RELATIVE CLAUSES

RESTRICTIVE/DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES tell us essential information about the thing or people they
refer to. Eg: We stayed at the hotel that you recommended.
Antecedent a person= who/that
Antecedent a thing=that/which

We can omit the pronoun, when???

1. The relative pronoun can be omitted when it is the object
The boy who we met yesterday= The boy ø we met yesterday
The woman who lives next door is a doctor = we can’t omit the pronoun

2. The relative pronoun can be omitted when it is governed by a preposition

The boy ø the dog barked at
The boy who the dog barked at
3. The relative pronoun can never be omitted when it is the subject
The girl who is in my class is my friend
4. The pronoun whose can never be omitted

NON-RESTRICTIVE/ NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES tell us extra information about the thing or
people they refer to. SEPARATED BY COMMAS. Eg: We stayed at the Park Hotel, which a friend of ours
recommended.

When the relative pronoun refers to a person and the relative pronoun is the subject we use who
When the relative pronoun refers to a person and the relative pronoun is the object we use whom (for
people, as object of a clause). You can also use whom with a prep. Eg: I like people with whom I work.
When the antecedent is a thing we must use which
After commas we will star wh…. (never that)
We can never omitted the pronoun

Both defining and non-defining relative clauses: can begin with whose/where/when/whom
In formal English sometimes have a preposition at the beginning of the clause followed by which/
whom. We cannot use that after preposition
Eg: I had a friend with whom I shared everything
Peter, with whom my father used to work, has become a government minister
The Conference Room, in which the meeting was held, was not really big enough
Prep+relative =more formal . In informal English we often keep the preposition after the verb in the
relative clause. Eg: This is my friend from Canada, who I was telling you about

NOT separate by commas (essential information)

The pronoun can be omitted when it is the object, and
Restrictive or Defining relative clauses when it is governed by preposition.
If a preposition immediately precedes the pronoun that
cannot be used i.e. the student with whom I was
discussing the problem….
Separated from the rest of the sentence by commas (extra
information)
Non restrictive or Non- Defining clauses
Always introduced by who, whom, whose, or which and
these are never omitted.
, that ,