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We use relative clauses to give additional information about something without starting another sentence

The document explains the use of relative clauses to provide additional information without starting new sentences, enhancing fluency in writing. It details how to form relative clauses using various relative pronouns and adverbs, as well as the distinction between defining and non-defining relative clauses. Additionally, it discusses how to shorten relative clauses using participles for clarity and conciseness.

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María Belén Ronquillo
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10 views

We use relative clauses to give additional information about something without starting another sentence

The document explains the use of relative clauses to provide additional information without starting new sentences, enhancing fluency in writing. It details how to form relative clauses using various relative pronouns and adverbs, as well as the distinction between defining and non-defining relative clauses. Additionally, it discusses how to shorten relative clauses using participles for clarity and conciseness.

Uploaded by

María Belén Ronquillo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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We use relative clauses to give additional information about something without starting

another sentence. By combining sentences with a relative clause, your text becomes more
fluent and you can avoid repeating certain words.(English accent)

How to Form Relative Clauses

Imagine, a girl is talking to Tom. You want to know who she is and ask a friend whether he
knows her. You could say:

A girl is talking to Tom. Do you know the girl?

That sounds rather complicated, doesn't it? It would be easier with a relative clause: you put
both pieces of information into one sentence. Start with the most important thing – you want
to know who the girl is.

Do you know the girl …

As your friend cannot know which girl you are talking about, you need to put in the additional
information – the girl is talking to Tom. Use „the girl“ only in the first part of the sentence, in
the second part replace it with the relative pronoun (for people, use the relative pronoun
„who“). So the final sentence is:

Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?

Relative Pronouns

relative
use example
pronoun

who subject or object pronoun for people I told you about the
woman who lives next door.

which subject or object pronoun for animals and Do you see the cat which is
things lying on the roof?

which referring to a whole sentence He couldn’t


read, which surprised me.

whose possession for people animals and things Do you know the
boy whose mother is a nurse?

whom object pronoun for people, especially in non- I was invited by the
defining relative clauses (in defining relative professor whom I met at the
clauses we colloquially prefer who) conference.

that subject or object pronoun for people, animals I don’t like the table that stands
and things in defining relative clauses in the kitchen.
(who or which are also possible)

Subject Pronoun or Object Pronoun?

Subject and object pronouns cannot be distinguished by their forms - who, which, that are
used for subject and object pronouns. You can, however, distinguish them as follows:
If the relative pronoun is followed by a verb, the relative pronoun is a subject pronoun. Subject
pronouns must always be used.

the apple which is lying on the table

If the relative pronoun is not followed by a verb (but by a noun or pronoun), the relative
pronoun is an object pronoun. Object pronouns can be dropped in defining relative clauses,
which are then called Contact Clauses.

the apple (which) George lay on the table

Relative Adverbs

A relative adverb can be used instead of a relative pronoun plus preposition. This often makes
the sentence easier to understand.

This is the shop in which I bought my bike.


→ This is the shop where I bought my bike.

relative
meaning use example
adverb

when In wich(specific time) /on refers to a time the day when we met
which(no specific time) expression him

where in/at which refers to a place the place where we


met him

why for which refers to a reason the reason why we met


him

Defining Relative Clauses

Defining relative clauses (also called identifying relative clauses or restrictive relative clauses)
give detailed information defining a general term or expression. Defining relative clauses are
not put in commas.

Imagine, Tom is in a room with five girls. One girl is talking to Tom and you ask somebody
whether he knows this girl. Here the relative clause defines which of the five girls you mean.

Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?

Defining relative clauses are often used in definitions.

A seaman is someone who works on a ship.

Object pronouns in defining relative clauses can be dropped. (Sentences with a relative clause
without the relative pronoun are called Contact Clauses.)

The boy (who/whom) we met yesterday is very nice.

Non-Defining Relative Clauses


Non-defining relative clauses (also called non-identifying relative clauses or non-restrictive
relative clauses) give additional information on something, but do not define it. Non-defining
relative clauses are put in commas.

Imagine, Tom is in a room with only one girl. The two are talking to each other and you ask
somebody whether he knows this girl. Here the relative clause is non-defining because in this
situation it is obvious which girl you mean.

Do you know the girl, who is talking to Tom?

Note: In non-defining relative clauses, who/which may not be replaced with that.

Object pronouns in non-defining relative clauses must be used.

Jim, who/whom we met yesterday, is very nice.

How to Shorten Relative Clauses?

Relative clauses with who, which, that as subject pronoun can be replaced with a participle.
This makes the sentence shorter and easier to understand.

I told you about the woman who lives next door. – I told you about the woman living next door.

Do you see the cat which is lying on the roof? – Do you see the cat lying on the roof?

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