E303 F20 HN

Relative Clauses
We use relative clauses to combine two simple sentences which share the same noun
phrase. One of the two sentences is transformed into a relative clause is used to modify that
noun phrase by replacing it with a correspondent relative pronoun, which is placed at the
beginning of the clause

1. A dentist is a person. A dentist gives dental treatment.

A dentist is a person who/that gives dental treatment.
2. We know a lot of people. A lot of people live in Minnesota.
We know a lot of people who/that live in Minnesota.
3. A vegetarian is a person. A vegetarian never eats meat.
A vegetarian is a person who/that never eats meat.
4. The teacher was very strict. We had the teacher last semester.
The teacher whom/who/that we had last semester was very strict.
5. A widow is a woman. A widow’s husband is dead.
A widow is a woman whose husband is dead.
6. What was the name of the man? The man’s car broke down.
What was the name of the man whose car broke down?

There are two types of relative clauses

1. Defining (or restrictive)

2. Non-defining (or non-restrictive)

Defining Relative Clauses

They specify a particular noun (called the antecedent).

1. The girl who is the best in our class is Mona. (There are several girls and we need to
identify that girl from all others.)

2. The ring that was stolen from my room hasn't been found yet. (There are several rings
and we need to identify that ring from all other rings.)

Non-defining Relative Clauses

They give extra information for an already defined noun. They are set off from the main
clause by commas.

1. My father, who lives in Belgium, is a chemist. (No need to define my father because it is
already defined since individuals usually have one father.)
2. Mr. Johnson, who got the highest grade on the test, is happy. (Mr. Johnson is a proper
name which refers to a specific individual.)
Relative clauses (whether defining or non-defining) should be placed after the noun they
define (i.e. the antecedent).

That is not used in non-defining relative clauses.

Although collective nouns such as crowd, audience, class relate to people, they are
used with which/that.

There was a big crowd. It soon gathered at the scene of the accident.
There was a big crowd which/that gathered at the scene of the accident.

Using whose and of which

We can use of which instead of whose for objects, but of which is used in non-defining
relative clauses. Whose should always be followed by a noun.
1. This is the machine. I described its properties.
This is the machine whose properties I described.
This is the machine, the properties of which I described.
2. I stayed at a fantastic hotel. It’s facilities are fabulous.
I stayed at a fantastic hotel whose facilities are fabulous.
I stayed at a fantastic hotel, the facilities of which are fabulous.

3. The tree must be cut down. The leaves of the tree have turned brown.
The tree whose leaves have turned yellow must be cut down.
The tree, the leaves of which have turned yellow, must be cut down.

Deleting relative pronouns

In English, a relative pronoun which functions as the object of the relative clause can be
deleted.

1. I bought the book which/ that Salman recommended.

I bought the book Ø Salman recommended.
2. This is the student who/ whom/ that I taught last semester.
This is the student Ø I taught last semester.
3. He is the person who/ whom/ that I depend on.
He is the person Ø I depend on.
He is the person on whom I depend.
*He is the person on Ø I depend. Ungrammatical

To know if the relative pronoun functions as object of the relative clause, that relative pronoun
is separated from the verb by the subject of the relative clause.

Introductory expressions in non-defining clauses

Non-defining clauses can be introduced by expressions like all of or many of followed by the relative
pronoun whom or which.
all of, any of, some of, a few of, both of, each of, either of, half of, many of, most of, much of, none of,
one of, two of, etc.

Examples
1. There were a lot of people at the party, many of whom I had known for years.
2. There are 14 girls in my class, a few of whom are my friends.
3. He was carrying his belongings, many of which were broken.
4. He had thousands of books, most of which he had read.
5. He picked up a handful of stones, one of which was sharp.

Using "which" to refer to another clause

The relative pronoun which at the beginning of a non-defining relative clause can refer to all
the information contained in the previous part of the sentence, rather than to just one word.

Examples
1. Chris did really well in his exams, which is quite a surprise.
2. My friends were all hiding in my apartment, which isn't what I'd expected.
3. She's studying to become a doctor, which is difficult.

Sentential relative clause

A sentential (also called connective) relative clause does not refer to a preceding noun; it
rather comments on the whole preceding clause or sentence:

The streets were empty, which was unusual for this time of day. (The fact that the streets
were empty was unusual.)

"Then he goes on to say how much he appreciates all the effort we've put into it, which is
strange because he never seemed to care much about what we do."

 
A. Use the relative pronouns (or adverbs) in the box to complete the sentences. Add
commas where necessary.
who(m) that which whose where when

1. The doctor _______ examined the child was very gentle.

2. I live in Canada _______ is a sparsely populated country.

3. Lee teaches a class of students _______ native language is not English.

4. Yesterday, I ran into an old friend _______ I hadn't seen for years.

5. Dan says he will always remember the day _______ his parents first bought him a bike for
his birthday.

6. That's the drawer _______ I keep my jewelry.

7. The town _______ I used to live in was not very big.

8. The people _______ house I am staying at are very kind to me.

9. Is this store _______ you said you bought the fishing equipment?

10. Here is the place _______ grandpa always used to talk about.

11. I am in need of a coat _______ will keep me warm.

12. We don't have a big enough room in _______ we can apply sample tests.

13. Why don't you consult someone _______ has experienced the same troubles?

14. The woman _______ husband is a football player always complains about the stains
_______ never come off easily.

15. Here is a big thank you to all _______ contributed to this wonderful website.

16. What I'm now going to tell you is something _______ you'll never forget in your life.

17. The severe drought _______ occurred last summer ruined the crop.

18. The voters were overwhelmingly against the candidate _______ proposals called for
higher taxes.
B. Decide whether the relative clauses are defining or non-defining. Add commas
where necessary.
1. This swimming pool is for people who can't swim very well.
2. Martha who is a very good student won first prize in Math.
3. Laura likes the necklace that her parents gave her.
4. My back which had hurt all day was still painful that evening.
5. James is someone who always tries to do well at everything.
6. My neighbour Simon who is very intelligent teaches Physics.
7. We took the train to Paris which is a city I love.
8. The hotel which we stayed in was small but comfortable. 
9. Ian's father whom he hadn't spoken to for ages called last night.
10. Jason whose father called last night lives in Portugal.
11. Jack's computer which he bought 5 years ago is very slow.
12. I had dinner with a friend last night who works in London.
13. That's the woman whose husband has just gone to prison.
14. Jason who is an accountant lives in Geneva.  

