Name: _________________________ Class: 10 English

Relative clauses
I. Definition

 Relative clauses are subordinate clauses which refer to the noun of the main clause:
identifying it, adding extra information about the noun or develop the story.

 There are three types of relative clauses:

defining clauses (identifying the noun or classifying it as part of a group),
non-defining clauses (adding information about the noun) and connective/coordinate
relative clauses (helping the story go further)

Relative pronouns:

- WHO: for people and sometimes pet animals (as the subject)
- WHICH: for both animals and things
- THAT: for people, animals, things (informal – in defining clauses only)
- WHOSE: (possessive meaning) usually for people and animals, sometimes for things (formal
situations)
- WHOM: for people (as the object)

Relative adverbs:

- WHERE: for a place

- WHEN: for a time
- WHY: for a reason

Eg: Van Gogh was an artist who used a lot of bold, vibrant colours.
The pipes which were just repaired by Mr Nolan are leaking again.
II. Three types of relative clauses
1. Defining relative clauses
a) Definition: A defining relative clause identifies or classifies a noun or pronoun in the main clause.
b) Form:

Relative Can all who wish to attend our annual workshop raise your hands?
pronoun/adverb + V RP V

Relative The book that I dog-eared is written by Thomas Baker.

pronoun/adverb + S RP S V
+V

Preposition + Lana is the one in whom I usually confide.

Relative pronoun + S Prep RP S V
+V

Whose N + V The girl whose boyfriend scored a hattrick at last night football match
is
N V
still over the moon.

Whose N + S + V The country whose capital people usually name “The City of Love” is
N S V
France.

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c) Uses:
- To describe an important quality of someone or something:
Eg: Johanna creates pieces of music which are intense and stand out among other artists’ work.
The walk-in closet which features mutiple chandeliers and storage units has recently been
developed by the Tilda Watson Company.
- To give job descriptions.
Eg: A driver is someone who drives other people to many different places for a living.
*Notes:
- Often follow these pronouns: someone, anyone, something, anything, everything, all, many, those,
some, nothing, little, much
Eg: Many who saw the film were unimpressed.
- NEVER use commas to separate the main clause and the relative clause.
- When the relative pronoun is the object, it can be omitted.
- The relative adverb can be omitted sometimes according to the context.
Eg: The private jet (which) he inherited from his grandfather is worth $45,000.
The day (when) you went to Bristol was my birthday.
- Prepositions can be put before the relative pronoun whom/which
Eg: The Sales Manager is the person from whom I obtained the figures.
2. Non-defining relative clauses
a) Definition: A non-defining relative clause adds more information about the subject of the main
clause (the subject is already defined).
b) Form:

Relative pronoun + V “Rillington Place”, which is available in BBC iPlayer, is a poignant crime
RP V
drama.

Relative Stratford-on-Avon, which many people have written about, is Shakespeare’s

pronoun/adverb + S RP S V
+V birthplace.

Preposition + Stratford-on-Avon, about which many people have written, is

relative pronoun + S Prep RP S V
+V Shakespeare’s birthplace.

Noun of which + V Congress passed the statute, the purpose of which was to lower taxes.
Noun of which V

c) Uses:
- Prepositions can be put before the relative pronoun whom/which
Eg: Diana is the friend with whom I usually have quarrels.
- Commas are put between the clauses.
Eg: The song “I Like It”, which is sung by Cardi B, is on the first place in the Billboards Hot 100.
- “That” can’t introduce a non-defining clause.
- Used mainly in writing and formal speech.
3. Connective/Coordinate relative clauses
a) Definition: A connective relative clause helps the story go on further (develop the story).
b) Form:

S + V, relative pronoun + V I gave the letter to Leslie, who gave it to Ben.

RP V

S + V, which + V Anna Hawk is the winner of two successive Pulitzer prizes, which
RP

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 makes other writers jealous.
V

Many of/Much of/ Every Thousands of people, none of whom realised what was about to
one of/ Each of/…* + happen,
which/whom + V V
had come to Dallas to see the President.

Many of/Much of/ Every I bought a load of apples, three quarters of which I had to throw away
one of/ Each of/…* + S V
which/whom + S + V because they were rotten.

(*):
+ many of, much of, every one of, each of, half of, none of, plenty of, a lot of.
+ a great/good deal of, a large/small quantity of, a large/small amount of, lots of.
+ a little of, a few of, neither of, either of, all of, some of, several of, both of and other quantifiers.

c) Uses:
- To show consecutive actions:
1. Rick gave the bracelet to Judy, who instantly tossed it away.
2. The ball was passed to James, who successfully scored a goal.
*Notes:
- We use many fixed prepositional phrases with “which” (and when) in connective relative clauses:
1. It might rain, in which case we'll get back as soon as possible.
2. The hero died, at which point the curtain came down
3. There was a scandal, as a result of which all the ministers resigned.
4. He stopped playing in 1995, since when he hasn't kicked a ball.
5. Plant them out in May, by when (by which time) the risk of frost will have passed

III. Relative pronouns and relative adverbs

1. Relative pronouns

Who A subject pronoun, used for people and pet animals

Eg: She owed lots of money to a man who worked at my school.

