sentence. The word order can be 'says Emma' (verb + subject) or 'Emma says' (subject + verb). However, if the subject is a pronoun, we must use subject + verb (e.g., 'says she' is incorrect; it must be 'she says').
"I am ready," says Leo.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that describes a non-human noun ('a phone'). In this sentence, 'which' acts as the subject of the relative clause 'which has a good camera'.
I bought a book which explains the history of Taiwan.
EN: Direct speech reporting verbs: When quoting someone directly, we use reporting verbs like 'says'. In written English, the reporting clause (e.g., 'says Ryan') often follows the quoted speech, separated by a comma inside the quotation marks.
"I love this city," says Sarah.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' is used to introduce a defining relative clause ('that everyone loves') which modifies the noun 'museum'. In this clause, 'that' acts as the direct object of the verb 'loves'. When the relative pronoun serves as the object of the relative clause, it can optionally be omitted in informal English.
This is the book that I bought yesterday.
EN: In written English, direct speech is often followed by a reporting verb and a subject (e.g., 'says Leo'). When the subject is a proper noun, inversion can occur ('says Leo' instead of 'Leo says'), which is a common stylistic feature in narrative and journalistic writing to keep the focus on the speaker's name at the end.
"I am ready," says Sarah.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that describes a person. In this sentence, 'who showed us around' modifies the noun 'the guide'.
He is the teacher who helped me with my English.
EN: The phrasal verb 'show someone around' means to act as a guide for someone in a new place, showing them the interesting parts.
We hired a local guide to show us around the city.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' is used here as a subject relative pronoun to introduce an adjective clause ('that explained the history') modifying the noun 'sign'. In this structure, 'that' refers to the thing ('a sign') and cannot be omitted because it functions as the subject of the verb 'explained' within the relative clause.
I bought a book that teaches English grammar.
EN: Direct speech reporting with 'says [Name]'. In English storytelling or reporting, when a quote is followed by the reporting verb, we often use the simple present tense ('says') to make the narration feel more immediate and alive, even if the action happened in the past.
EN: Relative Clauses with 'which': A relative clause is used to give more information about a noun (the antecedent). 'Which' is used as a relative pronoun when the antecedent is a thing or an animal. In this sentence, 'which connects two towns' describes 'the bridge'.
I bought a book which explains the history of Taipei.
EN: Subject-Verb Agreement in Relative Clauses: When the relative pronoun (who/which/that) acts as the subject of the relative clause, the verb that follows must agree in number with the antecedent. Here, 'the bridge' is singular, so the verb 'connects' is also singular.
These are the tools which make our work easier.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a defining relative clause that describes a person (in this case, 'the chef'). The relative clause 'who made this great meal' acts like an adjective to specify which chef is being referred to.
She is the teacher who inspired me to study English.
EN: The reporting verb 'says' is used in the simple present tense to report direct speech in stories or dialogues, maintaining a sense of immediacy.
"I love this city," says Sarah.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' is used here as a subject relative pronoun to introduce a defining relative clause ('that counts my steps') which modifies the noun 'watch'. In this structure, 'that' acts as the subject of the verb 'counts'.
I bought a laptop that has a long battery life.
EN: Subject-verb agreement in relative clauses: When the relative pronoun (that/which/who) is the subject of the relative clause, the verb that follows must agree in number with the antecedent (the noun being modified). Here, 'a watch' is singular, so the verb 'counts' is also singular.
She likes books that contain beautiful illustrations.
EN: In English narrative and dialogue writing, it is very common to invert the subject and the reporting verb (e.g., 'says Leo' instead of 'Leo says') when the subject is a proper noun. However, if the subject is a pronoun, inversion is typically not used (e.g., 'he says', not 'says he').
EN: Defining relative clauses (also called restrictive relative clauses) are used to specify exactly which person or thing we are talking about. The relative pronoun 'who' is used for people and acts as the subject of the relative clause 'who travel'.
Students who study hard usually get good grades.
EN: The quantifier 'a lot' is commonly used as an adverb meaning 'very much' or 'frequently' to modify verbs. In this sentence, it modifies the verb 'learn' to indicate the large amount of knowledge acquired.
He travels a lot for his job.
EN: The sentence reflects a common Western cultural value that travel is not just leisure, but a vital form of experiential education and personal growth.
