Relative clauses:
● Are used to join two sentences.
● Make clear which person or thing we are talking about or give information about
something /someone in the main clause.
● Come immediately after a noun/ pronoun.
● Are introduced by relative pronouns.
Relative pronouns in relative clauses: (main clause-relative clause)
Relative Pronouns Refers to Examples
Who People The man lives next door.
He is a doctor.
He is a doctor who lives next
door.
The man, who lives next door, is
a doctor.
Whom People as an object of the relative That is the woman.
clause I met her in China.
That is the woman whom I met in
China.
Whose Possession That is the boy.
His bike was stolen.
That is the boy whose bike was
stolen.
Which Things and animals Did you see the film?
It was on TV last night.
Did you see the film which was
on TV last night?
That People, things and animals; only This is the film.
used in defining relative clauses It was on TV last night.
(informal)
This is the film that was on TV
last night.
Where Places This is a hospital.
She was born there.
This is the hospital where she
was born.
When Times Do you remember the day?
We met on that day.
Do you remember the day when
we met?
Why Reasons That’s the reason.
I was late.
That’s the reason why I was late.
What = the thing(s) which; only used in I didn’t hear it.
defining relative clauses What you just said?
I didn’t hear what you just said.
Note:
Examples
When the relative pronoun is the subject, you I admire him who works hard on his
do not need another subject. studies.
Where and when can be replaced by a The hospital where/in which I was born is
preposition + which. around here.
The year when/ in which we first met was
2000.
When we use a preposition with a relative This is the book to which I referred. (formal)
pronoun, it is more formal to put the This is the book which I referred to.
preposition in front of the relative pronoun. (informal)
Which can refer to the whole preceding She announced that she wanted to study
clause. Physics, which really shocked us.
Defining vs non-defining relative clause
Defining relative clause Non-defining relative clause
● It tells us which noun we are ● It gives extra information about the
talking about. noun.
● The sentence does not usually ● The sentence makes complete
make complete sense if the relative sense, with or without the relative
clause is removed. clause.
● We can use that to replace ● We cannot use that to replace
who/which/ etc. who/which/ etc.
● We don’t use a comma/ commas. ● We use a comma/ commas
● We can omit the relative pronoun if it ● We cannot omit the relative pronoun
is the object. even if it is the object.
● When, where and why can be omitted. ● We cannot use why.
● When and where cannot be omitted.
● We cannot put a number or a ● We can put a number or a determiner
determiner such as some, none, such as some, none, much, many
much, many before of which/ of before of which/ of whom.
whom.
Examples
I like the woman who lives next door. I live in London, which has some fantastic
(If I don't say 'who lives next door', then we parks.
don't know which woman I mean). (Everybody knows where London is, so
'which has some fantastic parks' is extra
information).
That’s the street (where) I work. Hospital Street, where I work, is famous for
its clinics.
I bought some books, some of which are
expensive.