Relative clauses

The presentation is divided into three levels:

= Lower-intermediate/Intermediate
= Upper-intermediate
= Advanced
Relative clauses

relative clauses
Look at the sample sentences:
• This is the company. It was founded in 1935.
This is the company which was founded in 1935.
• Mike knows somebody. This person can speak Spanish.
Mike knows somebody who can speak Spanish.
• The job was offered to me. Lucy refused it.
The job that Lucy refused was offered to me.

Relative pronouns used for:

They refer to: What is NOT a
people things relative pronoun!
noun or who which For things use
pronoun that which or that.

Lower-intermediate/Intermediate level
Relative clauses

position of relative clauses

• Relative clauses come after the noun or pronoun that they

modify.
• We can find them at the end of the main sentence...
 I saw an advertisement which was very funny.
• ...or inside this sentence.
 The person who is reading the book is my boss.

Lower-intermediate/Intermediate level
Relative clauses

practice
Read the sentences, fill the gaps with a suitable relative pronoun AND
identify the relative clause:
who/that
1. Have you met our business partner _________
_____________ comes
from
______Italy?
2. Tell me something that/which
_________ the manager said at the
________________________
meeting.
_____
3. The managers _________
who/that arrived at the conference
________________________
come from Italy.
4. I read about something which/that
_________ is called tax evasion.
_____________________
5. Have you seen the person _________
who/that wrote the report
____________________
on the world economy?
____________
6. The employees _________
who/that are lazy may lose their jobs.
_____________

Lower-intermediate/Intermediate level
Relative clauses

additional relative pronouns

Look at the sample sentences:
1. The manager whose project you work on wants to leave.
This is the computer whose monitor is broken.
2. This is a photo of the town where I started my career.
3. I will never forget the day when I first entered this office.
4. The meeting was badly prepared, which upset the boss.

Relative clauses can also include:

• whose for possession of both people and things (1),
• where for reference to a place (2),
• when for reference to time (3) and
• which (always after a comma) when referring to the whole
previous clause (4).

Upper-intermediate level
Relative clauses

defining & non-defining clauses

Look at the sample sentences:

1. His book that was published in 2005 is quite famous.

2. His book, which was published in 2005, is quite famous.

Example 1: he published more books than one, so the year of

publication identifies the book = defining
Example 2: he published only one book, so the year is not
necessary and can be left out = non-defining

 important information  it cannot be left out

Defining  NO commas are used
 that is a possible relative pronoun here
Non-  extra (unnecessary) information  it can be left out
defining  it is separated with commas
 that cannot be used as a relative pronoun

Upper-intermediate level
Relative clauses

practice
Decide which of these relative clauses are defining (D) and which
are non-defining (N). If a clause is non-defining, separate it with
commas:

1. Life on the Earth is impossible without the Sun,which is

the center of the solar system. N
2. Let me introduce our company’s new CEO,whose
previous achievements are well-known. N
3. This is the customer who complained about our services. D
4. Any employee whose performance is not high enough will
be punished. D

Upper-intermediate level
Relative clauses

subject vs object position

Look at the sample sentences:

1. The auditor is over there. She called you yesterday.

The auditor who called you yesterday is over there.
Who is the subject of the relative clause and it is followed
immediately by a verb. You is the object.

2. The auditor is over there. You called her yesterday.

The auditor who(m) you called yesterday is over there.
Who is the object of the relative clause and it is followed
immediately by subject you. The object form can be whom.

Upper-intermediate level
Relative clauses

practice
Combine the two sentences using a relative clause:

1. Read the latest sales report. It was published last week.

_____________________________________________.
Read the latest sales report, which was published last week
2. Read the latest sales report. The CEO appreciated it.
_____________________________________________.
Read the lastest sales report, which the CEO appreciated
3. We talked about the product. We need its licence.
____________________________________________.
We talked about the product whose licence we need
4. We talked about the new product. Its details are secret.
____________________________________________.
We talked about the new product, whose details are secret

Upper-intermediate level
Relative clauses

omitting relative pronouns

Look at the sample sentences:
1. The employee who/whom/that they dismissed was upset.
The employee they dismissed was upset.
A relative pronoun can be omitted if it is the object of a
defining relative clause.
2. I bought her book(,) which has been written recently.
A relative pronoun can never be omitted if it is the subject of a
relative clause.
3. This is our CEO Mr Smith, who/whom you met last week.
A relative pronoun can never be omitted in a non-defining
relative clause.
Remember: you can NEVER omit whose.
Upper-intermediate level
Relative clauses

practice
Decide where the relative pronouns must be kept in a sentence ():

1. I heard something that scared me. 

2. Our company operates in Brno, which our staff like. 
3. The stockbroker (whom) we hired has earned us a lot of
money.
4. Tom heard about the merger whose details are secret. 
5. Please meet Jane, who is my new secretary. 
6. The files (that) John has brought must be given to Alex.
7. The alliance (which) our rivals made has failed.

