Relative Clauses: Who, Which, That, and More
1. Introduction to Relative Clauses
Definition: A relative clause is a type of dependent clause that provides
additional information about a noun in a sentence. It is introduced by a
relative pronoun (e.g., who, which, that, whose, whom).
Purpose: Relative clauses help combine two ideas into one sentence,
making writing and speaking more concise and fluid.
Example:
o Without a relative clause: "The book is on the table. I borrowed it
from the library."
o With a relative clause: "The book that I borrowed from the
library is on the table."
2. Relative Pronouns
Who: Refers to people (subject).
oExample: "The woman who lives next door is a doctor."
Whom: Refers to people (object, formal).
o Example: "The man whom I met yesterday is a teacher."
Which: Refers to animals or things.
o Example: "The car, which is parked outside, belongs to my
brother."
That: Refers to people, animals, or things (used in restrictive clauses).
o Example: "The book that I read last week was fascinating."
Whose: Shows possession (for people, animals, or things).
o Example: "The student whose project won the prize is very
talented."
Where: Refers to a place.
o Example: "This is the house where I grew up."
When: Refers to a time.
o Example: "I remember the day when we first met."
3. Types of Relative Clauses
Restrictive (Defining) Relative Clauses:
o Provide essential information about the noun. Without this
clause, the sentence would lose its meaning.
o No commas are used.
o Example: "The book that I borrowed is very interesting."
Non-Restrictive (Non-Defining) Relative Clauses:
o Provide extra, non-essential information about the noun. The
sentence would still make sense without this clause.
o Commas are used to separate the clause.
o Example: "My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting us."
4. Omitting Relative Pronouns
In some cases, the relative pronoun can be omitted, especially in
spoken English.
Rule: The pronoun can be omitted when it is the object of the relative
clause.
Example:
o With pronoun: "The book that I read was amazing."
o Without pronoun: "The book I read was amazing."
5. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using who instead of whom (or vice versa).
o Incorrect: "The person who I spoke to was helpful."
o Correct: "The person whom I spoke to was helpful."
Using which instead of that in restrictive clauses.
o Incorrect: "The car which I bought is red."
o Correct: "The car that I bought is red."
Adding unnecessary commas in restrictive clauses.
o Incorrect: "The book, that I read, was amazing."
o Correct: "The book that I read was amazing."
6. Practice Activities
Fill in the Blanks: Provide sentences with missing relative pronouns for
students to complete.
o Example: "The man ___ lives next door is a doctor." (Answer:
who)
Combine Sentences: Give students two sentences and ask them to
combine them using a relative clause.
o Example: "I have a friend. She loves painting." → "I have a
friend who loves painting."
Identify Errors: Provide sentences with errors in relative clauses and
ask students to correct them.
7. Advanced Usage
Prepositions with Relative Pronouns:
o Example: "The house in which I grew up is now a museum."
Reduced Relative Clauses:
o Example: "The man who is standing there is my uncle." → "The
man standing there is my uncle."
8. Conclusion
Recap the key points:
o Relative clauses add information about a noun.
o Relative pronouns include who, whom, which, that, whose,
where, when.
o Restrictive vs. non-restrictive clauses.
Encourage students to practice using relative clauses in their writing
and speaking.