ENGLISH GRAMMAR Relative Clauses

RELATIVE CLAUSES

INTRODUCTION
There are two types of relative clauses:
1. Defining relative clauses
2. Non-defining relative clauses

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

These describe the preceding noun in such a way to distinguish it from other nouns of the same class. A
clause of this kind is essential to clear understanding of the noun.
The boy who was playing is my brother.
Defining Relative Pronouns

SUBJEC OBJECT POSSESSIV

T E
For Who Whom/W Whose
people That ho
That
For Whic Which Whose
things h That Of which
That

Defining Relative Clauses: people

A. Subject: who or that
Who is normally used:
The man who robbed you has been arrested.
The girls who serve in the shop are the owner’s daughters.
But that is a possible alternative after all, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody and those:
Everyone who/that knew him liked him.
Nobody who/that watched the match will ever forget it.
B. Object of a verb: whom, who or that
The object form is whom, but it is considered very formal. In spoken English we normally use who
or that (that being more usual than who), and it is still more common to omit the object pronoun
altogether:
The man whom I saw told me to come back
today. The man who I saw told me to come back
today. The man that I saw told me to come back
today. The man I saw told me to come back
today.
C. With a preposition: whom or that
In formal English the preposition is placed before the relative pronoun, which must then be put
into the form whom:
The man to whom I spoke…
In informal speech, however, it is more usual to move the preposition to the end of the clause.
Whom then is often replaced by that, but it is still more common to omit the relative altogether:
The man who/whom I spoke
to… The man that I spoke to…
The man I spoke to…
 D. Possesssive
Whose is the only possible form:
People whose rents have been raised can
appeal. The film is about a spy whose wife
betrays him.

Short answers
To make short answers:
 we use the verb to be (am/is/are/was/were) for Present Simple, Past Simple, Present
Continuous, Past Continuous and Going To questions.
 we use the verb have (have/has/had) for Present Perfect and Past Perfect questions.
 we use will for Future Simple questions.

Defining Relative Clauses: things

A. Subject
Either which or that. Which is more formal.
This is the picture which/that caused such a sensation.
The stairs which/that lead to the cellar are rather
slippery.
B. Object of a verb
Which or that or no relative at all.
The car which/that I hired broke
down. The car I hired broke down.
Which is hardly ever used after all, everything, little, much, none, no and compounds of no, or
after superlatives. Instead we use that, or omit the relative altogether, if it is the object of a verb:
2 All the apples that fall are eaten by the
pigs. This is the best hotel (that) I know.
C. Object of a preposition
The formal construction is preposition + which, but it is more usual to move the preposition to
the end of the clause, using which or that or omitting the relative altogether:
The ladder on which I was standing began to slip.
The ladder which/that I was standing on began to
slip. The ladder I was standing on began to slip.
D. Possesssive
Whose + a clause is possible but with + a phrase is more usual:
a house whose walls were made of
glass a house with glass walls
E. Relative adverbs: when, where, why
Note that when can replace in/on which (used of time):
the year when (= in which) he was
born the day when (= in which) they
arrived
Where can replace in/at which (used of place):
the hotel where (= in/at which) they were staying
Why can replace for which:
the reason why he refused is…
When, where and why used in this way are called relative adverbs.

NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

Non-defining relative clauses are placed after nouns which are definite already. They do not therefore
define the noun. But merely add something to it by giving some more information about it. They are not
essential in the sentence and can be omitted without causing confusion. They are separated from their
noun by commas. The pronoun can never be omitted in a non-defining relative clause.
 ENGLISH GRAMMAR Relative Clauses

The boy who was playing is my brother.

