Defining Relative clauses

Relative pronouns

• A relative pronoun is used after a noun to make it

clear which person or thing we are talking about.

• The information that follows the pronoun is

contained in what we call a Relative Clause.
 Relative pronouns

• The part of the sentence that gives the

information about the person or the thing is a
Defining relative clause.

▪ The man who lent me the book. (El hombre el cual / que me prestó el libro)
▪ The book which I borrowed. (El libro el cual / que pedí prestado)
▪ The library where we met. (La biblioteca donde nos conocimos)
 Relative pronouns

• Which relative pronoun must we use?

1. For people: who, that, whose.
▪ Tracy is the girl who / that loves your idea.
▪ Tracy is the girl whose idea you love.
 Relative pronouns

2. For objects: which, that or whose

▪ The book which / that I borrowed. (El libro el cual / que pedí prestado)
▪ The book which / that is entitled Peace. (El libro el cual / que se titula “Paz”)
▪ The book whose title is Peace. (El libro cuyo título es “Paz”)
 Relative pronouns

3. For places, time: where, when, that.

▪ The library where we met.

▪ The day when / that we met.
▪ The reason why I was at the library.

▪ *Note: that can be used instead of when but not instead of

where
 Relative pronouns

• Can we drop a relative pronoun?

In formal written English, it is best not to drop it. In informal and
spoken English, it is common to drop it, but it is not always possible.
 Relative pronouns

• You can drop who, that and which when a noun or pronoun
comes immediately after.

• The man who / that lent me the book.

• The book which / that is called Peace.

• The man (who) I borrowed the book from.

 Relative clauses

• add extra information to a sentence by defining a

noun.
• Relative clauses are usually divided into two types:
• defining relative clauses. (the ones we have just seen)
• non-defining relative clauses. (between commas)