DEFINING / RESTRICTIVE RELATIVE CLAUSES 1

A clause is a part of a sentence. A defining relative clause tells us which person

or thing (or what kind of person or thing) the speaker means. The man lives next
door. He is very friendly. The man who lives next door is very friendly. Relative
Clause

WHO (THAT) for PEOPLE   We know a lot of people. They live in London. We know a
lot of people who live in London.

WHICH / THAT for THINGS  I don’t like stories. They have unhappy endings. I don’t
like the stories that have unhappy endings. Where are the eggs? They were in the
fridge. Where are the eggs which were in the fridge?

 The defining clause who lives next door tells us which man we are talking about.
So, it is essential to the meaning as it defines or resticts the word man.
Therefore, it shouldn’t be used between commas RELATIVE CLAUSES 2

 

DD
 The man who lives next door is very friendly.  Where are the eggs which were in
the fridge? In these sentences who and which are subjects of the verbs in the
relative clauses.

WHOSE for HIS /HER /THEIR/ ITS  We saw some people. Their car had broken down. We
saw some people whose car had broken down.

WHERE for PLACES The man lives next door. He iis very friendly. The hotel wasn’t
very clean. We stayed there The hotel where we stayed wasn’t very clean. Where are
the eggs ? They were in the fridge

NON-DEFINING / NON-RESTRICTIVERELATIVE CLAUSES 3 YOU CANNOT LEAVE OUT (DELETE) WHO

or WHICH IN THESE SENTENCES
Sometimes who and which are objects of the verbs. The man – I wanted to see him-
was away on holiday. The man who I wanted to see was away on holiday. Have you
found the keys? – You lost them. Have you found the keys that you lost? WHEN WHO or
WHICH ARE OBJECTS OF THE VERB IN THE RELATIVE CLAUSE, YOU CAN LEAVE THEM OUT.  The
man ф I wanted to see was away on holiday.  The dress ф Ann bought doesn’t fit her
very well.  Is there anything ф I can do? PREPOSITIONS IN RELATIVES     Do you
know the girl? – Tom is talking to her. Do you know the girl (who) Tom is talking
to? The bed wasn’t very comfortable. I slept in it last night. The bed I slept in
last night wasn’t very comfortable.

The woman who lives next door is a doctor. Have you found the keys that you lost?
In these sentences, the relative clauses tell us which person or thing the speaker
means. The house at the end of the street, which has been empty for five years, has
just been sold. Mrs. Morgan, whose son is in our class, is an English teacher. In
these sentences the relative clauses (which has been empty ... and whose son...)
are not important in order to know which person or thing the speaker means. We
already know which person or thing is meant. The relative clauses in these
sentences give us extra information about the person or thing. So, they’re not
necessary as they don’t define the words they refer to; that’s why they should be
used them between commas. In these non-defining relative clauses you have to use
who for people and which for things. You cannot use that and you cannot leave out
who or which. Mr. Jason, who has worked for the company for 20 years, is retiring
next week. When you write clauses like this you have to put commas (,) at the
beginning and the end of the clause.
Complete the following non-defining relative clauses using who or which:
a) Robert’s parents, ..................... are retired now, live in Spain. b)
Sydney, ....................... has a population of more than 3 million, is
Australian’s largest city. c) Peter’s sister, ............................ goes to
school with me, is a very nice person. d) My uncle
John, ............................ lives in London, is coming to visit me next
week. e) I saw the film 'Casablanca', ............................. won an Oscar in
1942.

Combine the following sentences using relative pronouns.

1. I like the dress. Ann is wearing it.
_____________________________________________ 2. I invited a lot friends to the
party. They couldn’t come. _____________________________________________ 3. We had
a fish for dinner. It was very delicious.
_____________________________________________ 4. I met a girl last week. I didn’t
like her. _____________________________________________ 5. I applied for a job. I
didn’t get it. _____________________________________________ 6. We wanted to travel
on a flight. It was fully booked. _____________________________________________ 7.
She is married to a man. He has been married twice before.
_____________________________________________ 8. The house isn’t in a good
condition. I’m living in it. _____________________________________________ 9. I
recently went back to the town. I was born there.
_____________________________________________ 10. What was the man’s name? His wife
was taken to the hospital. _____________________________________________ 11. The
place was really hot. We spent our holiday there.
_____________________________________________ 12. They are the couple. Their
luggage disappeared. _____________________________________________ 13. A stadium is
a place. You can watch athletics there.
_____________________________________________ 14. Is there a shop near here? I can
buy some drinks there. _____________________________________________

1. The new cinema will be opened next week. The cinema holds 150 people
__________________________________________________ 2. Jane is one of my best
friends. I share all my secrets with her.
__________________________________________________ 3. I often go to meet my friends
in Bournemouth. Bournemouth is only 30 miles away.
__________________________________________________ 4. The population of London is
now falling. London was once the largest city in the world.
__________________________________________________ 5. Our school vice principle was
late this morning. Vice principle is nearly always on time.
__________________________________________________

CORRECTION

1. I like the dress which Ann is wearing. 2. I invited a lot of friends who
couldn't come to the party. 3. We had a fish which was very delicious for dinner.
4. I met a girl who I didn't like last week. 5. I applied for a job that I didn't
get. 6. We wanted to travel on a flight that was fully booked. 7. She is married to
a man who has been married twice before. 8. The house in which I'm living isn't in
a good condition. 9. I recently went back to the town where I was born. 10. What
was the man's name whose wife was taken to the hospital? 11. The place where we
spent our holiday was very hot. 12. They are the couple whose luggage disappeared.
13. A stadium is a place where you can watch athletics. 14. Is there a shop near
here where I can buy some drinks?

a. Robert’s parents, who are retired now, live in Spain. b. Sydney, which has a
population of more than 3 million, is Australian’s largest city. c. Peter’s sister,
who goes to school with me, is a very nice person. d. My uncle John, who lives in
London, is coming to visit me next week. e. I saw the film 'Casablanca', which won
an Oscar in 1942.

1. The new cinema, which holds 150 people, will be opened next week. 2. Jane is one
of my best friends with whom I share all my secrets. 3. I often go to meet my
friends in Bournemouth, which is only 30 miles away. 4. The population of London,
which was once the largest city in the world, is now falling. 5. Our school vice
principle, who is nearly always on time, was late this morning.