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Relative Clauses
Relative Clauses
A relative clause tells us which person or thing (or what kind of person or thing) the speaker means:
The woman who lives next door has lived in the Caribbean. ( who lives next door tells us which
woman)
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
WHO.- It is the relative pronoun used when we are referring to people. We use it instead of he/she/they.
the woman she lives next door - has lived in the Caribbean.
The woman who lives next door has lived in the Caribbean.
THAT.- It is used in both cases, i.e., when referring to people and things. It is more usual.
the woman she lives next door - has lived in the Caribbean.
The woman that lives next door has lived in the Caribbean.
What happened was my fault. (the thing that happened was my fault)
WHOSE.- It is the relative pronoun used instead of his/her/its. In other words, it is like a determiner.
Remember: it is ALWAYS followed by a NOUN. We translated it into Spanish as cuyo/a
WHOM.- It is possible instead of who when it is the object of the verb in the relative clause. It is normally
used in formal style. We also use it with prepositions.
The woman whom I wanted to see was away. (I wanted to see her)
The man with whom she fell in love left her a few weeks later. (she fell in love with a man)
We say: the day / the year / the time... something happens, when something happens or that something
happens.
We also say: the reason something happens / the reason that / the reason why
We say: all of / most of / none of / some of / many of / both of / half of / each of...
+ whom (people)
+ which (things)
The boy injured in the accident was taken to hospital. ( the boy who was injured in the accident
was taken to the hospital)
The woman who lives next door has lived in the Caribbean.
This morning I met somebody (that/who/whom) I haven't met for ages.
* Non-Defining Relative Clauses: gives us extra information about the person or the thing. They are not
necessary for the comprehension of the whole sentence. This is why they are written between commas. In
these sentences, we CANNOT use that; we CANNOT omit the relative pronouns. NEVER!!!!
* Now it is time to practice. Try to solve the following exercises about relative sentences.
1. Make one sentence from two. Use the appropriate relative pronoun.
4. Make one sentence using relative pronouns. Decide if the information is necessary or not, i.e.
defining or non-defining relative clauses?
There was a strike at the car factory. It lasted ten days. It is now over.
The strike at the car factory _______________________________________________
London was once the largest city in the world, but the population is now falling.
The population of London _________________________________________________
4. Make one sentence using relative pronouns. Decide if the information is necessary or not, i.e.
defining or non-defining relative clauses?
* The woman living next door is a doctor
* My brother Jim, who lives in London, is a fireman
* The strike at the car factory, which lasted ten days, is now over.
* Ive found the book I was looking for this morning
* The population of London, which was once the largest city in the world, is now falling.