| 33.3 Participle as substitute for a relative clause |
| In English a participle can substitute a relative clause |
| They watched children running down the street. |
| = The watched children that were running down the street. |
| Cars made in Japan have a good reputation. |
| = Cars that are made in Japan have a good reputation. |
If you wonder why we are telling you this, the answer is quite easy: Because it does not work the same way in German. Or, better said: of course you could translate it directly, but no-one would really talk this way.
| Examples | |
| They watched children running down the street. (= They watched children that were running down the street..) |
|
| correct: Sie haben Kindern, die die Straße hinuntergelaufen sind, zugesehen. | |
| incorrect: Sie haben Kindern zugesehen, die Straße hinunterlaufend. | |
| Cars made in Japan have a good reputation. (= Cars that are made in Japan have a good reputation.) |
|
| correct: Autos, die in Japan hergestellt werden, haben einen guten Ruf. | |
| incorrect: Autos, in Japan hergestellt, haben einen guten Ruf. |
If you absolutely want to use also in German a participle, you can use the participle as an adjective and build another sentence (more details about participles as an adjective see here).
| Examples | |
| Sie schauten den die Straße hinunter laufenden Kindern zu. | |
| In Japan hergestellte Autos haben einen guten Ruf. |
