Definition of Relative clauses

We use relative clauses to give additional information about something

without starting another sentence. By combining sentences with a relative clause,
your text becomes more fluent and you can avoid repeating certain words.

How to Form Relative Clauses

Imagine, a girl is talking to Tom. You want to know who she is and ask a
friend whether he knows her. You could say:
A girl is talking to Tom. Do you know the girl?
That sounds rather complicated, doesn't it? It would be easier with a relative
clause: you put both pieces of information into one sentence. Start with the most
important thing  – you want to know who the girl is.
Do you know the girl …
As your friend cannot know which girl you are talking about, you need to
put in the additional information  – the girl is talking to Tom. Use ‘the girl’ only
in the first part of the sentence, in the second part replace it with the relative
pronoun (for people, use the relative pronoun ‘who’). So the final sentence is:
Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?
There are two clauses in this sentence. The main clause is ‘ Do you know
the girl’. The relative clause is the clause beginning with a relative pronoun ‘who
is talking to Tom’

Defining vs. non defining relative clauses


Defining relative clause
(also called identifying relative clauses
or restrictive relative clauses)
Defining relative clauses give
detailed information defining a
general term or expression.
E.g.
The woman who lives next door is a
doctor.
Barbara works for a company that
makes washing machine.
We stayed at the hotel which Ann
recommended to us.
In these examples, the relative clauses
tells you which person or thing (or
what kind of person or thing) the
speaker means.
‘The woman who lives next door’ tell
us which woman.
‘A company that makes washing
machine’ tell us what kind of
company.
‘The hotel which Ann recommended
to us’ tells us which hotel
Object pronouns in defining relative
clauses can be dropped. (Sentences
with a relative clause without the
relative pronoun are called Contact
Clauses.)
The boy (who/whom) we met
yesterday is very nice.
Defining relative clauses are not put in Non-defining relative clauses are put in
commas.
Non – defining relative clause
(also called non-identifying relative
clauses or non-restrictive relative
clauses)
Non-defining relative clauses give
additional information on
something, but do not define it.
E.g.
My brother Jim, who lives in London,
is a doctor
Colin told me about his new job,
which he’s enjoying very much.
We stayed at Grand hotel, which Ann
recommended to us.
In these examples, the relative clauses
do not tell you which person or thing
the speaker means. We already know
which thing or person: ‘My brother
Jim’, ‘Colin’s new job’, and ‘the
Grand hotel’
The relative clauses in these sentences
give us extra information about the
person or thing.
Object pronouns in non-defining
relative clauses must be used.
Jim, who/whom we met yesterday, is
very nice.
commas.
Do you know anyone that speaks John, who speaks French and Italian,
French and Italian? works as a tourist guide.

In defining relative clauses, In non-defining relative clauses,

who/which may be replaced with that who/which may not be replaced with
that.
This is the magazine which/ that I Yesterday we visited the City Museum,
usually read. which I’ve never been to before.

A non – defining relative clause is used:

- after a proper noun:
Shakespeare, who wrote ‘Romeo and Juliet’, died in 1616.
- after the possessive word: my, his, her, etc.
Her sweetheart, who is very handsome, has a good sense of humor.
- after this, that, these, those
That bicycle, which is against the wall, is mine.
- after the nouns referring unique things
The sun, which is a star in the universe, provides us with heat and light.

Relative pronouns

Relative
Use Example
pronoun
who subject or object pronoun for people I told you about the woman
who lives next door.
which subject or object pronoun for animals Do you see the cat which is
and things lying on the roof?

which referring to a whole sentence He couldn’t read, which

surprised me.

whose possession for people animals and Do you know the boy whose
things mother is a nurse?
whom object pronoun for people I was invited by the
professor whom I met at the
conference.
that subject or object pronoun for people, I don’t like the table that
animals and things in defining stands in the kitchen.
relative clauses (who or which are
also possible)

 When ‘which’ is used to refer back to a whole clause, a comma is required

before the relative clause. ‘which’ is always used ( not ‘that’)
He offered to help me. This was very kind of him.
(“This” = the fact that he offered to help me)
 He offered to help me, which was very kind of him.
(“which” = the fact that he offered to help me)
NOT He offered to help me, that was very kind of him.

 ‘that’ must be used:

- to replace a compound noun for both people, animals and things
The girl and the rose that are in the picture are beautiful.
- after the superlative
The most terrible animal that she fears is spider.
- after the first, the next, the last, the only
The first man that traveled into space was Yuri Gagarin.
- after indefinite pronouns ( some_, any_, every_, no_, none, all…)
I’ve never known anyone that is as lovely as our nephew.

