Types of relative clauses

We use relative clauses to combine two bits of information. In that way, they are similar
to words like and or but. They are different though because we use them in two special
ways:
1. to define/explain what we are talking about
e.g. I run a website which is designed to help learners of English
here I am explaining what type of website I run – without this the sentence changes
meaning completely
2. to give more/extra information about something
e.g. My website, which I’ve run for 7 years now, is called DC IELTS.
here I am just telling you something else – I don’t need to tell that the website is 7 years
old – it’s extra information

Pronouns
The most basic rule is that we use who for people and that/which for things. That
though is a little too simple as there are differences between the types of relative clause
and the type of pronoun!

Subject pronouns
In extra information relative clauses we have two choices: who for people and which for
things:

In defining relative clauses we can also use that for people (although some don’t like
this) and things:
Object pronouns
These are just like subject pronouns – except that you can use whom instead of who
when it follows a preposition. You don’t need whom when there is no preposition and
increasingly we only use it directly after a preposition. You should also note that we can
put the preposition at the end of sentence.
Again, this is similar to subject pronouns.
Leaving object pronouns out
This bit is more tricky. Sometimes the relative pronoun is the object of the relative
clause. When that happens in a defining relative clause we can leave it out:
The grammar that I find hardest to explain is relative clauses (here “that“is object of
“find” and this is a defining relative clause)
The grammar XXXX I find hardest to explain is relative clauses (this is perfectly good)
We can’t do the same thing in extra information clauses though
Relative clauses, which I find hard to explain, have quite complex grammar (here
“which” is the object of “find” and this is an extra information relative clause)
Relative clauses, XXXXX I find hard to explain, have quite complex grammar (this
doesn’t work at all)

Possessive relative pronouns

There’s more. We also use possessive pronouns with relative clauses too. In this case we
use whose for both people and things. You should note though that we try and avoid
using whose for things. In the example below, for instance, you could say I prefer
computers which have larger screens or I prefer computers with larger screens.

Relative adverbs
These are some of the most useful relatives there are. You should note in particular the
reason why.
Punctuation problems
You don’t want a comma when you use a defining relative clause.
The city where I live is Cambridge.
You do want commas in extra information relative clauses
Cambridge, where I currently live, is famous for its university.
These commas work like brackets ( ) and the idea is that you can take the relative clause
out and the sentence is complete
Cambridge ( ) is famous for its university.

Note
Sometimes you have a choice whether to put the commas in or not. The same sentence
can be defining something or simply giving more information:
My brother, who lives in London, is an accountant (here I’m just saying a little bit more
about my brother)
My brother who lives inn London is an accountant (here I’m saying it is my brother
who lives in London that is the accountant, not my brother who lives in New York!)

Avoid a common mistake

One of the more common mistakes with relative clauses is that sometimes people forget
to take out the subject pronoun:
Peter, who I went to school with him, now runs his own business.
We don’t want “him” because we already have “who”
Quick summary
Defining

can use that instead of who/which as a subject

don’t need an object pronoun

no comma

Extra Information
cannot use that instead of who/which as a subject
do need an object pronoun
do need comma(s)