RELATIVE PRONOUNS, RELATIVE CLAUSES


Relative pronouns introduce a relative clause – either as a subject (who, which, that) or as a
direct object (whom, which, that) or in the context of a prepositional phrase (to whom, with which,
by which, etc). Nowadays we normally use who as an object.


We use who and whom for people and which for things and animals.

Or we can use that for people, animals and things.


Examples

… the house that my brother built

… the woman who discovered radium

… the man who sold me a stolen mobile phone

… the woman about whom we were talking (formal)

… the woman that we were talking about (informal)


Whose is the possessive form of who and it can be used with people, animals and things.


Examples

The man whose car I borrowed is very rich.

I chose the set whose price was reduced.


Relative clauses give us information about nouns.


A defining relative clause says which person, thing, animal or idea we are talking about.


Examples

The house that we rented in London was fully furnished.

Have you seen those people who we met on holiday?

A computer programmer is a person who / that designs computer programmes.


We can leave out the relative pronouns who, which or that when they are the object of the relative
clause.


Examples

This is something (that) we use to move around the computer screen.

… information (which) you don’t know about …  (less formal)


!!! Use when or where as relative pronouns after nouns which refer to a time or a place.

!!! Use why (or that) after the noun reason.


Examples

The room where the exam is taking place is ready.

I don’t like days when it gets dark early.

That’s the reason why / that I came.



A non-defining relative clause gives us additional information about a person, thing, animal or
idea.

If we take the non-defining relative clause out of a sentence, the sentence will make sense without
it.

Use commas with a non-defining relative clause and do not leave out the relative pronoun.


Examples:

My dog, which is sleeping now, doesn’t bite.

Sportsmen, who pay attention to their diet, are not usually over-weight.


PRACTICE



A Complete the sentences with who, which, that or whose.


1 The man __________ is sitting in the corner is not very well.

2 You can pick up any strawberries __________ are red.

3 There are not many people __________ would like his job.

4 The events __________ occurred on Friday were rather alarming.

5 I don't like people __________ lie.

6 My computer, __________ hard disk is damaged, needs to be fixed.

7 How could a person __________ I love have done this?

8 The reporter asked her a lot of questions __________ she could not answer.




B Join the sentences using relative pronouns. Sometimes more than one answer is possible.

   Then underline the pronouns that can be left out.


1 There are two people at the door. They want to speak to you.

    ………………………………………………………………………

2 That’s the house! My dad was born there.

   ……………………………………………………………………….

3 Martin Amis is a famous author. His father was a writer too.

   ……………………………………………………………………….

4 Look at that boy. Emily is sitting next to him.

   ……………………………………………………………………….

5 One of the bins smells awful. You haven’t emptied the bin for 3 weeks.
……………………………………………………………………….

6 This song is about a woman. Her life was very hard.

   ……………………………………………………………………….

7 This is the café. I told you it was good.

   ……………………………………………………………………….

8 I have two good friends. They always come when I need help.

   ……………………………………………………………………….



More practice on

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/relative-clauses#exercises

or

http://perso.wanadoo.es/autoenglish/gr.relative.i.htm

http://perso.wanadoo.es/autoenglish/gr.nonrelat.i.htm