Whom An object pronoun, used for people and pet animals.

In spoken or informal speech, American English tend to use “who” instead of “whom” when
referring to an object.
Eg: This is Leonard, who this jacket belongs to.

Which Used for both objects and subjects (for things). Sometimes used in connective relative
clauses (for the whole clause).

1. The book which is the author’s best-seller intrigues readers.

2. She chose to major in finance, which surprised everyone.
That Used in defining relative clauses only (instead of which/who/when…).
Eg: I remember - it was the day when/that the heatwave started.
Used when the subjects are something like “the girl and the dog”, “the boy and his
robot”…
Eg: The girl and the dog that were painted in this picture look somewhat familiar.
Used for indefinite pronouns (no one, something, everything, everybody,…).
Eg: Nobody that is sensible can think highly of such actions.
Used with superlative comparisons.
Eg: The biggest milestone that I’ve ever reached is passing the High School Entrance Test.

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 Whose A possessive relative pronoun.
Can only be used before a noun (both people and things). But for things, we usually use
“of which” or “with” instead.
1. My uncle, whose house we stayed in every summer, never had any children of his
own.
2. The house, the garden of which sloped down to the beach, was enormous.
3. The house, with the garden that sloped down to the beach, was enormous.

What Means “the thing that/which”.

Eg: Why don’t you tell Jessica what you has already told me?
NEVER “what” to replace who, which or that.

Notes:
- “What” can be used before a noun:
1. I gave the beggar what change i had.
2. What experience i have of carpentry is rather limited, i'm afraid.
-> When “what” is used like this, it means 'all the change' and 'all my experience', but also suggests
that there wasn't or isn't much.

Differ THAT from WHICH and WHAT

THAT: WHICH: WHAT:

Used in all types of relative Used when
Used in defining relative clause only. clause, with a comma in there is no
non-defining clauses. antecedent.
Cannot come after a preposition. Can come after a
Can be used for people. preposition.

THAT is the ONLY relative pronoun to use: Cannot be used for people.
+ for a combination of people and things (eg: the
girl and the dog).
+ after superlative comparison, ordinal number
and indefinite pronouns.
Eg:
- the only person that I trust…
- the first one that finishes the race…
- anything that is visible…

2. Relative adverbs
b) Relative adverbs
- Where: for relative clauses of PLACE.
- When: for relative clauses of TIME.
=> ‘Where’ and ‘when’ can be used instead of preposition + which (informal situations).
- Where: at which, on which, in which.
- When: at which, on which, in which.
Eg:

(Where) (When)
The house at which I live is nearby. The time at which I eat lunch is noon.
The floor on which I work is the twelfth. The day on which I was born was snowy.

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 The country in which I pay taxes is Canada. The years in which he worked as the manager
were 2017-2019.

