Relative Clauses_st_fpl

Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are introduced by:

a) relative pronouns i.e. who, whom, whose, which or that

b) relative adverbs i.e. when, where or why

	Subject of the verb of the relative clause (cannot be omitted)	Object of the verb of the relative clause (can be omitted)	Possession (cannot be omitted)
used for people	who / that That's the man who/that owns the house.	who / whom / that He's the man (who/that/whom) I met at the party.	whose This is Mr Brown whose son has moved to Paris.
used for things/animals	which / that Give me the book which/that is behind you.	which / that Have a look at the stamps (which/that) I bought yesterday.	whose / of which That's the palace whose interior/the interior of which is being redecorated.

• Who, whom, which or that can be omitted when they are the object of the relative clause, that is, when there is a noun or subject pronoun between the relative pronoun and the verb.

When who, which, etc are subjects of the relative clause, they cannot be omitted.

The house (which/that) they bought is beautiful. (which/that is the object and can be omitted.)

The students who failed the exam can sit it again in May. (who is the subject - can't be omitted.)

Prepositions in Relative Clauses

• We do not normally use prepositions before relative pronouns.

The meeting to which I went was very boring. (formal - not usual)

The meeting which I went to was very boring. (usual)

The meeting I went to was very boring. (more usual)

Defining/Non-Defining Relative Clauses

There are two types of relative clauses: defining relative clauses and non-defining relative clauses.

A defining relative clause gives necessary information and is essential to the meaning of the main sentence. The clause is not put in commas. Who, which or that can be omitted when they are the object of the defining relative clause.

The teacher who teaches Maths is popular in the school. (The relative clause is necessary to identify which teacher is meant.)

He's the actor who won an Oscar. (Who as subject is not omitted.)

That's the letter (which/that) Sally sent me. (Which/That as object can be omitted.)

Here's the report (which/that) he brought us yesterday. ('which/that' as an object can be omitted).

She's the woman who/that was promoted to sales manager last week.

A non-defining relative clause gives extra information and is not essential to the meaning of the main sentence. In non-defining relative clauses the relative pronouns Who/Which cannot be omitted. That cannot replace who or which. The relative clause is put in commas.

Mr Jones, who teaches Science, is very popular in the school. (The relative clause isn't necessary because we know which teacher is meant.) Tim, who doesn't like to study, failed his test again. David, who works really hard, got a promotion. He invited me to the party, which was very kind of him.

• Note how the commas change the meaning of the sentence.

The tourists, who had valid passports, were allowed into the country. (all the tourists had valid passports).

The tourists who had valid passports were allowed into the country. (not all the tourists, only those whose passports were valid)

1. Fill in: who, which, whose, when, where or why. Say whether they can be omitted or not.

1. A: The restaurant .... which. ... you recommended was incredible! (can be omitted) B: Yes, I know. Their food is delicious. 2. A: My friend, ..................... handbag was stolen yesterday, is still very upset. B: I would be, too. 3. A: What's the name of the girl ......... you're meeting this afternoon? B: Jenny Ellis. We used to go to school together. 4. A: My friend Julie lost her dog. B: How terrible! Was that the new puppy .......... we saw in her garden last week? 5. A: Your jumper is great! B: Thanks. I bought it at the shop ............ you got your jeans. 6. A: Do you remember the time ................ we tried to join the circus? B: Of course! How can I ever forget? 7. A: Did Hector tell you the reason .............. he was so angry yesterday? B: No, but I think it was something serious.

2. Fill in the appropriate relative pronoun, say whether the relative clauses are essential or not to the meaning of the main sentence, then add commas where necessary.