Non-Defining Relative Pronouns

SUBJEC OBJECT POSSESSIV

T E
For Who Whom/W Whose
people ho
For Which Which Whose
things Of which

Non-Defining Relative Clauses: people

A. Subject: who
No other pronoun is possible. Note the commas:
My neighbor, who is very pessimistic, says there will be no apples this
year. Peter, who had been driving all day, suggested stopping at the next
town.
B. Object: whom, who
The pronoun cannot be omitted. Whom is the correct form, though who is sometimes used in
conversation:
Peter, whom everyone suspected, turned out to be innocent..
C. Object of a preposition: whom
The pronoun cannot be omitted. The preposition is normally placed before whom:
Mr Jones, for whom I was working, was very generous about overtime payments.
It is however possible to move the preposition to the end of the clause. This is commonly done in
conversation, and who then usually takes the place of whom:
Mr Jones, who I was working for,was very generous about overtime payments.
If the clause contains an expression of time or place, this will remain at the end:
Peter, with whom I played tennis on Sundays, was fitter than me.
could become:
Peter, who/whom I played tennis with on Sundays, was fitter than me.
D. Possesssive: whose
Ann, whose children are at school all day, is trying to get a
job. This is George, whose class you will be taking.

Non-Defining Relative Clauses: things

A. Subject: which
That is not used here:
That block, which cost £5 million to build, has been empty for
years. The 8.15 train, which is usually very punctual, was late
today.
B. Object: which
That is not used here, and the which can never be omitted.
She gave me this jumper, which she had knitted herself.
These books, which you can get at any bookshop, will give you all the information you
need.
C. Object of a preposition
The preposition comes before which, or (more informally) at the end of the clause:
Ashdown Forest, through which we’ll be driving, isn’t a forest any
longer. Ashdown Forest, which we’ll be driving through, isn’t a forest
any longer. His house, for which he paid £10,000, is now worth £50,000.
His house, which he paid £10,000 for, is now worth £50,000.
D. Possesssive: whose or of which
 Whose is generally used both for animals and things. Of which is possible for things, but it is
unusual except in very formal English.
His house, whose windows are all broken, was a depressing sight.
The car, whose handbrake wasn’t very reliable, began to slide backwards.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
- A. J. Thomson and A.V. Martinet, A Practical English Grammar, Oxford University Press, 1986
- R. Fernández Carmona, English Grammar… with exercises, Longman, 2000
- R. Murphy, Essential Grammar in Use, Cambridge University Press 1994
- M. Harrison, Grammar Spectrum 2, Oxford University Press, 1996
- N. Coe, Grammar Spectrum 3, Oxford University Press, 1996

EXERCISES
1. Write sentences to describe people in box A using the information in box B.
A B
a thief a takes is very intelligent
dentist photographs
a a fool sells meat plays a musical instrument
butcher a genius is ill in hospital doesn’t tell the truth
a
musician
a patient a liar steal things looks after your teeth
a is very stupid
photographer
a. A thief is a person who steals things.
4 b. A butcher is a person who sells
m
c. A musician is a person who plays a musical instrument.
d. A patient who is ill in the hospital.
A photographer is a person who takes photographs
e.
f.A dentist is a person who looks after your teeth
A fool is a person who is very stupid
g.
A genius is a person who is very intelligent
h.
i.A liar is a person who doesn't tell the truth.

2. Join the sentences to write a longer one.

a. A man phoned. He didn’t say his name. The man who phoned didn’t say his name.
b. A woman opened the door. She was wearing a yellow dress. The woman
who opened the door was wearing a yellow dress.
c. Some
who peoplelive
stopped our next
car wasn't very friendlydoor to us. They are very nice. The people
whose live next door to us
are very nice.
d. A policeman stopped our car. He wasn’t very friendly. The policeman

e. A boy broke the window. He ran away. The boy who broke the
window ran

3. Write who/that/which in the blanks.

a. I met a woman who can speak six languages.
who
b. What’s the name of the man lives next door?
c. What’s the name of the riverwhich goes through the town?
d. Everybodywho went to the party enjoyed it very much.
e. Do you know anybody who wants to buy a car?
f. Where is the picture which was on the wall?
 ENGLISH GRAMMAR Relative Clauses

g. She always asks me questions that are difficult to answer.

h. I have a friend who is very good at repairing cars.
i. A coffee-maker is a machine that makes coffee.
j. I don’t like people whose never stop talking.
k. Have you seen the money that was on the table?
l. Why does he always wear clotheswhich are too small for him?