EN: Defining Relative Clauses with 'Which': A relative clause is used to give more information about a noun. 'Which' is used as a relative pronoun to refer to things or places (not people). In this sentence, 'which have history' describes the noun 'places'.
The book which is on the table is mine.
EN: Subject-Verb Agreement with Plural Nouns: When the subject of a sentence is plural ('places'), the verb must also be plural ('are'). The relative clause in between does not change this agreement.
Cities which have good public transit are easy to live in.
EN: The verb 'love' can be followed by a gerund (verb-ing) to express a general preference or enjoyment of an activity. In this sentence, 'visiting' acts as the gerund object of 'love'.
I love reading books in the library.
EN: A relative clause introduced by the relative pronoun 'that' is used to modify the noun 'places'. Since 'that' acts as the subject of the relative clause, it is followed directly by the verb 'have'.
I like movies that have happy endings.
EN: The past simple tense is used to describe completed actions that happened at a specific time in the past (e.g., 'Last week'). 'Went' is the irregular past tense form of the verb 'go'.
Last year I visited a museum in Taipei.
EN: A relative clause starts with a relative pronoun like 'which' or 'that' and is used to give more information about a noun (the antecedent). Here, 'which is very old' describes the noun 'temple'. 'Which' is used as the subject relative pronoun for things or places.
I bought a book which has beautiful pictures.
EN: The subject of this sentence is modified by a defining relative clause ('who showed us around'). The relative pronoun 'who' acts as the subject of the relative clause, referring to 'The guide'. This clause specifies exactly which guide is being talked about.
The teacher who helped me with my homework is very patient.
EN: The phrasal verb 'show someone around' means to act as a guide for someone in a new place, showing them the interesting parts or helping them find their way.
He kindly offered to show us around the city.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a defining relative clause ('that made the past come alive') to modify the noun 'stories'. In this clause, 'that' acts as the subject.
He told us stories that inspired everyone in the room.
EN: The causative verb 'make' is followed by an object and a bare infinitive (verb in base form without 'to') to express causing a state or action. In 'made the past come alive', 'come' is the bare infinitive.
The music made her feel happy.
EN: The idiom 'come alive' is often used in English to describe history, art, or stories becoming vivid, interesting, and seemingly real to the audience, rather than just dry facts.
EN: The 'There was/were...' structure is used to state the existence of something in the past. 'There' acts as a dummy subject, and the real subject is the noun phrase that follows ('a bell').
There was a small cottage near the lake.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' introduces a relative clause (adjective clause) that modifies the noun 'a bell'. In this relative clause, 'which' functions as the direct object of the verb 'rang'.
This is the book which I bought yesterday.
EN: In many cultures, especially in East Asian temples, ringing a large bell is a spiritual ritual believed to bring peace, dispel bad fortune, and attract good luck, especially during New Year celebrations or temple visits.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used as a subject pronoun to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that modifies a person ('a man'). It connects the main clause with additional information about that person.
She is the teacher who inspired me to study English.
EN: The present perfect tense ('has cared') is used with 'for + duration' ('for years') to describe an action that started in the past and continues up to the present moment.
They have lived in Taipei for ten years.
EN: The sentence uses a double object pattern (ditransitive verb) with 'show'. The verb 'show' takes an indirect object (me) followed by a direct object (a garden...).
She showed us the old photos.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a defining relative clause ('that blooms every spring') to describe the noun 'garden'. Since 'garden' is a thing, 'that' (or 'which') acts as the subject of the relative clause.
I bought a book that explains English grammar.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that provides more information about a non-human noun (the antecedent 'a small gift'). In this sentence, 'which' acts as the subject of the relative clause.
She bought a book which explains the history of Taipei.
EN: The phrase 'remind someone of something' is a common phrasal verb pattern used to mean 'to cause someone to remember or think of something'.
This song reminds me of my childhood.
EN: Defining Relative Clauses (Adjective Clauses): The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a relative clause ('that connect us to history') that defines or gives essential information about the plural noun 'Places'. Because 'Places' is plural, the verb in the relative clause 'connect' is in its base form.
Books that inspire people are worth reading.
EN: Subject-Verb Agreement with Intervening Clauses: When a relative clause separates the subject ('Places') from the main verb ('are'), the verb must still agree with the subject. Here, the plural subject 'Places' takes the plural verb 'are'.
The students who study hard pass the exam.