1. My purse, ....... was in my handbag, has disappeared. 2. Brian .............. is still at school is the captain of our local team. 3. London ............... is the capital of England attracts many foreign visitors. 4. This parrot ............. comes from Africa is a clever mimic. 5. The children ........... play with my son are coming round for lemonade. 6. Brighton .............. my best friend lives has a famous pier. 7. The woman ................ car was stolen last night has called the police. 8. The house ................ my grandparents lived is being destroyed. 9. The Sussex coast ............. is in the south of England is very beautiful. 10. California ............. is on the west coast of America attracts actresses, surfers and musicians. 11. This cake ........... .. I bought yesterday tastes delicious. 12. My best friend ............ name is Rafael has moved to Rome. 13. The gym ........... Bob goes to is near his house. 14. She'll never forget the day .............. her son got his degree.

3. Fill in the relative pronoun or adverb and put commas where necessary. Write D for defining, ND for non-defining and if the relative clause can be omitted or not.

1. My sister, ...... works as a scientist, lives in America. 2. The town ........... I grew up was very small. 3. Hans ................ hobby is rock climbing has broken his leg. 4. The jumper .......... Jenny bought me is too big. 5. The subjects . . . . . . I am studying are very difficult. 6. The country .............. I want to visit most of all is China. 7. Angela ............. best friend lives in Madrid has gone to Spain. 8. The boutique .............. is near my house is having a sale. 9. Miss Hunter ................ works at the bank has been promoted. 10. Terry ............. father is a mechanic has just repaired our car. 11. The school . . . . . . . . . . I first went has closed down. 12. I have to return the book .............. I borrowed from the library. 13. Brad ............... is very rich lives in a villa. 14. Have you found the ticket ......... you lost?

4. Fill in the correct relative pronouns or adverbs. Put commas where necessary. Write D (for defining), ND (for non-defining) and say whether the relative pronouns can be omitted or not.

1. The food ……… I like best is spaghetti. 2. Fred, …….. mother lives in Edinburgh, has gone to Scotland . 3. My home town ……… is near Birmingham is very small. 4. His uncle ……… is a millionaire owns a house in the Bahamas. 5. The dog ………. Robert bought has just had six puppies. 6. The actor ………. I admire the most is Robert De Niro. 7. Emma ………. sister is an actress is going on holiday to Hollywood. 8. The country ……….. my father was born is in South America. 9. The book …….... I'm reading is about China. 10. This jumper ………. I bought in Ireland is pure wool.

5. Explain the meaning of the following, as in the example.

1. The boys in my class who enjoyed the film saw it again. only some boys in my class

The boys in my class, who enjoyed the film, saw it again. all the boys in my class

2. The drivers who were involved in the accident had to go to court. The drivers, who were involved in the accident, had to go to court. 3. The restaurants which they go to are the most expensive. The restaurants, which they go to, are the most expensive. 4. The German students, who I met at Jill's party, met me last night. The German students who I met at Jill's party met me last night. 5. My new CDs, which he borrowed last week, were ruined. My new CDs which he borrowed last week were ruined.

6. Translate these sentences from Russian into English.

1. Официант, который нас обслуживал, ожидал большие чаевые. 2. Еду, которая осталась, съели на следующий день. 3. Кто захочет поселиться в номере, который никогда не убирают? 4. Как зовут человека, который купил твою старую машину? 5. Отель, который нам порекомендовала Барбара, оказался очень дорогим. 6. Я познакомился с девушкой, чья тетя пишет детские книжки. 7.Машина, которую мы взяли на прокат, сломалась через (after) несколько километров. 8. Некоторые из гостей, которые пришли на вечеринку, не были приглашены.

7. Underline relative pronouns which can he left out in these sentences.

1. The book that John was reading was a bit frightening. 2. The travel agency which sold me the ticket was near my office. 3. The name of the girl who lived next door was Ellen. 4. In the end, our holiday was the best that we had ever had. 5. The dentist who I go to isn’t very expensive. 6. The film which we saw last week was much better than this one. 7. The people who were leaving couldn't find their coats. 8. The garden, which wasn't very large, was full of flowers. 9. The car which David bought was not in good condition. 10. The girl who I sit next to in class is my best friend.