4. Join the sentences to write a single sentence.

a. Ann took some photographs. Have you seen them? Have you seen the photographs Ann took?
b. You lost a key. Did you find it? Did you find the key you lost?
?
c. Jill is wearing a jacket. I like it. I like the jacket Jill is wearing
d. I gave you some money. Where is it? Where is the money I gave you
?
story
e. She told us a story. I didn’t believe it.didn't I believe the
she told us .
f. You bought some oranges. How much were they? How much are the oranges you bought?
?

5. Complete the sentences with the information in brackets.

a. (we met some people) The people we met were very nice.
b. (I’m wearing shoes) The shoes I'm wearing are not very comfortable.
c. (you’re reading a book) What’s the name of the book you're reading ?
d. (I wrote a letter to her) She didn’t get the
letter wrote
I her .
e. (you gave me an umbrella) I’ve lostthe umbrella you gave me .
f. (they invited some people to dinner) The people they invited to dinner didn’t come.

6. Complte the sentences with the information in the box.

you went to a party Linda is dancing with a man you stayed at a hotel
we looked at a map you were looking for a book I was sitting on a chair
they live in a house you spoke to a woman

a. What’s the name of the hotel you stayed at?

b. What’s the name of the woman you spoke to ?
c. The house they live is too small for them.
d. Did you enjoy the partyyou went to ?
e. The chair I was sitting wasn’t very comfortable.
f. The map we looked wasn’t very clear.
g. Did you find the book you were looking for ?
h. Who is the man Linda is dancing with ?

7. Complete the sentences with where and the information in the box.
we had dinner in a restaurant John works in a factory
we stayed at a hotel they live in a village
a. What’s the name of the hotel where we stayed?
b. What’s the name of the restaurant where ?
c. Have you ever been to the village where we ?
th
d. The factory where is the biggest in town.
J
 8. Join the sentences using who or which.
a. We chose the hotel. It seemed to be the nicest. We chose the hotel which seemed to be the nicest.
b. She spoke to the man. He was standing next to her.
She spoke to the man who was standing next to
c. Iher.
read the letters. They came in the morning post.
I read the letters which came in
d. He likes the other
the morning
people. They work in his office.
He likes the other people who work in his office.
e. She’s that singer. She was on television last night.
She's that singer who was on television last
f. Next
night. week there is a festival. It happens in the village every summer.
Next week there is a festival which happens in the village every
g. Isummer.
paid the bills. They came yesterday.
I paid the bills which came yesterday.

9. Complete the conversation by putting who or which into the gaps.

Carol: Did you watch that programme last night?
David: Which one?
Carol: The programme which I mentioned a couple of days ago. It’s a new series which started last
night.
David: No, I didn’t see it. Was it good?
Carol: Yes. It was about a group of friends which were at school together. Well, Rupert ...
David: Who was Rupert?
Carol: He was an old student of the school who had become a doctor. He went to a party
which
his old teachers organised. He met a lot of people who had been at school with him
6 many years before. They talked about the things which they did when they were at school. Then
suddenly, Rupert saw an old girl-friend who was dancing with John ...
David: Don’t tell me any more. It’s getting too complicated!

10. Join these sentences using who, which or that, as in the example.
a. She chose the books. She wanted to buy them. She chose the books that she wanted to buy.
b. We ate the sandwiches. Jack made them.
We ate the sandwiches which Jake
made.
c. I’m doing some work. I have to finish it today.
I'm doing some work which I have to
finish today.
d. She’s an old woman. I often see her when I go to the shop.
She's an old woman who I often see when I go to the shop.

e. He’s an actor. A lot of people like him.