 ‘that’ cannot be used:

- in non – defining relative clauses ( after a comma)
London, which is the capital of the UK, has many beauty – spots.
NOT London, that is the capital of the UK, has many beauty – spots.
- after a preposition
The man for whom she is waiting is late.
NOT The man for that she is waiting is late.

 Using _ever words

 We can combine a relative pronoun with _ever to refer ‘any’ (anybody
that, anything that, etc.)

 Whoever Whoever wants to come is welcome.

Anyone that wants to come is welcome.
 Whatever I don’t believe in whatever he says.
I don’t believe in anything that he says.
 Whichever There are four good programs on TV tonight.
We can watch whichever program you prefer.
We can watch any of the four programs that you prefer.
 Whenever You can leave whenever you wish.
You can leave at anytime that you wish.
 Wherever She can go wherever she wants to go.
She can go any place that she wants to go.

Relative adverbs
Relative
Meaning Use Example
adverb
when in/on which refers to a time I will never forget the
expression day when we first met

where in/at which refers to a place Do you know the place

where the meeting will
be held?

why for which refers to a reason I don’t know the reason

why she became angry

A relative adverb can be used instead of a relative pronoun plus preposition.

This often makes the sentence easier to understand.
This is the shop in which I bought my bike.
→ This is the shop where I bought my bike.

Relative clauses with prepositions

We can use a preposition before ‘which’ or ‘whom’ in a relative clause.
The people were very kind. I stayed with them.
 The people with whom I stayed were very kind.
I don’t like the song ‘Hot n’ cold’. She is listening to that song.
 I don’t like the song ‘ Hot n’ cold’, to which she is listening.

But in everyday speech, it is more usual to put the preposition at the end of the
clause.
The people whom I stayed with were very kind.
I don’t like the song ‘ Hot n’ cold’, which she is listening to.

 We can only use ‘which’ or ‘whom’ after a preposition in a relative clause.

- a preposition + which: referring to things
- a preposition + whom: referring to people
-
She is one of the people. I look up to those people.
 She is one of the people to whom I look up.
( NOT She is one of the people to who I look up.
She is one of the people to that I look up.)

 We can use these structures with a relative clause.

All of/ most of

None of/ neither of/ any of/ either of + which ( things)
Some of/ many of/ much of / (a) few of + whom ( people)
Both of/ half of/ each/ one of/ two of

Mary has three brothers. All of them are married.

 Mary has three brothers, all of whom are married.
They asked me a lot of questions. I couldn’t answer most of them.
 They asked me a lot of questions, most of which I couldn’t
answer.

Relative clauses replaced

by participles or to infinitives
 Relative clauses with who, which, that as subject pronoun can be replaced with
a participle. This makes the sentence shorter and easier to understand.

 Present participle
- A participle relative clause with an –ing (present participle) form can be used like
a defining relative clause to identify which person or thing you are referring to.
The house has three bedrooms. The bedrooms overlook the garden.
 The house has three bedrooms which overlook the garden.
The house has three bedrooms overlooking the garden.
- -ing participle clauses also often show what someone or something is, or was,
doing at a particular time.
She has never met the lecturer. The lecturer is leading today’s seminar.
 She has never met the lecturer who is leading today’s seminar.
She has never met the lecturer leading today’s seminar.
- it can also be used to say what something does all the times, not just at a
particular time.
The road is very narrow. It joins the two villages.
 The road which joins the two villages is very narrow.
The road joining the two villages is very narrow.

 Past participle
Participle relative clauses with an –ed (past participle) form are also used like
defining relative clauses to identify a particular person or thing. They have a
passive meaning.

His first novel, which was published in 1965, was an immediate success.
 His first novel, published in 1965, was an immediate success.

 To Infinitives
To Infinitive or Infinitive phrase can be used to replace a relative clause
- after the first, the next, the last, the only
Tom is the last person who enters the room
 Tom is the last person to enter the room
- after the superlative
John is the youngest person who takes part in the race
 John is the youngest person to take part in the race
- to show purpose, requirement
English is an important language which we have to master
  English is an important language for us to master
Here is the form that you must fill in
 Here is the form for you to fill in

Omission of relative clauses

We often leave out ‘who’, ‘ whom’ , ‘that’ or ‘which’ when they are the
objects in defining relative clauses. But we can’t leave them out when they are the
subjects in the defining relative clauses or when they are the objects in non –
defining relative clauses.
Marianne is the girl who/ whom/ that we met last night.
 Marianne is the girl we met last night.
NOT Marianne is the girl met us last night.
The girl is Marianne, we met last night.
Have you seen the book which/ that I put on this table?
 Have you seen the book I put on this table?
NOT Have you seen the book “ War and peace”, I put on this table?