The Relative Clauses - Activities

The Relative Clauses – Activities
Choose the most fitting pronoun to fill the gap in each sentence. There may be
more than one correct answer.
1. The new movie is about a boy who has magical powers and a scar on his
forehead.
2. He is the young man, whose car has won the race.
3. Is this the hotel where you are staying for the tournament?
4. My dad, who travels a lot on business, is in Australia at the moment.
5. It was midnight when the first rescue team arrived at the scene of the
accident.
6. There are several reasons why they are not allowed to give you any kind of
information.
7. We stayed at the famous Ritz hotel, which also had an indoor swimming
pool.
8. Did you write back to the person who offered you a job?
9. The tennis court where they usually play isn’t available currently.
10. My sister was born at a time when my parents were travelling through
Europe.
11. Where is the book that I brought here yesterday?
12. That's the man whom/who I spoke to the other day.
13. Mr. Fields, whose sister is one of the main researchers of the investigation,
talked about all of the endangered species around the world.
14. He didn't tell us why he made such an irresponsible decision.
15. The present that I got from my mother proved to be very useful.
16. My cousin Ethan, who works at NASA, is a brilliant scientist.
17. I've met most of the people who are eager to take part in the competition.
18. Do you know the reason why our offer was rejected?
19. Do you remember what she told me yesterday?
20. I apologized to the woman whose coffee I spilled.
Decide if the relative pronoun is referring to the subject or the object of the
sentence.
subject pronoun
object pronoun
The Relative Pronouns – Compound Relative Pronouns
Complete the meaning of the following sentences with the adequate compound
relative pronoun.
whatever
whichever
whoever
whomever
whenever
wherever
1. I know you are the expert, so I will do whatever you say.

2. He would always tell this story to whoever/whomever would listen to him.
3. Whatever happens, just stay here and wait.
4. We can go wherever you want.
5. She always tries to spend more time with her mother whenever she goes to
visit her.
6. I have found a lot of toys like these in the attic, take whichever you want.
7. My brother always disagrees with whatever I say.
8. Whoever planted that tree, they did a service to humanity.
9. Now that we are on vacation, we should be able to travel wherever we want.
10. Whenever I watch this series, I feel very satisfied with myself.
Decide if the relative clauses are defining or nondefining in each of the following
sentences.
essential relative clause

nonessential relative clause
defining
nondefining
1. My brother John, who you saw sitting next to me yesterday, is going to study
in New York. NE
2. She was thinking about the two jobs which had been offered to her. E
3. He was smoking a cigarette, which was forbidden there. NE
4. She didn’t see the man who had taken her book from the table by mistake. E
5. The old gentleman, whose car is a Rolls Royce, must be very wealthy. NE
6. The well-known detective, who has been to Paris in a secret mission, has just
returned. E
7. Their house, which could be seen from the distance, was completely ruined.
NE
8. It was her sister Anne who was responsible for all that gossip. E
9. Here is the address that you should write to. E
10. What’s the name of the podcast that we’re listening to? E
Decide if you can either omit or not the relative pronoun in the following
sentences.
Relative Pronoun Activities
Decide whether or not the relative pronoun can be omitted in the following
sentences.
ANSWERS
Explanation
THE RELATIVE PRONOUN CAN BE OMITTED:
RULE#1 only in defining relative clauses (without commas).
RULE#2 If the relative pronoun is followed by a noun or pronoun!
The book (which) I read last week was fantastic.
WHICH + I = RELATIVE PRONOUN + PRONOUN
The woman (who) the police arrested was found guilty of first-degree murder.
WHO + THE POLICE = RELATIVE PRONOUN + NOUN
THE RELATIVE PRONOUN CANNOT BE OMITTED:
RULE#1 in non-defining relative clauses (with commas).
Gina, whom I met in the shop, invited me for a cup of tea. CORRECT
--Gina, I met in the shop, invited me for a cup of tea. INCORRECT--
RULE#2 in defining relative clauses if the relative pronoun is followed by a
verb!
I'm reading the Hunger Games which was written by Suzanne Collins.
WHICH + WAS WRITTEN = RELATIVE PRONOUN + VERB
RULE#3 after preposition + whom/which (at which, with whom, among whom
etc.)
This is the house in which she was murdered. (FORMAL) IN WHICH cannot be
omitted!
Click in the words that we can omit.

