RELATIVE

CLAUSES
 WHAT IT IS?
RELATIVE CLAUSE
IS PART OF A SENTENE WHICH STARTS WITH A RELATIVE PRONOUN AND IT DEFINES
A PERSON, THING, TIME OR PLACE.
WHY TO USE IT?
WHAT ABOUT CASUAL SPEECH?
 WHAT RELATIVE PRONOUNS ARE?

THAT
WHO
WHICH
WHOSE
WHERE
WHEN
HOW MANY RELATIVE CLAUSES ARE THERE?

1. DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

2. NON-DEFINING CLAUSES
3. REDUCED RELATIVE CLAUSES
 1. DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

INFORMATION IN DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE IS ESSENTIAL

E.G.
- IS THIS THE BOOK THAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR?
- WOULD ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BOOKED DINNER PLEASE GO
TO THE RESTAURANT NOW?
- THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE MY PARENTS FIRST MET.

KEYNOTE SB P.156 +PRACTICE EX. 1

 THE RELATIVE PRONOUN IS THE SUBJECT
WE CAN’T DROP THE RELATIVE PRONOUN IF WE WANT TO:

• I'M LOOKING FOR A SECRETARY WHO / THAT CAN USE A

COMPUTER WELL.
• SHE HAS A SON WHO / THAT IS A DOCTOR.
• WE BOUGHT A HOUSE WHICH / THAT IS 200 YEARS OLD.
• I SENT A LETTER WHICH / THAT ARRIVED THREE WEEKS LATER.
 THE RELATIVE PRONOUN IS THE OBJECT
WE CAN DROP THE RELATIVE PRONOUN IF WE WANT TO:

• SHE LOVES THE CHOCOLATE (WHICH / THAT) I BOUGHT.

• WE WENT TO THE VILLAGE (WHICH / THAT) LUCY
RECOMMENDED.
• JOHN MET A WOMAN (WHO / THAT) I HAD BEEN TO SCHOOL WITH.
• THE POLICE ARRESTED A MAN (WHO / THAT) JILL WORKED WITH.

KEYNOTE SB P.156 +PRACTICE EX. 2

 2. NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

ADDS EXTRA INFORMATION (NOT ESSENTIAL) ABOUT THE

SUBJECT OF A MAIN CLAUSE
E.G.
- WE WERE GIVEN A LOVELY DOUBLE ROOM, WHICH HAD A SEA
VIEW.
- HECTOR, WHO IS A BRILLIANT ACTOR, TOOK THE MAIN ROLE.
KEYNOTE SB P.156
+ P.157 PRACTICE EX. 3
 3. REDUCED RELATIVE CLAUSES

WE SHORTEN ‘REDUCE’ A RELATIVE CLAUSE BY OMITTING THE PRONOUN

AND USING –ING FORM OF A VERB OR PAST PARTICIPLE (III FORM)
E.G.
- (ACTIVE) MARY WAS THE WOMAN LIVING IN THE FLAT UNDERNEATH
US. (= … WHO LIVED / WAS LIVING IN …)
- (PASSIVE) THE CONDITIONS DELETED FROM THE AGREEMENT WERE
ALL UNIMPORTANT (= … WHICH WERE DELETED / WHICH WE DELETED)
KEYNOTE SB P.156
+ P.157 PRACTICE
 3. REDUCED RELATIVE CLAUSES [EXAMPLES]

- ELDERLY PEOPLE LIVING ALONE (= WHO LIVE ALONE) SHOULD

HAVE FRIENDS OR FAMILY TO CARE FOR THEM
- CHILDREN RAISED (=WHO WERE RAISED) IN A BILINGUAL
ENVIRONMENT MAY BEGIN TO SPEAK A LITTLE LATER.
- DO YOU KNOW THE MAN TALKING (=WHO IS TALKING) TO MR.
SMITH? (DEFINING)
- RICH PEOPLE, ACCUSTOMED (= WHO ARE ACCUSTOMED) TO
LUXURIOUS LIVING, WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND POOR PEOPLE.
(NON-DIFINING)
 TO SUM UP

RELATIVE CLAUSES GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUBJECT

RELATIVE PRONOUNS ARE: THAT / WHO / WHICH / WHOSE /
WHERE / WHEN
SOMETIMES WE CAN OMIT PRONOUNS
THREE TYPES OF RELATIVE CLAUSES : DEFINING / NON-
DEFINING / REDUCED