RELATIVE CLAUSES KEY

1.Our coach, which was driving around London, was packed with tourists.
(non-defining clause – the noun coach is already clear and definite, so the relative clause gives additional
information; therefore, we have to use the commas)

2.The song which / that won the competition was written by a schoolboy.
(defining clause – the noun song wouldn’t be clear or specific enough without the relative clause, i.e. we
wouldn’t know what song (the relative clause defines it), so we do not use commas here)

3.The writer for whom she works is very famous (very formal – the preposition for is separated from the
verb it goes with – work for – so we have to use the object form WHOM (it is always used after a
preposition) – this is not a very common construction;

The writer who she works for is very famous (more common, less formal – the preposition FOR is not
separated from the verb and we use the subject form of the relative pronoun WHO)

The writer she works for is very famous (the most common and informal structure – we can leave out
WHO)

4.The girl whose story won the competition is a cousin of mine.

(defining clause – without it we wouldn’t know what girl, i.e. the noun wouldn’t be specific or definite,
therefore, we do not use commas)

5.J.K.Rowling, whose books are loved by children and adults alike, is one of the richest women in the UK.
(non-defining clause – the noun, J.K.Rowling doesn’t need to be clarified or defined because it denotes a
specific person, so the relative clause gives extra information and we have to separate it from the main
clause with a pair of commas)

6.I have four aunts, none of whom are married.

(non-defining clause – my four aunts are specific enough, so the clause gives extra information; we have
to use the object form of the pronoun, i.e. WHOM because it is after a preposition, i.e. after OF)

7.There are hundreds of trees here, some of which are very old.
(non-defining – it’s clear what trees I’m talking about; another example of a relative clause with a
quantifier – SOME)

8.The book on which the film is based is not very famous

(the preposition ON is separated from the verb BASED – this is the least common and most formal
possibility)

The book which the film is based on is not very famous.

(the preposition ON is not separated from the verb; more common than the previous structure)

The book the film is based on is not very famous

(the most common and the most informal possibility – we leave out the relative pronoun WHICH)

9.He wasn’t making progress, which is why he was dismissed.

(non-defining clause – it gives extra information, so we have to use commas)

RELATIVE CLAUSES – WORKBOOK EXERCISES, P.149

1.
- This is an album which / that will be enjoyed by people of all ages, but especially by those who love folk
music (relative pronouns WHICH / THAT and WHO can’t be omitted because they are the subjects of
their respective relative clauses)

-The most entertaining play (which / that) I’ve seen in years is a musical about Alexander Hamilton, the
man who / that was one of the Founding Fathers of the USA. (the first relative pronoun can be omitted
because it is the object of the first relative clause)

-Harold, who has been studying art for years, had decided to take a course which / that focuses on
sculpture.

-The earliest memory (which / that) I have of going to the cinema was the time when my parents took
me to see the Disney film Bambi. (the relative pronoun can be omitted because it is the object of the
clause)

-Jeanne, whose parents are French, enrolled her in a variety of after-school lessons which / that ranged
from Science and Maths to Arts.

2.
-Patrick is the songwriter WHO / THAT writes the lyrics to all my songs (defining, not omitted)

-The festival, WHICH ends tonight, went off without a hitch. (non-defining, not omitted)

-The cinema WHERE Lisa works is the biggest in the city. (defining, not omitted)

-David is the sculpture WHICH / THAT Michelangelo completed in 1504. (defining, omitted – it’s the
object of the clause)

3.
-The magician who my sister s speaking with does magic tricks.
The magician my sister is speaking with does magic tricks.

-The gallery which the artist displayed his latest works in is downtown.
The gallery the artist displayed his latest works in is downtown.

-This is the film which he received an Academy Award for.

This is the film he received an Academy Award for.

-This is the man who the painting was commissioned for.

This is the man the painting was commissioned for.
4.

-That’s the businessman WHO IS THE OWNER OF THE theatre in the center of town.

-Twenty-four singers entered the competition, THREE OF WHOM WERE GIVEN THE prizes.

-Stratford-upon-Avon is THE CITY WHERE SHAKESPEARE WAS BORN in 1564.

-Ten poems were submitted, TWO OF WHICH WERE CHOSEN by the judge of the poetry competition.

-Can you tell ME WHO WROTE THE BOOK (WHICH / THAT) you just bought?