Full readable text
An ambulance came to take the climber whom I helped. The hunter who my
sister saw in the woods was caught by the police.The train which she was about
to take was late.This is the terminal that I told you about.That’s the seat which
my ticket has written on it.
Checking mode - Full text where words can be marked
An ambulance came to take the climber whom I helped.

1. The hunter, who my sister saw in the woods was caught by the police.
2. The train, which she was about to take, was late.
3. This is the city that I told you about.
4. That’s the seat number which my ticket has written on it.
5. This was the hotel that we stayed in for two weeks.
6. She showed me the emeralds which she had brought back from South Africa.
7. Mrs. Smith, who is very smart, lives on the fourth floor.
8. This is the car that John bought at an auction.
My colleague with whom I'm doing the project should be here as soon as
possible.
That's the woman whose house has been broken into.
9. My new motorbike, which I paid a few thousand euros for, is not running
well.
10. Where is the letter that arrived this morning?
We often omit relative pronouns after the object.
We omit relative pronouns only if they are not the subject of the clause.
We omit relative pronouns, or use THAT , only in informal speech, in order to

communicate faster.
Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Omitting the Relative Pronoun Worksheet
(TESOL Worksheets--Relative Clauses)
Google: drive, docs, pub
[This work sheet was designed for students who are not yet confident enough to
omit the relative pronoun in real time conversation, but need to understand the
rules for a written test at the end of the term. The worksheet is my own,
although, since it was difficult to think of 23 relative clause sentences off the top
of my head, many of these sentences were borrowed from other books.
On a sidenote: I've learned a lot of interesting things about grammar over the
years teaching TESOL. One of the things that fascinates me is that native
speakers do all these calculations sub-consciously when they speak.]
Omitting the relative Pronoun: Yes or No.

It is often difficult for learners of English to know when they can omit the
relative pronoun. Especially when speaking, learners may not have time to
think through everything in real time. At this level, don’t worry so much about
omitting relative pronouns in speaking. Just understand what the grammar
rules are for the test and you’ll do fine.
If you think through everything carefully, it shouldn’t be a problem.
In order to omit the relative pronoun, you need two things.
1) The relative clause must be defining.
2) The relative pronoun must be the object of the relative clause.
Both of these things should be easy if you think through them carefully. The
first step is to decide whether the relative clause is defining or non-defining.
This should be pretty easy if you use the commas to help you make decisions.
Subject and Object
For the sentences below, decide whether they are defining or non-defining.
1. The man who I wanted to see was on holiday. (defining / non-defining)
2. Tom’s father, who is 78, goes swimming every day. (defining / non-defining)
3. The house at the end of the street, which has been empty for two years, has
just been sold. (defining / non-defining)
4. I don’t like stories that have unhappy endings. (defining / non-defining)
5. She told me her address, which I wrote down on a piece of paper. (defining /
non-defining)
6. Have you found the keys that you lost? (defining / non-defining)
7. The man who lives next door is very friendly. (defining / non-defining)
8. Martin, whose mother is Spanish, speaks both Spanish and English fluently.
(defining / non-defining)
9. We know a lot of people who live in London. (defining / non-defining)
10. Where are the eggs that were in the fridge? (defining / non-defining)
11. The strike at the car factory, which lasted ten days, is now over. (defining /
non-defining)
12. The bed that I slept in was too soft. (defining / non-defining)
13. I didn’t get the job that I wanted. (defining / non-defining)

