Clauses with "where"

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Grammarwannabe

#354681 Mon, 23 Apr 07 08:13 PM

I am having a problem with clauses that have "where" instead of clauses that have "that"

i.e. We went to a town where everyone was nice

I thought that you you used "where" in the objective case and "that" in the subjective case.

But...

I went to the store that my aunt owns.

I wirk in a store where my aunt works.

They are both in the objective case, but sometimes we don't use "where"

Is it something to do with adjective clauses and adverbial clauses?

Grammarwannabe

Joined on Mon, Apr 23 2007

New Member (24)

Clauses

Yankee

#354709 Mon, 23 Apr 07 09:46 PM

Hi Grammarwannabe

I think the easiest way to understand is to break the sentences apart this way:

We went to a town where everyone was nice. --> We went to a town. Everyone was nice there.
(where: refers to location)

I went to the store that my aunt owns. --> I went to the store. My aunt owns it.
(that: refers to what)

I work in a store where my aunt works. --> I work in a store. My aunt also works there.