EN: Defining Relative Clauses: The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a defining relative clause ('that you use most') which identifies or defines the preceding noun ('the app'). In this case, 'that' acts as the object of the verb 'use'.
This is the book that I read yesterday.
EN: Direct Speech Word Order: When reporting speech, the reporting verb (e.g., 'asks') can precede the subject (e.g., 'Sarah') when the subject is a noun, especially in written English. However, if the subject is a pronoun, the standard subject-verb order is maintained (e.g., 'she asks').
"Where are you going?" asks Leo.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce a defining relative clause that describes a non-human noun (in this case, 'an app'). The relative clause 'which helps me learn words' acts like an adjective to specify which app is being referred to.
I bought a book which explains the history of Taipei.
EN: The verb 'help' can be followed by an object and a bare infinitive (verb without 'to'). In the phrase 'helps me learn', 'me' is the object and 'learn' is the bare infinitive.
This tool helps me finish my work faster.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a defining relative clause that describes a person (in this case, 'the teacher'). The relative clause 'who started the trip' acts like an adjective to specify which teacher is being referred to.
He is the doctor who saved my life.
EN: The simple past tense ('started', 'says') is used here in two different ways. 'Started' indicates an action that was completed in the past, while 'says' is in the simple present tense, commonly used in reporting speech to describe what someone is saying or says habitually.
She is the chef who cooked this dinner, says the host.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce a defining relative clause that describes a non-human noun (the gadget). In this clause, 'which' acts as the subject of the verb 'counts'.
This is the map which shows the way to the museum.
EN: In direct speech, when the reporting verb (asks) and its subject (Hana) come after the quoted sentence, they can be placed in the standard subject-verb order ('Hana asks' or 'asks Hana' if the subject is a noun). Here, 'asks Hana' is used for narrative flow.
"Where is the key?" asks Leo.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' is used to introduce a defining relative clause ('that I bought last month') which modifies the noun 'the watch'. In this clause, 'that' acts as the direct object of the verb 'bought'. When the relative pronoun is the object of the relative clause, it can optionally be omitted in informal English.
This is the book that I read yesterday.
EN: The reporting verb 'says' is in the simple present tense, which is commonly used in written narratives or dialogues to make the speech feel immediate and active, even when reporting something said in the past.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' is used to introduce a defining relative clause (adjective clause) that describes a non-human noun ('museums'). In this sentence, 'that' acts as the subject of the relative clause 'that have fun activities'.
I like books that have colorful pictures.
EN: In direct speech, when the reporting verb (like 'says') comes after the quoted speech, subject-verb inversion can occur (e.g., 'says Sarah'). This is a common stylistic choice in written English storytelling.
"This is my house," says Tom.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a defining relative clause that describes a person (in this case, 'the artist'). The relative clause 'who painted this wall' functions like an adjective to identify which artist is being referred to.
She is the teacher who inspired me to study English.
EN: Direct speech is used to quote the exact words spoken by someone. In English, the reporting verb (e.g., 'says') can be placed after the quoted speech, and the subject ('Emma') follows it, or the subject can come first ('Emma says').
"I love this city," says Sarah.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that describes a non-human noun (the antecedent 'the tool'). In this sentence, 'which' acts as the subject of the relative clause 'which makes work easy'.
This is the book which inspired my career.
EN: The verb 'make' can function as a causative-like verb followed by an object and an adjective object complement (make + object + adjective). This structure means 'to cause someone or something to be in a certain state'.
Regular exercise makes your body strong.
EN: Subject relative clauses use relative pronouns like 'who' or 'that' to describe a noun (the antecedent) that acts as the subject of the relative clause. In this sentence, 'who ask questions' describes 'People'.
Students who study hard usually pass the exams.
EN: Comparative adverbs are used to compare actions. For short adverbs like 'fast', we add '-er' to form the comparative 'faster' to show that an action is done more quickly.
She runs faster than her brother.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce a defining relative clause that describes a non-human subject ('a place'). In this sentence, 'which' acts as the subject of the relative clause 'which feels welcoming'.
The book which is on the table is mine.
EN: The linking verb 'feel' is followed by an adjective ('welcoming') to describe the state or quality of the subject. 'Welcoming' means friendly and pleasant, making you feel welcome.
The hotel lobby feels cozy.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
To guide someone through a place and point out interesting features.
To become lively, active, or interesting as if real.
To make someone think of or remember something or someone.