14. A friend of mine, whose father is the manager of a company, helped me to
get a job. (defining / non-defining)
15. Everything that happened was my fault. (defining / non-defining)
16. Yesterday I met John, who told me he was getting married. (defining / non-
defining)
17. My sister, who you met once, is visiting us next week. (defining / non-
defining)
18. This is the worst film that I’ve ever seen. (defining / non-defining)
19. The waitress who served us was very impolite. (defining / non-defining)
20. The museum that Tom recommended was shut when we got there.
(defining / non-defining)
21. Gerry works for a company that makes typewriters. (defining / non-
defining)
22. The man that I met has been married twice. (defining / non-defining)
23. Last night went to Ann’s party, which we enjoyed very much. (defining /
non-defining)
Once you have decided that a relative clause is defining, then you can omit the
pronoun if it is in the object position. The sentences below are the defining
relative clause sentences from the previous exercise. Now go through and
decide which ones have relative pronouns as objects, and which ones have
relatives pronouns as subjects. Remember you can omit relative pronouns used
as objects, but not as subjects.
1. The man who I wanted to see was on holiday.

What is the relative clause?
__________________________________________________
What is the relative pronoun? ____
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? _______
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun:
______________________________________________
Is the relative pronoun the subject or the object of the clause? ________
Can you omit the relative pronoun in this sentence? ____
2. I don’t like stories that have unhappy endings

__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
3. Have you found the keys that you lost?

__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
4. The man who lives next door is very friendly.

__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
5. We know a lot of people who live in London.

__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
6. Where are the eggs that were in the fridge?

__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
7. The bed that I slept in was too soft.

__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
8. I didn’t get the job that I wanted.

__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
9. Everything that happened was my fault.

__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
10 This is the worst film that I’ve ever seen.

__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
11. The waitress who served us was very impolite.

__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
13. The man that I met has been married twice.

__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
14. Gerry works for a company that makes typewriters.
__________________________________________________
______________________________________________
Answers
1. The man who I wanted to see was on holiday.

What is the relative clause? who I wanted to see
What is the relative pronoun? who
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? the man
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: I wanted to see the man
Is the relative pronoun the subject or the object of the clause? object
Can you omit the relative pronoun in this sentence? yes
2. I don’t like stories that have unhappy endings

What is the relative clause? that have happy endings
What is the relative pronoun? that
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? stories
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: stories have happy endings
Is the relative pronoun the subject or the object of the clause? subject
Can you omit the relative pronoun in this sentence? no
3. Have you found the keys that you lost?

What is the relative clause? that you lost
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? the keys
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: you lost the keys
4. The man who lives next door is very friendly.

What is the relative clause? who lives next door
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: the man lives next door
5. We know a lot of people who live in London.

What is the relative clause? who live in London
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? people
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: people live in London
6. Where are the eggs that were in the fridge?

What is the relative clause? that were in the fridge
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? the eggs
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: the eggs were in the fridge
7. The bed that I slept in was too soft.

What is the relative clause? that I slept in
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? the bed
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: I slept in the bed
Clare finally got the job that she wanted.

8. I didn’t get the job that I wanted.
What is the relative clause? that I wanted
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? the job
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: I wanted the job
9. Everything that happened was my fault.

What is the relative clause? that happened
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? everything
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: everything happened
10 This is the worst film that I’ve ever seen.

What is the relative clause? that I've ever seen
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? the (worst) film
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: I've seen the film
11. The waitress who served us was very impolite.

What is the relative clause? who served us
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? the waitress
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: the waitress served us
What is the relative clause? that Tom recommended
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? the museum
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: Tom recommended the museum
13. The man that I met has been married twice.

What is the relative clause? that I met
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: I met the man
14. Gerry works for a company that makes typewriters.

What is the relative clause? that makes typewriters
What noun does the relative pronoun refer to? a company
Rewrite the relative clause using the noun: a company makes typewriters
NECESSARY OR NOT
Exercise on Relative Clauses (Contact clauses)

Relative Pronouns - necessary or not?
Decide whether the relative pronouns must be used or not.

