RELATIVE CLAUSE Grammar
Detail
: Relative clauses give us information about the
Definition
person or thing mentioned.
Defining relative clauses give us essential information –
information that tells us who or what we are talking about.
The woman who lives next door works in a bank.
For example :
These are the flights that have been cancelled.
We usually use a relative pronoun or adverb to start a defining
relative clause: who, which, that, when, where or whose.
Who We use who in a relative clause when we are talking
about people. We use who instead of he/she/they :
the woman - she lives next door - is a doctor.
The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
we know a lot of people - they live in London.
We know a lot of people who live in London.
You can also use that (instead of who) :
• The man that lives next door is very friendly.
But sometimes you must use who (not 'that') for people.
RELATIVE CLAUSE Grammar
Detail
Which When we are talking about things, we use that or which
that (not ‘who’) in a relative clause:
where is the cheese? - it was in the fridge
that
Where is the cheese was in the fridge?
which
For example : That is more usual than which..
• John works for a company that/which makes washing machines.
• The machine that/which broke down has now been repaired.
What What = 'the thing(s) that' :
• What happened was my fault.
For example :
(= the thing that happened)
You cannot use what in sentences like these:
• Everything that happened was my fault. (not ‘Everything what
happened...')
Whose We use whose in relative clauses instead of his/her/their:
we saw some people - their car had broken down
We saw some people whose car had broken down.
RELATIVE CLAUSE Grammar
Detail
For example : We use whose mostly for people :
• A widow is a woman whose husband is dead. (her husband is dead)
• A few days ago I met someone whose brother I went to school with.
(I went to school with his/her brother)
Compare who and whose:
• I met a man who knows you. (he knows you)
• I met a man whose sister knows you. (his sister knows you)
Whom is possible instead of who when it is the object of
Whom the verb in the relative clause.
• The woman whom I wanted to see was away on holiday.
For example :
(I wanted to see her)
You can use whom with a preposition (to whom / from whom / with whom) :
• The woman with whom he fell in love left him after a few weeks.
(he fell in love with her)
Where You can use where in a relative clause to talk about a placе:
the hotel - we stayed there - wasn't very clean
The hotel where we stayed wasn't very clean.
For example : • I recently went back to the town where I was born.
RELATIVE CLAUSE Grammar
Exercise
Part 1 : Complete these sixteen sentences to score your knowledge
of RELATIVE CLAUSES.
1.I know a great little restaurant ... we can get lunch.
a) that b) who c) where
[Link] knows a man … brother works for the president.
a) who b) whose c) whom
[Link] … study hard get good grades.
a) when b) whom c) who
[Link] … is imported from other countries is expensive.
a) that b) where c) why
[Link] bad weather is the reason … I was late for class yesterday.
a) whom b) when c) why
[Link] cookies … you baked are really delicious.
a) why b) which c) when
[Link] grandfather remembers the time … there was no television.
a) when b) where c) that
8.I visited my uncle … lives in a different city.
a) who b) which c) when
Grammar
RELATIVE CLAUSE Exercise
(2)
[Link] movie … we saw last week won three awards.
a) who b) when c) which
[Link] you know the reason … there are no penguins at the North Pole?
a) where b) why c) whose
[Link] people … names are on the list will stay here.
a) whose b) where c) that
[Link] had a feeling … something terrible was going to happen.
a) why b) who c) that
Part 2 : Complete each sentence using who/whom/whose/where.
1 What's the name of the man whose car you borrowed?
2 A cemetery is a place _______ people are buried.
3 A pacifist is a person _______ believes that all wars are wrong.
4 An orphan is a child _______ parents are dead.
5 The place _______ we spent our holidays was really beautiful.
6 This school is only for children _______ first language is not English.
7 I don't know the name of the woman to _______ I spoke on the phone.
Grammar
RELATIVE CLAUSE Exercise
(3)
Part 3 : Put in that or what.
1 I gave her all the money that I had.
2 They give their children everything _______ they want.
3 Tell me _______ you want and I'll try to get it for you.
4 Why do you blame me for everything _______ goes wrong?
5 I won't be able to do much but I'll do the best _______ I can.
6 I can only lend you ten pounds. It's all _______ I've got.
7 I don't agree with _______ you've just said.
8 I don't trust him. I don't believe anything _______ he says.