He's an actor who a lot
of people like.
f. It’s a magazine. I read it sometimes.
It's a magazine which I read sometimes.
g. She was wearing a red dress. She wears it for parties.
She was wearing a red dress which she wears for parties.

11. Now join these sentences using who or which, as in the example.
a. The person phoned. He didn’t leave a message. The person who phoned didn’t leave a message.
The person who phoned did'nt leave
b. The bus goes toathe
message.
airport. It leaves every 20 minutes.
The bus which goes to the airport leaves every 20 minutes.
c. The picture was hanging near the door. It was horrible.
The picture which was hanging near the door
was horrible.
 ENGLISH GRAMMAR Relative Clauses

d. The instructor taught me how to drive. He was very patient.

The instructor who taught me how to drive was
very patient.
e. The girl was sitting next to me. She started talking to me.
The girl was sitting net to me She started talking to
me.
12. Complete the sentences using the information in brackets and who or which.
a. (I went to see a doctor. She had helped my mother.) I went to see the doctor who had helped my
mother.
b. (A dog bit me. It belonged to Mrs Jones.) The dog which bit me, belonged to Mrs
Jones.
c. (A woman wrote to me. She wanted my advice.) The woman who wrote me,
wanted my advice.
d. (A bus crashed. It was 23 years old.) The bus which was 23 years old.
cr who had won a
e. (Ann talked to a man. He had won a lot of money.) Ann talked to a man
lot of
.
f. (Mary was staying with her friend. He has a big house in Scotland.) Mary was staying with a friend
who has a big house in .
Scotland.
g. (He’s an architect. He designed the new city library.) He’s the architect who designed the new city library.
.

13. Complete the sentences using the information in brackets and that.
a. (Jack made a table. It’s not very strong.) The table that Jack made is not very strong.
b. (I read about a new computer. I had seen it on TV.) I read about the new computer
that I seen on TV .
c. (Jane made a cake. Nobody liked it.) Nobody liked the cake that Jane make
d. (Mary sent me a letter. It was very funny.) The letter that Mary sent was very funny.
e. (My sister wrote an article. The newspaper is going to publish it.) The newspaper is going to publish
the article that my sister wrote .
f. (I met an old lady. She was 103 years old.) The old lady that I met was 103 years old.
g. (I saw a house. My brother wants to buy it.) I saw the house that my brother
wants to
14. Complete the sentences with one of the phrases in the box and who or whose.
interviewed me has visited so many different countries
had saved their son wives have just had babies divorce was
book won a prize last week in the papers complain all the time
car had broken down

a. The parents thanked the woman who had saved their son.
b. The couple whose divorce was in the papers have got married again.
c. It is very interesting to meet somebody who has visited so many
different countries.
d. The person who interviewed me asked me some very difficult questions.
e. In my office the are two men whose wives have just had babies.
f. What’s the name of that writer whose book won a prize last week ?
g. I don’t like people who complain all the time.
h. We helped the woman whose car had broken down
 15. Put in who or that ONLY IF NECESSARY.
a. The match-------------we saw was boring.
b. Did I tell you about the people who live next door?
c. The horse that won the race belongs to an Irish woman.
d. I love the ice-cream that they sell in that shop.
e. The book that I’m reading is about jazz.
f. The woman who came to see us was selling magazines.
g. We’ll go to a restaurant that has a children’s menu.
h. The factory that closed last week had been there for 70 years.
i. Have you read about the schoolgirl who started her own business and is now a millionaire?
j. Jane says that the house that Tom has bought has a beautiful garden.

