MEETING 9

RELATIVE CLAUSES
 Relative Clause
A relative clause is a subordinate clause that begins with
a question word (e.g. who, which, where or the word
that). You can use it to modify a noun or pronoun (i.e. to
identify or give more information about it).

For examples:
1. Students who can develop independent learning
skills often achieve good academic results.
2. There is a new book that investigates the controversy
over political reforms in Hong Kong.
3. A university is a place where people pursue advanced
knowledge in specific academic disciplines.
4. The lecture theatre in which the inauguration
ceremony will be held is now being cleaned.
Words like who, that and when are often referred to as
relative pronouns when they are used to introduce
relative clauses. You use:

who for people, which for things, and that for both
people and things.

whom as the object of a relative clause (in more formal

English), though it is increasingly common to replace it
with who.

whose to indicate possession, as a determiner before

nouns.
 For examples:
1. What’s the name of the person who/that first landed
on the moon?
2. This is Dr. Perkins, whom we met at a conference in
Canada last year.
3. All students whose registration numbers begin with
3,7, and 4 should immediately go to the library for a
tour.
Edit the sentences, putting in suitable relative pronouns and
any missing commas!

1. Nearly all the proposals the committee put forward have

been accepted.
2. This is the book has become a bestseller in recent years.
3. Graduates possess a strong academic background as
well as good communication skills are favored by
employers.
4. Mosquitoes are small two-winged insects can spread
fatal diseases like malaria and dengue fever.
5. The government officials to we spoke last week were
completely unaware of the urgency of the matter.
6. That horrible incident occurred in 1967 I was still a baby.

7. There’s a football match on television tomorrow I think you

shouldn’t miss.

8. The firm has decided to introduce a new round of pay cuts

will doubtlessly be greeted with discontent and hostility.

9. The new MP3 player is produced by Sony has many useful

functions.

10. The woman hair is long and curly is the new secretary.
 Choose the suitable ending from the box first and make it
into a relative clause.

1. Barbara works for a a. He invented the

company, ……. telephone
2. The book is about a girl b. She runs away from
..... home
3. What was the name of c. They are never on time
the horse…. d. They stole my car
4. The police have caught e. They were on the wall
the men … f. It makes washing
5. Alexander Bell was the g. It gives you the meaning
man …… of words
6. What’s happened to the
pictures ….
7. A mystery is something h. It won the race
… i. It can’t support life
8. A dictionary is a book ….. j. It can’t be explained
9. I don’t like people ….
10. It seems that Earth is
the only planet ….