A calendar is something which tells you the date.
relative pronoun is necessary
relative pronoun is not necessary
Strikers are soccer players who try to score goals for their team.
Jane is a person who everybody likes.
A stamp is something which you put on a letter if you want to send it.
The Thames is a river which runs through London.
Cheese is food which mice like eating.
A racket is something which you use to hit a ball when you play tennis or
badminton.
Socks are things which you wear on your feet.
A guide is a person who shows tourists around around a place.
Love is a feeling which nobody can describe.
Q1 - He's the man that I told you about.
We can omit the relative pronoun here.
We can't omit the relative pronoun here.
Q2 - That's the car which I am thinking about buying.
Q3 - She was the person who saw it first.
Q4 - The email that I sent didn't reach everybody.
Q5 - The flight which we were supposed to take was cancelled.
Q6 - Nothing that she does shocks me now.
Q7 - There is no one whom I trust more.
Q8 - He's not the sort of person that everyone likes.
Q9 - It's something that I don't want to think about.
Q10 - He's the one that took it.
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
Fill in: who - whose - which - where - when
I was on my way to the Odeon Cinema, where

I wanted to meet my cousin Fred.
I was walking down Richmond Street when
I heard a loud noise.
A man had crashed into a tree which
was standing at the corner to Corn Street.
The man, whose
car was badly damaged, was in shock.
I helped him phone his wife, who
arrived shortly after the call.
My friend Jimmy, who

is very superstitious, loves lucky charms.
One day Jimmy, whose
room is always an awful mess, decided to do some cleaning.
First he tidied his wardrobe, where
he found a rabbit´s paw.
He was very excited when
he came over to my place.
He showed me the rabbit´s paw, which
was light brown and looked very old.
Last July, when

we had our house-warming party, Mum invited our friend Peer from Norway.
Peer arrived at Stanstead Airport, where
we picked him up two days before the party.
Peer, who
had never been to England before, was very excited.
Peer´s suitcases, which
were huge, didn´t fit into the car.
Peer, whose
suitcases had to take a taxi, was very upset.
I spent a year in Australia when

I was only 23 years old.
My first stop was Melbourne, where
I have friends.
Peter and Kate, who
are both teachers, showed me around.
One day we went to the aquarium, which
was awesome!
Peter, whose
band is pretty cool, plays the double bass.
I met a woman who can speak Welsh.

2. What’s the name of the man that lives next door?
3. What’s the name of the river that goes through the town?
4. Everybody that went to the party enjoyed it very much.
5. Do you know anybody who wants to buy a car?
6. Where is the clock which was on the wall?
7. She always asks me questions that are difficult to answer.
8. I have a friend that is very good at singing.
9. I don’t like people that don't take their earphones off.
10. Have you seen the dictionary which was on the table?
My sister, who Correct is now living in New York, has just had a baby. E
(That can only be used in defining relative clauses (without comas).
We can only omit the relative pronoun (who, which, that) in defining relative
clauses (without comas).)
Can you give me the number of the plumber that Correct repaired your shower?
E
(We can use who and that for people in defining relative clauses (without
comas).
We can omit the relative pronoun (who, which, that) in defining relative clauses
(without comas), but only when it’s followed by subject + verb, not when it's
followed by a subject.)
I'd like to eat at the restaurant where Correct we met. ((((
Thanks for the wine that Correct you brought us. NE

( We can omit the relative pronoun (who, which, that) in defining relative
clauses (without comas) when it’s followed by subject + verb.)
5The car, which Correct cost more than 20,000 dollars, was a present from his
family. NE
( We can only use which or who (not that) in non-defining relative clauses
(between comas).
We can only omit the relative pronoun (who, which, that) in defining relative
clauses (without comas).
The company, whose Correct workers are now being forced to stay home, will
probably go bankrupt.
This is the bar where Correct I work.
I'll always remember the day when Correct we met.
You should write a thank you email to the lady who Correct assisted you the
night of the accident. E
( We can’t leave out the relative pronoun (who, that, which) when it is followed
by a verb, we can only omit it when it is followed by subject + verb in defining
relative clauses.)
C – The festival, which lasted all day, ended with a banquet.
B – I am looking for someone who can watch my dog while I go on vacation.
C – The police needed details that could help identify the robber.
C – I’d like to take you to a café which serves excellent coffee.
A – The clubhouse, in which the dance was held, housed about 200 people.
A – You can choose one person, whomever you like, to share the cruise with
you.
B – I saw the shoes that you bought last week on sale for less this week.
C – The winners, when known, will receive money and other prizes.
B – This is the place where we met.
A – The baby, whose nap had been interrupted, wailed loudly.
1. This is the town where I spent my childhood.

