Relative Clauses (en)

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Relative clauses

What is a relative clause?

My brother, who is 24 years old, still lives at home

Relative clauses

provide additional information on something or someone.

The thief who robbed an old lady was sent to jail.

Relative pronouns

• Link to a word previously mentioned
  
• Links up two parts of the sentence

Martin played Tennis with Sophie, who was slightly injured.

relative pronoun

Noa sold her phone, which was old and damaged.

relative pronoun

Relative Clauses

who or that - people 

which or that - animals & things

whose - posession or ownership

where - places

    

Relative pronouns

1. Defining relative clauses

Defining relative clauses:  essential information

• In the middle or at the end of sentence
• No commas!

He is the doctor who helped my grandmother.

This is the airport where I lost my bag.

2. Non-defining relative clauses

Non-defining relative clauses:  additional information

• In the middle or at the end of sentence
• Start and end with commas
• Do not use that
  

The Times, which is published in London, is a daily newspaper.

The Times is a daily newspaper.

Non-defining relative clauses

Non-defining relative clauses  can also comment on the rest of the sentence. 

• Begin with which

Sam was late for dinner again, which made their mother furious.

Relative Clauses

Relative pronouns

We can leave out who, which, and that

when they are followed by a noun or pronoun.

He is the man who/that she wants to marry. =

He is the man she wants to marry. 

This is the man who/that wants to marry her.

Relative pronouns

You can leave out relative pronouns if:

• it is a 'defining relative clause'
• the pronoun does NOT relate to the subject
  
• there is a pronoun behind it

The flowers which he gave me were beautiful.

Persoonlijk: ik, jij, hij, etc.

Bezittelijk: mijn, zijn, onze, etc.

Wederkerend: me, je, zich, etc.

The flowers he gave me were beautiful.

3. Reduced relative clauses

Reduced relative clauses  

• Use the Present Participle or the Past Participle instead of the relative pronoun + verb
• can be both defining and non-defining

Elderly people living alone should have friends and family to care for them.

3. Reduced relative clauses

Elderly people who live alone should have friends and family to care for them.

Relative pronouns

• Who / which together with preposition
  
• preposition mostly in the end.

• preposition can also be in the beginning of sentence: formal
• 'Who' changes to 'whom'

The officer, who Lee told his story to, was shocked.

The officer, to whom Leed told his story, was shocked.

Defining relative clauses

• essential info
• no commas
• you can use 'that'
• can't leave this part out of the sentence

Non-defining relative clauses

• non-essential info
• commas: yes!
• you can leave out this part of the sentence and it still makes sense. (It "doesn't define" the sentence.")

Defining relative clauses

• essential info
• no commas
• you can use 'that'
• can't leave this part out of the sentence

Non-defining relative clauses

• non-essential info
• commas: yes!
• you can leave out this part of the sentence and it still makes sense. (It "doesn't define" the sentence.")

Reduced relative clauses

• can be both defining and non-defining
• Use the Present Participle or the Past Participle instead of the relative pronoun + verb
  

Which RELATIVE pronoun fits in this sentence?
I want to read the book........you gave me.

1. which, that , who
2. which, that, X
3. who, whose, whom
4. which, that

Which RELATIVE pronoun fits in this sentence:
The officer, ....... John told his story to, was nice

1. who, that
2. who, that, X
3. who,
4. which, that

We had spaghetti .... is my favourite meal, for dinner last night.

1. whom
2. whose
3. which
4. who

which two relative pronouns belong to people?

1. who and that
2. who and which
3. which and whom
4. whose and who

learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org

He is a famous architect ...
designs won an international award last year.

1. who
2. which
3. that
4. whose

This is Mary, ...
is taking over my job when I leave.

1. who
2. which
3. that
4. whose

The photocopier, ...
has a two-year guarantee, costs $2000.

1. who
2. which
3. that
4. whose

He is the consultant ...
advice I rely on.

1. whose
2. who
3. that
4. whom

The people ...
were stopped at the border were all from Eastern Europe.

1. whose
2. which
3. that
4. whom

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