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Unit 19
Relative Clauses
who, which, that, where
What are Relative Clauses?
A relative clause gives extra information about a noun. It comes directly after the noun it describes and is introduced by a relative pronoun: who, which, that, where, whose.
Relative Pronouns — Which to Use?
| Pronoun | Refers to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | People | The woman who called was very polite. |
| which | Things / animals | The car which broke down was new. |
| that | People or things (informal) | The film that I saw was amazing. |
| where | Places | The café where we met has closed. |
| whose | Possession (people/things) | The student whose essay won the prize was 16. |
| when | Time | I remember the day when we first met. |
Defining vs Non-Defining Relative Clauses
There are two types of relative clause — the difference is important.
| Type | Function | Commas? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defining | Essential — tells us exactly which one. Without it the meaning changes. | No commas | The man who lives next door is a doctor. |
| Non-defining | Extra information — the sentence still makes sense without it. | With commas | My brother, who lives in London, is a teacher. |
Defining Relative Clauses — More Examples
| Sentence | Note |
|---|---|
| The woman who works at reception is very helpful. | Tells us WHICH woman. |
| The book that I bought yesterday is fascinating. | Tells us WHICH book. |
| The restaurant where we had dinner has a great view. | Tells us WHICH restaurant. |
| The student whose phone rang apologised immediately. | Shows possession. |
When Can We Drop the Relative Pronoun?
The relative pronoun can be omitted when it is the object of the relative clause (not the subject).
| Pronoun = SUBJECT (cannot omit) | Pronoun = OBJECT (can omit) |
|---|---|
| The man who called me was angry. (who = subject) | The film (that) I saw was great. (that = object) |
| The car which hit the wall was red. (which = subject) | The book (that) she recommended is good. (that = object) |
That vs Which
| That | Which |
|---|---|
| Used in defining clauses only | Used in both defining and non-defining clauses |
| More common in informal / spoken English | More common in written / formal English |
| The car that broke down was mine. | The car, which cost a fortune, broke down. |
Joining Two Sentences
A relative clause lets you join two short sentences into one. The relative pronoun replaces a word — don't keep both:
| Two sentences | One sentence |
|---|---|
| I have a friend. She lives in Spain. | I have a friend who lives in Spain. (not |
| This is the bag. I bought it yesterday. | This is the bag (that) I bought yesterday. (not |
| That's the gym. I go there every day. | That's the gym where I go every day. |
| I met a man. His son is a pilot. | I met a man whose son is a pilot. |
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectThe teachersubjectwhoverbtaughtobjectme Englishverbwasadjectivebrilliant.
↳ Who = person. Defining clause — tells us which teacher.
subjectThe bookobjectthatsubjectIverbboughtverbisadjectivefascinating.
↳ That = thing. "That" is the object → can be omitted.
subjectMy sister,subjectwhoverblivesadverbin Ankara,verbisobjecta nurse.
↳ Non-defining — commas around extra info.
Common Mistakes
The man which called me was my boss.
→
The man who called me was my boss.
"Who" for people, not "which".
The film who I saw was amazing.
→
The film that I saw was amazing.
"That/Which" for things, not "who".
The place where I was born it is beautiful.
→
The place where I was born is beautiful.
Don't repeat the subject pronoun after the relative clause.
She's the student whose she won the prize.
→
She's the student who won the prize.
"Whose" shows possession — don't add an extra subject.
The hotel which we stayed was excellent.
→
The hotel where we stayed was excellent.
Place → "where" (or "which we stayed in").
This is the bag that I bought it yesterday.
→
This is the bag that I bought yesterday.
"That" replaces "it" — don't keep both.
I have a friend who she lives in Spain.
→
I have a friend who lives in Spain.
"Who" replaces "she".