16. Make one sentence from the two that are given. Use who or which with the underlined words.
a. Mont Blanc is between France and Italy. It is the highest mountain in the Alps.
Mont Blanc, which is between France and Italy, is the highest mountain in the Alps.
b. Alfred Hitchcock was born in Britain. He worked for many years in Hollywood.
Alfred Hitchcock who was born in Britain, worked for many years in
c. Hollywood.
The sun is really a star. It is 93 million miles from the earth
The sun which is really a star, is 93 million miles
d. John F Kennedyform
diedthe
in earth.
1963. He was a very famous American President.
John F Kennedy who died in 1963, was a very famous American
e. Charlie
President.
Chaplin was from a poor family. He became a very rich man.
Charlie Chaplin who was from a poor family, became a very rich
man.1992 Olympics were held in Barcelona. It is the north-east of Spain.
f. The
8 The 1992 Olympics were held in Barcelona, which is the north-east of
Spain.
g. We went to see the Crown Jewels. They are kept in the Tower of London.
We went to see the Crown Jewels, which are kept in the Tower of
London.
17. From the notes, make one sentence. Use who or which with the words in brackets.
a. Greta Garbo. (She was born in Sweden.) She moved to America in 1925.
Greta Garbo, who was born in Sweden, moved to America in 1925.
b. Football. (It first started in Britain.) It is now popular in many countries.
Football, first started in Britain, is now popular in many
countries.
c. Margaret Thatcher. (She was the Prime Minister of Britain for 11 years.) She studied science at
university.
Margaret Thatcher, who was the Prime Minister of Britain for 11 years, studied science at
d. university.
Michelangelo. (He lived until he was 90.) He is one of Italy’s greatest artists.
Michelangelo, who lived until he was 90, is one of Italy’s
greatest artists.
e. The Nile. (It runs through several countries.) It is the longest river in Africa.
The Nile, which runs through several countries, is the longest river in
Africa.
f. Gandhi. (He was born in1869.) He became India’s nationalist leader.
Gandhi, who was born in1869, became India’s nationalist
leader.
g. Elephants. (They are found in Africa and India.) They live to a great age.
Elephants, which are found in Africa and India, live to a great
age.
18. From the notes make one sentence. Use who or whose with the words in brackets.
a. Martina Navratilova. (She was born in Prague.) She became a US citizen in 1981.
Martina Navratilova, who was born in Prague, became a US citizen in
b. 1981. (His ideas changed our view of the world.) He travelled to a lot of countries when he was
Darwin.
young.
Darwin, whose ideas changed our view of the world, travelled to a lot of countries when he was
young.
 ENGLISH GRAMMAR Relative Clauses

c. Madonna. (Her parents were born in Italy.) She is a famous American singer.
Madonna, whose parents were born in Italy, is a famous American
d. singer.
Bill Clinton. (His wife is a brilliant lawyer.) He became President of the USA in 1993.
Bill Clinton, whose wife is a brilliant lawyer, became President of the USA in
e. Sebastian
1993. Coe. (He was a successful English runner.) He is now a politician.
Sebastian Coe, who was a successful English runner, is now a
f. politician. of Russia. (She ruled for over 30 years.) She made many important
Catherine changes.
Catherine of Russia, who ruled for over 30 years, made many important
changes.
19. Underline the words that which refers to.
a. They climbed Snowdon, which is the highest mountain in Wales.
b. They climbed Snowdon, which made them very tired.
c. Maria sang and played the guitar, which everyone enjoyed a lot.
d. The boat stopped at Souse, which is in Tunisia.
e. The coach stopped at a petrol station, which allowed everyone to get out.
f. We listened to the news, which was in French.

20. Add the missing relative, but make a contact-clause where possible.
a. I know a man who _ eats paper.
b. The man who you want has just left.
c. It’s a kind of paper which you can eat.
d. The lady who was here yesterday has gone out.
e. He eats only the which _ his wife makes.
paper
f. The magazine that you lent me was very old.
g. His wife is a woman who _ loves a joke.
h. The chair which was broken is now mended.
i. He’s one of the people who _ I really like.
j. The old man who _ lives next door has just died.
k. You can write on the paper that she makes.
l. Women who work in hospitals are admired.
m. Has this paper got a flavour which pleases you?
n. The cigarette that _ you are smoking is a Player’s.
o. Have you met anyone else who does such tricks?
p. The girl who lives next door is very pretty.
q. I’m looking for someone who _. I can trust.
r. The fish which I ate yesterday was not so good.
s. I want to find a man who _ will lend me money.
t. The street which leads to the school is very wide.