1. I know a place where we can talk privately.

2. There comes a time when you will finally have to move on from your past relationships.
- In a relative clause, WHERE cannot be omitted. WHEN can only be omitted if it comes after “the
day”/”the time”/…
Eg: England won the world cup in 1996. It was the year (when) we got married.
I remember my twentieth birthday. It was the day (when) the tsunami happened.
Do you remember the place where we caught the train?
- Why: Only follows “reason”, sometimes, “reason” can be omitted.
Eg: Sometimes he thinks her honesty is (the reason) why/that he fell in love with her.
- for which = why.
Eg: High taxation is often the main reason for which governments fall.
NOTES:
- After the personal pronouns relative clauses are used only in formal or literary English:
1. He who laughs last laughs longest. (proverb)
2. ...we that are young
3. Shall never see so much, or live so long. (Shakespeare, King Lear)
- Much that and little that are fairly formal.
Eg: Much that has been done here is of profound significance.
I will tell you the little that I know.
- The relative pronoun can be omitted in defining clauses only, when it’s the object of the clause.
Eg: The excuse he offered was unconvincing.
IV. Reduced relative clauses
- Use reduced relative clauses for non-defining and defining relative clauses.
1. –ing forms
- ing forms can be used in reduced relative clauses when the relative pronoun is the subject, and:
+ The verb is in a continuous tense.
Eg: The people sitting at the back couldn't see anything. (sitting = who were sitting)
**When the relative pronoun is in passive form but still in a continuous tense, it can be reduced to
“being PII”
The house being painted is mine. (which is being painted)
+ The verb is a state verb.
Eg: The girl wanting to be in the competition so badly is not that competent. (who wants)
+ The clause indicates a repeated pattern of actions.
Eg: The man jogging on the street every day is An’s father.
*** We can also use “having + past participle” instead of “v-ing” when it’s in the past.
Eg:
- The man, having been in prison twice, has now turned over a new leaf.
- The director having directed two Oscar-winning movies has just promoted another movie
project.
2. Past participle
- Used when the verb is in passive form, when the relative pronoun is the subject.
1. All those selected will be informed by 5 o'clock on Friday (=who have been selected)
2. The man arrested last night has yet to be charged (=who was arrested)
3. to-infinitives
- Follows “the only”/”the first (noun)”/….(superlative adj)/(ordinal number)
Eg: He is the first to come up with a solution to the problem.
- It is used to indicate a purpose.
Eg: Your mother is the only person to trust in cases of emergency.
4. Adjectives, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
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- ADJECTIVE: When “be + adj” follows the relative pronoun, omit “be” and keep the adjective.
1. I used to work for a man capable of all sorts of dishonesty (=a man who was/is capable)
2. We will do everything possible to ensure you get your money back (=everything that is
possible)
- NOUN PHRASE: A relative clause can be reduced to a noun phrase:
Eg: Football, which is a very popular sport, is very good for health.
=> Football, a very popular sport, is very good for health.
Trinh Cong Son, who was a remarkably talented song writer, is still very influential.
=> Trinh Cong Son, a remarkably talented song writer, is still very influential.
- PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE: a group of words including a preposition and the object.
Eg: Ms. Raily, who is in the middle of a conversation, seems to be unhappy.
=> Ms Raily, in the middle of a conversation, seems to be unhappy.
The painting, which is in the attic, belongs to a local artist.
=> The painting in the attic belongs to a local artist.
The woman who was at the meeting spoke about a business in Europe.
=> The woman at the meeting spoke about a business in Europe.
BONUS: Some examples of nominal relative pronouns.
1. I'll do whatever the boss wants me to. (=anything that)
2. You can invite whoever you like (=anybody who)
3. Choose whichever you like, they're all good (=any one that)
4. We just talked about when we'd first met. (=the occasion on which)
5. Believe it or not, this is where i first met my wife. (=the place in/at which)
6. Bernadetter? That's not who i thought you meant (=the person who)
7. Great coffee! Just how i like it (=the way that)
8. I know you like chocolate, that's why i bought you some (=the reason that)
9. What concerns him is the urgency of the situation.
10. This is what I have always wanted.
11. Luckily, what causes her to bleed is curable.

Relative clause exercises

Ex1: Complete the following article by writing each missing relative pronoun or adverb in the
spaceprovided. Use only one word for each space.
Jack of Hearts
Jack of Hearts is a new six-part drama (0) which/that comes to our screens this week. lt has been
given the prime Wednesday evening 9.30 slot, (1) _______ shows that the network has faith in its
latest creation. The first episode opens to a scene (2) ______ a young man is being chased. He stops at
a phone box and makes a desperate call. This calls wakes up a man (3) ______ most viewers will
recognise as Keith Allen - the slightly sleazy unshaven Cockney (4) _______ characters are usually
less than wholesome. This time, however, he is on the right side of the law, playing a probation
officer with a complicated professional and personal life, both of (5) _______form the main themes of
the series. The writers have managed to find a different angle on his personal problems. At the
centre of these problems is his stepdaughter, for (6) _______ he attempts to keep the household
together. His relationship with the girl's mother, (7) _______ seems to be a bad-tempered, grumpy
woman, is further compromised later in the series (8) _______ she joins the staff of a college at (9)
_______ she meets a former lover.
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Thus the ground is prepared in this first episode for a series (10) _______ may help to lift British
summertime TV out of its regular slump.

Ex2: Read the following text. ln most lines, there is an unnecessary word, a word missing or a
punctuation error. For each numbered line l-22, identify the mistake and write the correct version
in the space on the right. Some lines are correct. lndicate these lines with a tick (✓). The first two
lines are examples (0 and 00).

