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I know that a relative clause and main clause are formed when you have a
construct of [sentence/verb] + noun in Japanese. While attempting to translate
the following sentence, I found three of the above construct as denoted by (1)
(2) and (3), where the relative clause and main clause meet.

> 自分の置かれた( **1** )状況を把握{はあく}しようとして、混乱している( **2** )うちに殺されていた( **3** )はずよ。

Number 3 seemed suspicious to me and not quite right to be a instance of the
relative-main clause construct, so I did some research. [This
answer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/69446/%E3%83%80%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B9%E3%81%AE%E5%85%88%E7%94%9F%E3%81%AA%E3%82%93%E3%81%A0%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89-%E4%B8%8A%E6%89%8B%E3%81%AA%E3%81%AF%E3%81%9A%E3%81%A7%E3%81%99%E3%82%88)
says that はず (in most cases) is a 形式名詞 ("formal noun"), which made me wonder
if it is possible to make relative-main clause constructs using formal nouns
as opposed to normal nouns.

And if the answer is 'yes', is the above instance of はず making a relative-main
clause construct? If not, why (in the case it is a formal noun in the above
instance, but still fails to make a clause)?
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2019-08-25T20:34:00.713
70346
2019-08-26T01:51:10.340
2019-08-26T01:25:40.730
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question
relative-clauses
Is it possible to make a relative clause & main clause using a formal noun, such as はず?
The short answer is yes. You can even say 形式名詞 is always preceded by a
modifier, which is usually a relative clause (and sometimes an attributive
like それ, あの). Some 形式名詞 like とき work without a modifier, in which case they
are not called 形式名詞.

>   * 彼が猫を見るとき when he watches a cat  
>  (↑ This とき is a formal noun)
>   * ときは来た。 The time has come.  
>  (↑ This とき is an ordinary noun)
>

It is important to understand that 形式名詞 are very often **translated to English
without using a noun**. Still, syntactically speaking, they are Japanese
nouns, and thus accept relative clauses. Your sentence indeed has three
relative clauses marked by (1), (2), and (3).

Other examples of `relative-clause + 形式名詞`:

>   * 試験に合格する **ため** に勉強します。  
>  I will study to pass the exam.
>   * 地球が丸い **こと** を彼は知らなかった。  
>  He did not know the fact that the earth is round
>   * 言われる **まま** 払った。  
>  I paid as I was told to.
>   * テレビを見る **の** が好きです。  
>  I like watching TV.
>

The last example is also known as a nominalizer, but の is a perfect 形式名詞,
syntactically speaking.
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2019-08-26T01:51:10.340
70352
2019-08-26T01:51:10.340
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answer