3a.

RELATIVE CLAUSES

Relative clauses give more information about something we have just mentioned in a sentence.
They are subordinate clauses defining noun phrase, introduced by a special class of pronouns called
relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, whoever, whosoever, whomever, which, what, whatever, and
that). There are two types of relative clauses:

Restrictive (defining)

This type identifies which person or thing we mean exactly which is a vital for the meaning of the
sentence so it cannot be omitted. (It's the car that I saw here yesterday. x It's the car. – does not
make sense without context). Information can come in the middle of at the end of the sentence. We
do not use commas in defining relative clauses!

Who/that/which/when/why can be omitted if they refer to the object of the sentence, not the
subject! (It's the job (which/that) I'd like to have. Tell me the exact reason (why) you want to leave.)
You cannot omit whose. You can omit the relative pronouns and the auxiliary verb but only when
it refers to the subject. (Buildings (that were) constructed recently are now open.)

We can also use the relative pronoun as the object after a preposition (for which, to whom) but we
usually omit the relative pronoun object and put the preposition at the end of the clause ( Miss Berry
was the person to whom I sent the letter. = formal. → Miss Berry was the person I sent the letter to. )
Whom as the object is formal, we commonly use who, except when we say to/for/with whom (Is
she the person to whom you gave the letter? That's the company for whom you work, isn't it? He's the
man with whom I share an office.)

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 Non-restrictive clauses (non-defining)

This type gives additional information about a person or thing so the sentence still makes sense
without the non-identifying relative clause. We use commas! (The summer here, which I don't like,
lasts for months. The summer here lasts for months. – both make sense so it’s really only extra
information). We cannot omit the relative pronouns in non-defining clauses and we cannot use
THAT!

We can use none of / neither of / any of / either of / + whom (people) or some of / many of / much
of / (a) few of / + which (things). Also → both of / half of / each of / one of / one of / two of. ( Martin
tried on three jackets, none of which fitted him. Two men, neither of whom I had seen before, came
into the office.)