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Relative Pronouns and Relative Clauses

There are two types of relative clauses: defining and non-defining. Defining clauses identify a specific person or thing, while non-defining clauses provide extra information. Relative pronouns like who, which, and that introduce relative clauses and can function as subjects or objects. Who is used for people, which is used for things, and that can be used for people or things. Whose is the possessive form of who.

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55 views

Relative Pronouns and Relative Clauses

There are two types of relative clauses: defining and non-defining. Defining clauses identify a specific person or thing, while non-defining clauses provide extra information. Relative pronouns like who, which, and that introduce relative clauses and can function as subjects or objects. Who is used for people, which is used for things, and that can be used for people or things. Whose is the possessive form of who.

Uploaded by

Claudia grindelwald
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Relative pronouns and relative clause

Two kinds of relative clause

There are​ two kinds of relative clause​:

1. We use relative clauses to ​make clear which​ person or thing we are


talking about (=​ ​a defining relative clause​):

Marie Curie is the woman ​who discovered radium​.

This is the house ​which Jack built.​

In this kind of relative clause, ​we can use ​that​ instead of​ who​ or ​which​:

Marie Curie is the woman ​that discovered radium.​

This is the house ​that Jack built​.

We ​can ​leave out​ the pronoun ​if it is the object​ ​of the relative clause:

This is the house ​that​ Jack built​. ​(​that​ is the object of


built)​

2. We also use relative clauses to ​give more information​ about a


person, thing or situation (​non defining relative clause​):

Lord Thompson, ​who is 76​, has just retired.

We had fish and chips, ​which I always enjoy​.


I met Rebecca in town yesterday, ​which was a nice
surprise​.

● With this kind of relative clause, ​we use commas​ (,) to separate it
from the rest of the sentence.
● In this kind of relative clause, ​we can’t use ​that​ instead of​ who​ or
which​:

Lord Thompson, ​who is 76,​ has just retired.

(NOT ​Lord Thompson, t​ hat is 76​, has just retired.​)

● and we ​cannot​ leave out the pronoun:

We had fish and chips, ​which I always enjoy​.

(NOT ​We had fish and chips,​ I always enjoy​.​)

The relative pronouns are:

Subject Object Possessive

who who/whom whose

which which whose

that that -
We use relative pronouns to introduce ​relative clauses (Defining or
non defining relative clause)​. Relative clauses tell us more about
people and things:

Lord Thompson, ​who is 76,​ has just retired.

This is the house ​which Jack built.​

Marie Curie is the woman ​that discovered radium​.

We use:

● who ​and ​whom​ for ​people


● which​ for ​things
● that​ for ​people or things​.

whose​ and ​whom

We use ​whose​ as the ​possessive​ form of ​who​:

This is George, w
​ hose​ brother went to school with me.​

We sometimes use ​whom​ as the ​object​ of a verb or preposition:

This is George,​ ​whom​ you met at our house last year.​

(​whom​ is the object of ​met​)

This is George’s brother, ​with whom​ I went to school.​

(​whom​ is the object of ​with​)


but nowadays ​we normally use ​who​:

This is George, ​who​ you met at our house last year​.

This is George’s brother, ​who​ I went to school with.​

Relative pronouns with prepositions

When ​who(m)​ or ​which​ have a preposition, ​the preposition

can come ​at the beginning​ of the clause:

I had an uncle in Germany, f​ rom who(m)​ I


​ inherited a bit of
money.​

We bought a chainsaw, ​with which​ ​we cut up all the wood​.

or at the end​ ​of the clause:

I had an uncle in Germany, w


​ ho(m)​ I inherited a bit of money
from.​

We bought a chainsaw, ​which​ we cut all the wood up ​with​.

!!!!! But when ​that​ has a preposition, ​the preposition always comes at
the end​:

I didn't know the uncle ​that​ I inherited the money f​ rom​.

We can't find the chainsaw ​that​ we cut all the wood up w


​ ith.​
when​ and ​where

We can use ​when​ with times​ and ​where​ with places​ to ​make it clear
which time or place​ we are talking about:

England won the World Cup in 1966. It was the year w


​ hen we
got married.​

I remember my twentieth birthday. It was the day w


​ hen the
tsunami happened​.

Do you remember the place w


​ here we caught the train​?

Stratford-upon-Avon is the town ​where Shakespeare was born​.

We can​ leave out ​when​:

England won the World Cup in 1966. It was the year w


​ e got
married.​

I remember my twentieth birthday. It was the day t​ he tsunami


happened.​
We often use ​quantifiers​ and numbers​ with relative pronouns:

all of most of many of


which/whom which/whom which/whom

lots of a few of none of


which/whom which/whom which/whom

one of two of etc.


which/whom which/whom

She has three brothers, t​ wo of whom are in the army.​

I read three books last week, o


​ ne of which I really enjoyed.​

There were some good programmes on the radio, n


​ one of which
I listened to.​

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