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.) The guy who/that was here lost all his keys. x This is the problem which/that/0 we are
dealing with.

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 (extra 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.)

*There is also which-clause – refer to a whole sentence. Also called comment clause –
express evaluation. He is always in the office and then he complains about not having any free
time, which is his fault.