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Relative Clauses

Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are used to give more information about a noun in a sentence. They help us avoid repetition and make our writing more sophisticated.

Types of Relative Clauses

Defining Relative Clauses

These clauses give essential information about the noun. Without them, the meaning would be unclear.

Example: The woman who lives next door is a doctor. (Without the clause, we wouldn't know which woman)

Non-defining Relative Clauses

These clauses give extra information that could be removed without changing the main meaning. They are separated by commas.

Example: My sister, who lives in London, is visiting us. (We already know which sister; the clause adds extra information)

Relative Pronouns

Who

Used for people (subject or object):

  • Subject: The man who called you is my brother.
  • Object: The woman who I met yesterday was very kind.

Which

Used for things and animals:

  • Subject: The book which is on the table is mine.
  • Object: The car which I bought last year is very reliable.

That

Used for people, things, and animals in defining clauses only:

  • The person that helped me was very kind.
  • The house that we visited was beautiful.

Whose

Shows possession (for people, things, and animals):

  • The student whose homework was excellent got an A.
  • The house whose roof was damaged needs repair.

Where

Used for places:

  • The restaurant where we had dinner was expensive.
  • This is the park where I played as a child.

When

Used for time:

  • I remember the day when we first met.
  • Summer is the season when I feel most energetic.

Omitting Relative Pronouns

In defining relative clauses, we can omit the relative pronoun when it's the object:

With pronoun: The book that I'm reading is interesting. Without pronoun: The book I'm reading is interesting.

Cannot omit when the pronoun is the subject:

  • Correct: The man who called you is here.
  • Incorrect: The man called you is here.

Prepositions in Relative Clauses

Formal Style

The preposition comes before the relative pronoun:

  • The company for which I work is very successful.
  • The person to whom I spoke was helpful.

Informal Style

The preposition comes at the end:

  • The company which I work for is very successful.
  • The person who I spoke to was helpful.

Relative Clauses with Quantifiers

Use expressions like "some of which," "many of whom," "most of which":

  • I have three brothers, two of whom are doctors.
  • She has many books, most of which are novels.
  • There were fifty students, some of whom were absent.

Common Mistakes

1. Using "what" instead of "that/which"

  • Incorrect: The thing what I need is money.
  • Correct: The thing that I need is money.

2. Missing commas in non-defining clauses

  • Incorrect: My brother who lives in Paris is a teacher.
  • Correct: My brother, who lives in Paris, is a teacher.

3. Using "that" in non-defining clauses

  • Incorrect: London, that is the capital of England, is expensive.
  • Correct: London, which is the capital of England, is expensive.

4. Double subjects

  • Incorrect: The man who he called you is here.
  • Correct: The man who called you is here.

Practice Examples

Defining Clauses

  1. The students who study hard usually pass their exams.
  2. The movie that we watched last night was boring.
  3. The house where I grew up has been demolished.
  4. I'll never forget the moment when I graduated.

Non-defining Clauses

  1. Shakespeare, who wrote Hamlet, was born in 1564.
  2. My car, which I bought last year, needs servicing.
  3. London, where I was born, is a multicultural city.
  4. Christmas, when families gather, is my favorite holiday.

Combining Sentences Practice

Combine these sentences using relative clauses:

  1. I have a friend. She speaks five languages.
  2. We visited a museum. The museum had ancient artifacts.
  3. I work in an office. The office is in the city center.
  4. There's a café. I meet my friends there.

Answers:

  1. I have a friend who speaks five languages.
  2. We visited a museum which/that had ancient artifacts.
  3. I work in an office which/that is in the city center.
  4. There's a café where I meet my friends.

Advanced Uses

Reduced Relative Clauses

Sometimes we can shorten relative clauses:

Full clause: The woman who is standing by the door is my teacher. Reduced: The woman standing by the door is my teacher.

Full clause: The letter which was written yesterday arrived today. Reduced: The letter written yesterday arrived today.

Relative Clauses with "What"

"What" can mean "the thing that":

  • What you said is true. (= The thing that you said is true)
  • I don't understand what he wants. (= the thing that he wants)