1. When the event or action in the defining relative clause comes before the event or action in the main clause.

• Trees which fell in the storm have been removed.

• Trees falling in the storm have been removed.

unless it is the cause of the event or action in the main clause:

• Trees which fell in the storm have resulted in several accidents.

• Trees falling in the storm have resulted in several accidents.

2. With active single completed actions

• The boy who fell off his bicycle broke his leg. The boy falling off his bicycle broke his leg.

• But we can use a reduced relative clause with passive single completed actions

• The boy who was knocked off his bicycle broke his leg. The boy knocked off his bicycle broke his leg.

3. In passive sentences when:

• a. there is a noun (or as here, a pronoun) between the relative pronoun and the verb:

• It was the way in which he was sacked that particularly shocked me. NOT the way in which he sacked ...

• b. when there is a modal other than will in the defining relative clause The students who will be selected tomorrow will be offered a scholarship The students selected tomorrow will be ... The students who should be selected are those that have worked the hardest. NOT The students selected tomorrow are those ...

Practice 2

Exercise 2 - Complete the sentences with a verb from the first box in participle form together with an expression from the second.

find · chat · stand · pile out · wag · be involved · play · be most interested

in the robbery · with the yoyo · on the phone · of the cinema · on the street its tail · at the bus stop · in buying

1.	The woman was in a hurry so she hailed a taxi.
2.	I think the dog is a Jack Russel.
3.	The crowds looked very happy.
4.	The people our house were the Joneses.
5.	The men have all been arrested.
6.	The wallet was handed in to the police.
7.	The girl over there is the new secretary.
8.	The young boy is my brother.

Note - we also seem to be able to reduce relative clauses which include adjectives formed from past participles, like involved and interested when they follow the verb to be.

Other ways of shortening relative clauses

1. Omitting the -ing form when it is followed by a prepositional phrase

• We can omit the present participle when it is followed by a prepositional phrase:

• The people who were sitting at the back couldn't hear. The people sitting at the back couldn't hear. The people at the back couldn't hear.

• We can also do this when the verb in the relative clause is be and no participle is involved:

• The man who is in that big black car is the President of Erewhon. The man in that big black car is the President of Erewhon.