Relative clauses tell us what person or thing someone is talking about, or give us more information about
that person or thing.
We use "where", "whose" and "whom" as relative pronouns to:
replace the subject or object
introduce a relative clause
connect separate clauses together in a single sentence.
Example
We use "where" to talk about a place:
We use "whose" for possession; to replace possessive adjectives such as my, his, her, etc.:
That’s the man whose dog bit me.
"Whose" can be used for people and things:
That’s the school whose director was sacked for changing grades.
We can use "whom" instead of "who" when the object of the verb is in the relative clause, and also with
prepositions:
That’s the man whom I married.
Marie is the woman with whom I work.
However, "whom" is a formal word and it is more usual to use "who" or "that":
That’s the man who I married.
Marie is the woman that I work with.
Relative clauses
There are two types of relative clause: defining and non-defining.
A defining relative clause gives us information necessary to understand the sentence.
A non-defining relative clause gives us extra information without which we could still understand
the main part of the sentence.
Example
1. Defining relative clause
The man lives next door to me.
This sentence needs more information: "The man" refers to a specific man but, without further
explanation, we cannot know which man the speaker is talking about:
The man who wants to marry my sister lives next door to me.
The defining relative clause in the sentence clarifies which man the speaker is talking about.
2. Non-defining relative clause
William Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets.
This sentence stands alone because we know who the speaker is talking about. It is clearly stated:
William Shakespeare. However, if we choose to add more information, we can, using a non-
defining relative clause:
William Shakespeare, who died in 1616, wrote 154 sonnets.
The non-defining relative clause in this sentence gives us extra information.
Note that a non-defining relative clause is separated by commas.
Also, the relative pronoun that can only be used in a defining relative clause.
Relative clauses without "who", "that", "which"
Sometimes we can leave out the relative pronouns "who", "that" and "which". We can do this when the
relative pronoun is the object not the subject of the verb.
Example
Relative pronoun as subject:
The dog which ran away has been found.
In this sentence, "the dog" is the subject: "the dog ran away", therefore, we must use a relative pronoun.
We cannot say:
The dog ran away has been found.
Relative pronoun as object:
The gentleman that I interviewed didn't speak any Spanish.
I interviewed the gentleman.
In this sentence, "the gentleman" or "that" is the object of the verb so we can leave it out:
The gentleman I interviewed didn't speak any Spanish.
The man who I saw on the bus was crying.
I saw the man.
The man I saw on the bus was crying.
The flower which I picked in the park died.
I picked the flower.
The flower I picked in the park died.
Relative pronouns
The most common relative pronouns are:
– who (subject), whom (object): to refer to people
– which: to refer to things
– that: to refer to either people or things
– whose: the possesive of who and which
– when: used after nouns referring to time
– where: used after nouns referring to place
– why: used to refer to reasons
Note: what is not a relative pronoun.
Watch out: The relative pronoun replaces the subject or the object.
– People who (they) live in glass houses should’t throw stones.
– The vase, which I bought (it) years ago, is very valuable.
Defining relative clauses
In definiting relative clauses:
The relative clause defines or identifies the person, thing, time, place or reason
– Chris is the son of a woman who works in television.
– That’s the man whose son is an actor.
– Winter was the time when people tended to get insufficient fresh food.
– I know the place where the play is set.
– I can’t imagine why he would want to leave you.
That can be used instead of who or which
– The girl that (who) lives next door rides a motorbike.
– The sports centre that (which) is opening soon will offer great new facilities.
The relative pronoun can be left out if it is the object of the verb in the relative clauses
– The person (who/that) I spoke to yesterday said it would be free.
– Sue bought the watch (which/that) she’d seen.
No commas are used before and after the relative clause.
Non-defining relative clauses
The relative clauses gives extra information which can be omitted. Commas are used before and after the
relative clause. The pronoun that cannot be used instead of who or which.
– The museum, where you can see Roman pottery, is free.
– The witness, who refused to be named, said the police had acted unwisely
Prepositions in relative clauses
Prepositions can come before the relative pronoun or at the end of the relative clause, depending on
whether the sentence is formal or informal.
– The person to whom I spoke told me the hotel was fully booked. (formal)
– John, who I bought my car from, has gone abroad. (informal)
