Основы теоретической грамматики английского языка

“DESCRIPTIVE” ATTRIBUTIVE AND “RESTRICTIVE” ATTRIBUTIVE CLAUSES 
Subordinate clauses of secondary nominal positions include attributive clauses of 
various syntactic functions. They fall into two major classes: "descriptive" attributive clauses and 
"restrictive" ("limiting") attributive clauses. 
The descriptive attributive clause exposes some characteristic of the antecedent (i.e., its 
substantive referent) as such, while the restrictive attributive clause performs a purely identifying 
role, singling out the referent of the antecedent in the given situation.
Descriptive clauses, in their turn, distinguish two major subtypes: first, "ordinary" 
descriptive clauses; second, "continuative" descriptive clauses. 
The ordinary descriptive attributive clause expresses various situational qualifications 
of nounal antecedents. The qualifications may present a constant situational feature or a 
temporary situational feature of different contextual relations and implications. Cf.: 
It gave me a strange sensation to see a lit up window in a big house that was not lived 
in. He wore a blue shirt the collar of which .was open at the throat They were playing such a 
game as could only puzzle us. 
The continuative attributive clause presents a situation on an «equal domination basis 
with its principal clause, and so is attributive only in form, but not in meaning. It expresses a new 
predicative event (connected with the antecedent) which somehow continues the chain of 
situations reflected by the sentence as a whole. Cf.:f.: 
In turn, the girls came singly before Brett, who frowned, blinked, bit his pencil, and 
scratched his head with it, getting no help from me audience, who applauded each girl 
impartially and hooted at every swim suit, as if they could hot see hundreds any day round the 
swimming pool (M. Dickens).