C. Use a defining relative clause or a non-defining relative clause. Use appropriate

punctuation.

1. Bob has one daughter. His daughter is called Maria. She goes to Yale University.
Bob's daughter ....................................................................................................................
2. You recommended a book for me. I read it.
I read ....................................................................................................................................
3. Havana is the capital of Cuba. Havana has a lively night life.
Havana ..................................................................................................................................
4. One of my sisters lives in Paris. The other one lives in London. The one in Paris is getting
married next year.
My sister ............................................................................................................................
5. Michael Jackson made a video in 1984. It was called "Thriller". It is considered a classic
by his fans.
In 1984 Michael Jackson ...................................................................................................
6. I have a lot of friends. One is a dentist. He lives in Hawaii.
I have a friend .......................................................................................................................
7. Lord Aston was born in 1834. He was born in Hambwell House in the north of England.
Hambwell House is now a school.
Lord Aston was born .............................................................................................................
8. We visited four cities on our European tour. All of us preferred the same city. It was also
the most expensive.
 All of us ................................................................................................................................
9. We had dinner at the "Three Roses" restaurant. Your sister recommended that restaurant.
We had ..............................................................................................................................

D. Add commas where necessary.

1. London which is the capital of England is one of the largest cities in the world. 
2. This is the dress my mother has made for me. 
3. Queen Elizabeth II who is 83 has been the queen of England for 57 years now. 
4. Tom Cruise who has starred a lot of films is a famous American actor. 
5. The village where I grew up is very small. 
6. Greg whose job involves travelling a lot has been in nearly all the countries in the
world. 
7. That's the dog that bit me. 
8. The office I have just rented is near my home.
9. This is the officer that arrested the burglar.  
10. Lady Gaga who is a well-known pop star is only 24. 

E. Combine the sentences using non-defining relative clauses. Punctuate correctly.

1. The Berlin Wall was started in 1961. It was a symbol of the Cold War.
2. The Vatican City has a population of around 900. It is the smallest state in the world.
3. The Taj Mahal was completed around 1653. It was built as a mausoleum for his favorite wife
by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.
4. The Suez Canal was opened in 1869. It is 192 kilometers long. It links the Mediterranean with
the Red Sea.
5. The London Underground is popularly known as 'the Tube'. It serves 270 stations and
comprises over 400km of track.
6. The Tunguska Event occurred on June 30, 1908. It was a powerful explosion in Siberia. It is
believed to have been caused by a meteorite.

F. Combine the sentences using non-defining relative clauses. Use correct

punctuation.

1. Samuel Johnson was the son of a bookseller. Samuel Johnson was born in 1709.
Samuel Johnson ...............................................................................................................  

2. In 1728, he went to Oxford. He studied at Pembroke College in Oxford.

In 1728, he went ................................................................................................................  

3. Johnson had to leave Oxford without a degree. He was too poor to pay the fees.
Johnson ..............................................................................................................................
4. In 1737, Johnson moved to London. There he wrote poetry, essays and biographies.
In 1737, Johnson ...............................................................................................................

5. In 1746, Johnson started to write his dictionary. It took him nine years to complete.
In 1746, Johnson started ....................................................................................................

6. His home at that time was in 17 Gough Square in London. It is a museum now.
17 Gough Square in London. .............................................................................................

7. In this house, his wife died in 1752. Her name was Elizabeth Porter.
In this house his wife ..........................................................................................................

8. In 1755, the work was published. It was called A Dictionary of the English Language.
In 1755, the work ................................................................................................................
9. Samuel Johnson died in 1784. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.
Samuel Johnson ................................................................................................................
C. Add appropriate relative pronouns.

Donald John Trump born June 14, 1946, is an American businessman and reality television personality
[1] __________ was elected President of the United States in November 2016. Since 1971 he has
chaired The Trump Organization [2] ___________ is the principal holding company for his real estate
ventures and other business interests.

Trump was born and raised in New York City and was educated at the Wharton School of the
University of Pennsylvania [3] ____________ he received a bachelor's degree in economics in 1968.
In 1971, he took control of Elizabeth Trump & Son, the real estate and construction firm [4]
___________ his father had founded before the Second World War. His business activities extend from
New York [5] _____________ he owns large quantities of real estate, to Atlantic City
[6]______________ he has been involved in casinos.

Trump has appeared at the Miss USA pageants [7] __________ he owned from 1996 to 2015, and has
made cameo appearances in films and television series. He hosted and co-produced The Apprentice, a
reality television series on NBC [8] ____________ was filmed in Trump Tower, his corporate
headquarters and residence.

As of October 2016, he was reported to have a net worth of $3.7 billion [9] ___________ makes him
the 324th wealthiest person in the world, and 156th in the United States.

Trump's presidential campaign [10] ________ received unprecedented media coverage and
international attention, was controversial from the start, and many of his statements in interviews, on
Twitter, and at campaign rallies were inflammatory.