Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are an important way of providing information, focusing attention on

different sorts of information in English sentences and achieving. Some learners of
English have difficulty with relative, or they avoid using them. Note these rules for
forming relative clauses:

A relative clause is formed by embedding (putting) one sentence inside another. The
embedded sentence becomes a dependent (subordinate) clause (i.e. it cannot stand
alone as a sentence by itself). It must follow the pronoun or noun phrase that it
describes. It is a very effective way to join ideas together and to show their relationship.
Using relative clauses correctly is the sign of a fluent writer.

• The old teacher is an expert in Chinese archeology. He often visits China

• The old teacher, who often visits China, is an expert in Chinese archeology.

A relative clause can be used to define something, OR it can provide extra information (a
non-defining / non-restrictive clause). The relative clause in the sentence above is non-
defining (i.e. not essential to the meaning of the sentence), and thus MUST HAVE
COMMAS around it. However, if you want to make this information important to the
meaning of the sentence (e.g. to distinguish the teacher who visits China from other
teachers), you must use a non-defining (nonrestrictive) clause, WITHOUT commas:

• The old teacher who often visits China is an expert in Chinese archeology. This
sentence means that the writer is aware of more than one old teacher, but he is
referring to just the one who visits China.

Relative clauses can be introduced by either:

• A relative pronoun: (whom / who, which , that, whose) OR

• by the words: where, why and when

The relative clause can be “reduced” by omitting the relative pronoun but ONLY when it
takes the place of an OBJECT in a defining clause; NEVER when it takes the place of
 the subject. Be careful to use the correct relative pronoun and undertand when the
relative pronound can be omitted:

WRONG: I met the girl ^ speaks French. The relative pronoun CANNOT be omitted
here because it takes the place of the subject, NOT the OBJECT of the dependent
clause.

CORRECT: I met the girl who speaks French.

The choice between a gerund (e.g. swimming, walking, running) or a relative clause
often determines the meaning of the sentence.

• Many people disapprove of teenagers having love affairs. This means that many
people disapprove of a particular behaviour.

• Many people disapprove of teenagers who have love affairs. This means that many
people disapprove of a particular group of teenagers.

You can learn more about relative clauses by going to HKUST's English Grammar
Guide.