0 Tourism today is an industry…has grown so much in recent years that in .which…..

many …✓…....
00 countries it provides the greatest single contribution to the country's ………....
revenue. ………....
1 But is it always a good thing? Mass tourism which is a relatively recent ………....
2 phenomenon, brings with it a whole raft of problems. First, it means that a ………....
3 country's economy may rely on an industry which it is wholly seasonal, ………....
with ………....
4 the consequence that the huge numbers of people work in tourism during ………....
the ………....
5 season have no income during the rest of the year. Some find wherever ………....
work ………....
6 they can, but others may turn to a government is already receiving lower ………....
7 revenues for support. ………....
8 Second, it is true that in many countries tourists are destroying the very ………....
9 sights they flock to see them. They take home pieces of an ancient ………....
monument ………....
10 or of a coral reef which will gradually result in erosion of the attractions ………....
and ………....
11 therefore of the industry. While this kind of destruction may be wholly ………....
12 unintentional, a certain type of tourist what wants only a 'good time' can ………....
be ………....
13 very destructive in a different way: they drink too much, pick fights and ………....
14 destroy the clubs and bars where they are drinking in. Obviously, it is then ………....
1 5 this behaviour by that the local community judges all members of that
16 nationality group, creating enmity between races rather than fostering
17 empathy, what should be one of the main advantages of tourism.
18 Finally, there are many places tourism is threatening a well-established
19 way of life: people that whose livelihoods traditionally come from older
20 industries, such as agriculture or fishing, are finding new jobs and wealth
in
21 the over-developed tourist regions, but at what cost? It is sometimes
difficult
22 to understand exactly which a country gains from tourism.

Ex3: Complete these definitions with the following words.

Crime Prison Revenge That When Which

Motive Quarantine What Where Why

1 . …………………is a place……………..people are kept as punishment for crimes.

2. A………………..is an explanation of………………..someone acts in a particular way.
3. A………………..is an offence for………………….you may be punished by law.

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4. …………………..is deliberate punishment or injury……………is inflicted in return for ……….....someone
has suffered.
5. …………………..is a period………………an animal or person is kept away from others in order to
prevent the possible spread of disease.

Ex4: Complete this email message with the following words:

how what when which why

that whatever where whichever

Thanks for your email and the good news about the report. I’ve tried several times to think about
the report, but then the phone rings and I have to pay attention to (1)……………..is going on right at
that moment. I can assure you that this won’t happen everytime (2)………… we have to do one of
these quarterly reports, but right now I’m in a position (3)……………… every problem in the office
seems to land on my desk, (4)………………….is partly my own fault, I know. Anyway, that’s not (5)
…………you wanted to hear about, I’m sure. I don’t think there’s a slot in my schedule this morning
(6)……………we can talk. How about late this afternoon around three or four, (7)………………is best for
you. If you already have some idea (8)…………….we should put the report together, then I agree with
you that there shouldn’t be any reason (9)……………… we can’t complete it before the deadline. I’ll
talk to you later.

Ex5: Fill each of the blanks with one suitable word.

When I was at school, maths was a subject which I could simply never get on (1)…………… This
dislike, the (2)………………of which was that I failed most exams in the subject, was a standing joke
amongst my friends, (3)………………..of whom had the slightest problem with the most abstruse
calculations. (4)……………who did find themselves struggling tended to sit together at the back of the
class, which is (5)………….we gained the nickname of ‘The back-row innumerates’. Nothing (6)
………..any teacher could do seemed to help and little (7)…………….they said stayed between my ears.
I left school at 16, (8)…………..when I have become a very successful accountant.

Ex6: Rewrite each sentence using the words given.

Example: My thanks to my family, who made all of this possible. without/none
-> My thanks to my family, without whom none of this would have been possible.
a. Since writing a best-seller in 1995, Joe has hardly produced any good work at all.
wrote/since/very
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
b. He hasn’t written much recently that’s been appreciated by those attracted by his early style.
little/who
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
c. Not only his appearance but also his manners leave great scope for improvement. he/man/both/
desired
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
d. By the time he realized where his career was going in the late nineties, it was too late. in/which
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
e. He now regrets writing the article because it was that that caused him all the problems he’s had.
now wishes/ but for/ not
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ex7: Complete each of the following sentences so that it is as close in meaning as possible to the
sentence printed before it.
a. There were a lot of survivors and most of them were in pain.
-> There were a lot of survivors, the…………………………………………………………………

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b. We are holding a series of meetings to acquaint the general public with the facts.
->We are holding a series of meetings, the…………………………………………………………
c. When the fire spread, the theatre was cleared.
->The fire spread, at…………………………………………………………………………………...
d. The full-time librarian will lend you up to five books at any one time.
->There is a full-time librarian, from………………………………………………………………….
e. Numerous witnesses of the robbery were unable to identify the two men.
->Many who…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Ex8: Rewrite each sentence using the words that follow so that it is as similar in meaning as
possible to the one printed above it.
Example: I was so shocked I was at a loss for words. aback/know
-> I was so taken aback, I didn’t know what to say.
a. She said something that was not at all polite. what/extremely
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
b. I can’t decide on the best way of telling her what’s happened. how/break
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
c. No matter what the outcome of the general election, things will go on more or less the same.
whichever/change
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
d. I’m not sure what level of difficulty to pitch the test at. decide/how
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
e. You could write what I know about computers on a postage stamp. what/knowledge/be
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
f. I always thought San Francisco would look and feel exactly like this. how/imagined/be
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
g. Can you remember the subject of our conversation last week? recall/what/was/talking
->…………………………………………………………………………………………………………