RELATIVE CLAUSES (who, that, which, when, where, whom)
What is a Relative Clause?
A relative clause gives more information about a noun in a sentence.
It begins with a relative pronoun: who, whom, whose, that, which, when, where.
Ruize: Which book do you want?
Teacher: That one.
Ruize: Which one?
Teacher: That one! I want the book that is next to the plant [position].
Ruize: Oh, that’s a good one. I want to read the book which is titled “SPACE” [title of the
book].
Ruize: The book that I love reading [your interests are] is in between ‘Monster’ and ‘2+2’.
Relative Pronouns and Their Use
1. who
Refers to people (used as subject).
Example: The girl who sings well is my sister.
(She sings well.)
2. whom
Refers to people (used as object).
Example: The man whom I met is a writer.
(I met him.)
The toy whom it belongs to is gone.
The person, whom Tom usually gets his toy cars from, is his uncle.
The man whom sam was talking to is my principal.
The toy that belongs to Tom is gone.
The toy which Tom had put in his room is gone.
The baby whom I was carrying is my brother.
The mother whom I was talking to is my friend from many years ago.
The boy, whom The boy whom Tom is sitting with has
Tracy is standing
a cup in his hand.
behind of, is her
brother.
The server who is
very kind, is
holding a burger
in his hand.
The boy who is
wearing a lime
green T-shirt is
holding a tray in
his hands.
3. whose
Shows possession.
Example: The boy whose bike was stolen is
crying.
(His bike was stolen.)
*We know some detail about the boy’s
possession (bicycle).
The lady that is
holding out her
hand is trying to
save her husband.
The dog that is
running at
supersonic speed is
chasing a duck
4. that
Refers to people or things (used for essential information).
Example (person): The boy that helped me was kind.
Example (thing): The book that you gave me is interesting.
5. which
Refers to things or animals (used for extra or non-essential
information).
Example: My laptop, which is quite old, still works
well.
6. when
Refers to a time.
Example: I remember the day when we met.
(We met on that day.)
7. where
Refers to a place.
Example: This is the school where I studied.
(I studied at that school.)
Tips:
That is often used instead of who or which in everyday English, but not in non-
defining clauses.
If the clause adds extra information, use commas and do not use that.
Example: My dog, which is very old, sleeps a lot.
If the clause is necessary to understand the noun, don’t use commas.
Example: The student who studies hard will succeed.
and
COMPLEX AND COMPOUND SENTENCES
WHO
Used as a subject (the person doing the action).
Think of it like "he", "she", or "they".
Example:
The girl who won the race is my cousin.
("She won the race.")
WHOM
Used as an object (the person receiving the action).
Think of it like "him", "her", or "them".
Example:
The man whom we saw at the park is my uncle.
("We saw him.")
Quick Tip to Check:
Try replacing with "he/she" or "him/her":
If “he” or “she” fits → use who
If “him” or “her” fits → use whom
Examples:
1. The boy who helped me is kind. → (He helped me.)
2. The teacher whom they respected was retiring. → (They respected him.)
Compound Sentences FANBOYS
Compound means something that is made up of two or more parts.
Definition:
A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses
(complete sentences) joined by a coordinating conjunction. Topic
From: Mrs Rose
Subject: New film club
I’d like to start an after-school Film Club. (That’s great)
We can meet either on Monday or Friday afternoon. Which one would you prefer? (Explain)
Which types of film would you like to see? (Explain which)
I want to provide some food and drink during the films. Is this a good idea? (Give your opinion)
Please let me know what you think.
Many thanks!
Write your email to Mrs Rose using all the notes.
Coordinating Conjunctions:
FANBOYS – For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
Structure:
Independent Clause + FANBOYS + Independent Clause
Examples:
I wanted to go for a walk, but it started raining.
She studied hard, so she passed the test.
FANBOYS – For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
Complex Sentences
Definition:
A complex sentence has one independent clause and one or more
dependent clauses (incomplete ideas that cannot stand alone).
Common Subordinating Conjunctions:
because, although, since, unless, while, after, before, if, when, even though
Structure:
Subordinate clause + Independent clause
or Independent clause + subordinate clause
Examples:
Because he was tired, he went to bed early.
I’ll call you when I arrive.
I could not sleep unless the curtain is shut.
The action, that the school community did, helped the villagers.