Upper-intermediate level
Relative clauses

prepositions in relative clauses

Look at the sample sentences:
1. This is the factory (that/which) I work in.
= This is the factory in which I work.
2. Our CEO, who/whom you heard about, will retire soon.
= Our CEO, about whom you heard, will retire soon.

A preposition is put
AFTER the verb  in less formal language
 in formal language (usually written)
A preposition is put  it has an impact on the choice of the relative pronoun:
IN FRONT OF the • there must always be a relative pronoun after a preposition
relative pronoun • after a preposition, whom must be used instead of who
• relative pronoun that canNOT be used after a preposition
(e.g. we must use in which or of whom instead)

Upper-intermediate level
Relative clauses

practice
Rewrite these sentences by putting the preposition in front of the
relative pronoun. Change the relative pronoun if necessary:
1. The sales report which I was looking for is at her desk.
The sales report for which I was looking is at her desk.
2. The man that you asked me about works as an auditor.
The man _____________________
about whom you asked me works as an auditor.
3. QD Ltd., whose boss you protested against, went bankrupt.
QD Ltd., __________________________,
against whose boss you protested went bankrupt.
4. Lucy Purple, who you have certainly heard of, is pregnant.
Lucy Purple, of whom you have certainly heard is pregnant.
____________________________,
5. The takeover I told you about will shock the investors.
The takeover ___________________
about which I told you will shock the investors.

Upper-intermediate level
Relative clauses

shortened relative clauses

Look at the sample sentences:
1. Investors who buy bonds will make lower profit.
= Investors buying bonds will make lower profit.
2. The factory(,) which was built in 1935(,) will be sold.
= The factory(,) built in 1935(,) will be sold.

Active –ing form in the shortened

verb  clause (1)
Passive past participle in the
verb  shortened clause (2)

Upper-intermediate level
Relative clauses

practice
Shorten the following relative clauses:
1. P&W, which operates in Vienna, has made profit.
P&W, _________________,
operating in Vienna has made profit.
2. The new software that was released yesterday is unreliable.
The new software ________________
released yesterday is unreliable.
3. CEF Inc., which was set up in 1990, produces furniture.
CEF Inc., ____________,
set up in 1990 produces furniture.
4. The crisis that has been affecting the whole world is severe.
The crisis _____________________
affecting the whole world is severe.
5. I like the new advertisement which promotes life insurance.
I like the new advertisement _____________________.
promoting life insurance

Upper-intermediate level
Relative clauses

pronoun + of whom, etc.

Look at the sample sentences:
1. These are the new managers. Some of them speak English.
= These are the new managers, some of whom speak English.
2. I bought three books. They were all published in UK.
= I bought three books, all of which were published in UK.

When you combine two sentences together while making one of them
a non-defining relative clause, keep the following structure:

whom (for people)

pronoun / quantifier
(e.g. many, none, some, both,
the majority,...)
of which (for things)

Advanced level
Relative clauses

noun + of whom, etc.

1. The bookkeeper will retire soon. Her children live abroad.
The bookkeeper(,) whose children live abroad(,) will retire soon.
The bookkeeper(,) the children of whom live abroad(,) will
retire soon.
2. Look at the new machine. Its components are from Ireland.
Look at the new machine(,) whose components are from Ireland.
Look at the new machine(,) the components of which are
from Ireland.

Sometimes it is possible to use a noun instead of a pronoun when

joining two sentences together. Such structures are synonymous to
whose + noun phrases.

Advanced level
Relative clauses

practice
Join the sentence together using a relative clause and a
phrase with of:
1. The takeover bid seems acceptable. Its details are public.
the details of which are public seems
The takeover bid, __________________________,
acceptable.
2. These are my colleagues. They are both experts in insurance.
both of whom are experts in
These are my colleagues, _____________________
insurance.
3. I bought ten lottery tickets. At least one must be winning!
at least one of which must be
I bought ten lottery tickets, _________________
winning!
4. Please, call Georgia. Her boss is your good friend.
the boss of whom is your good friend.
Please, call Georgia, _______________

Advanced level