21. Correct the errors in these sentences.

Joan won the prize, which surprised
a. Joan won the prize, that surprised me a lot. me a lot.
The children, who were playing football,
b. The children, that were playing football, broke one of my windows. broke one of my windows.
The house in which I was born has just been
c. The house in that I was born has just been demolished.demolished.
d. Fred is the man who he lives next door. Fred is the man who lives next door.
e. The books which they are on the table are mine. The books which are on the table are
f. I can’t remember the name of the person from who mine.
I borrowed this pen. I can’t remember the name of the
person who I borrowed this pen.
 22. Rewrite these sentences omitting the relative pronoun. Other changes are necessary.
a. This is the box in which I had put my English books. This is the box I had put my English books in.
b. The man with whom she had lunch yesterday is her boss.
The man she had lunch with yesterday is her boss.
c. The knife with which you are cutting the meat belonged to my great grandmother.
The knife you are cutting the meat with belonged to my great grandmother.
d. The company for which he works has gone bankrupt.
The company he works for has gone bankrupt.
e. We didn’t recognize the people at whom we were looking.
We didn’t recognize the people we were looking at.
f. I can’t remember the person from whom I took the money.
I can’t remember the person I took the money from.

23. Complete the sentences with relative pronouns.

a. Christopher Columbus was the sailor who/that discovered America.
b. This food has an ingredient that is very sweet.
c. The lady whose son plays football with me is the headteacher of my school.
d. The house which I was born is now for sale.
e. Antonio Banderas, who is married to Melanie Griffith, was born in Málaga.
f. D.H. Lawrence, who was an English author, wrote many interesting novels.
g. London, that is on the river Thames, is the capital of the United Kingdom.
h. The Prado Museum, which is in Madrid, is one of the best art galleries in the world.

24. Join each pair of sentences with a relative clause. Omit the relative pronouns wherever possible.
10 a. Last night we met a man. He’s a millionaire. Last night we met a man who/that is a millionaire.
b. Yesterday we found a wallet. It was empty.
Yesterday we found a wallet which was
empty.
c. We like cereals. Well, if they are wholemeal.
We like cereals that are wholemeal.
d. Michaelangelo was a famous artist. He painted the Sistine Chapel.
Michaelangelo was a famous artist who painted the Sistine Chapel.
e. She’s bought a CD. It is broken.
She’s bought a CD which is
broken.
f. I had won some money. I spent it on a new bike.
I had won some money which I spent on a new bike.

25. Join each pair of sentences using non-defining relative clauses.

a. Madonna is a popular pop singer and actress. She was born in the USA.
Madonna, who was born in the USA, is a popular pop singer and actress.
Madonna, who is a popular pop singer and actress, was born in the USA.
b. My grandparents live in Córdoba. They are school teachers.
 My grandparents, who live in Pedregal, are
school teachers.
My grandparents, who are school teachers, live in
Pedregal.

c. Victoria Station is situated near Buckingham Palace. It is one of the most famous railway stations in
London.
 Victoria Station, who is situated near Buckingham Palace, is one of the most famous railway
stations in London.
 Victoria Station, who is one of the most famous railway stations in London, is situated near
Buckingham Palace.
d. “Guernica” was painted by Picasso. It is permanently exhibited in Madrid.
 “Guernica”, which was painted by Picasso, is permanently exhibited in
Madrid.
 “Guernica”, which is permanently exhibited in Madrid, was painted by
Picasso.

e. My friend Luis has lived in many exotic countries. He works for the government.
 My friend Luis, who has lived in many exotic countries, works for the
government.
 My friend Luis, who works for the government, has lived in many
exotic countries.

f. Sharon is a wonderful cook. She’s married with two children.

 Sharon, who is a wonderful cook, is married with two children.

 Sharon, who is married with two children, is a wonderful cook.