2. This is the town in which I spent my childhood.
3. This is the house that / which I was born in.
4. Here is an article which / that might interest you.
5. I gave her a bag which she put in her bag at once.
6. This is Alice whom you met last year.
7. I was impressed by the way in which she did it.
8. They got divorced a few months later which surprised nobody.
9. The people who live next door are not very friendly.
10. The only thing that matters is to find our way home.
11. The woman who / whom I marry should have good sense of humor.
12. She was loved by the people with whom she worked.
OBJECT or SUBJECT?
Type in the correct relative pronoun.
The man who

came first in the 100-metre race broke the world record.
At the zoo, there is a parrot which

can talk to the people.
Do you know the woman whose

son is a famous actor?
I really like the suit that

you bought for the wedding!
It was my brother whom
I entrusted with looking after my baby.
Type in the correct relative pronoun.
Did you see the car that
was driving much too fast?
It was very sad to see the bird whose

wing was broken.
Today, I saw the woman whom

always helps grandma with her shopping.
Do you like the new plants that

I bought for the living room?
I was offered a job by the manager of the company,

whom I met at the interview.
Choose the correct relative pronoun.
Look at that dog who
is chasing its own tail!
Becky and Amy are two sisters whose

faces look very much alike.
This is the newest phone which

you can buy in the shops.
Harriet Shaw was the name of the girl whom

he wanted to give a valentine’s present to.
I need someone who

can fix my washing machine.
The accountant that works for my father's company was arrested.

[ The mobile phone that is broken can't be fixed ]
I met a girl that was a doctor
We called a doctor that works at a hospital in London
The hairdresser that has red hair was very good ]
The nurse that treated my grandmother is in the office ]
The car that broke down is in the garage ]
The fruit that isn't fresh is on the table.
The television that was bought 20 years ago was stolen
The table that was my grandmother's got broken
The money that belongs to John is in the kitchen
The waiter who was wearing a blue shirt was rude
My sister who lives in Australia has three children
The girl who is from India works in a bank
The man who is wearing a blue jumper is in the garden
They live in a city that is in the north of England
She loves books that have happy endings
I dropped a glass that was new
We broke the computer that belonged to my father
The customer liked the waitress who was very friendly
I sent an email to my brother who lives in Australia
They called a lawyer who lived nearby
She worked for a man who used to be an athlete
SUBJECT OR OBJECT - activity
WHO and WHICH exercise - the difference

WHO, WHOM, WHOSE exercise
compound relative pronouns
Omission of the relative pronoun
-the relative clause must be defining
-the relative pronoun must be the object of the relative clause
relieve
polizón
Picturesque
soaking

The Relative Clauses - Activities

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The Relative Clauses - Activities

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The Relative Clauses – Activities

The Relative Pronouns – Compound Relative Pronouns

1. I know you are the expert, so I will do whatever you say.

essential relative clause

Relative Pronoun Activities

Click in the words that we can omit.

An ambulance came to take the climber whom I helped.

We often omit relative pronouns after the object.

We omit relative pronouns, or use THAT , only in informal speech, in order to

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Omitting the relative Pronoun: Yes or No.

1. The man who I wanted to see was on holiday. (defining / non-defining)

4. I don’t like stories that have unhappy endings. (defining / non-defining)

9. We know a lot of people who live in London. (defining / non-defining)

13. I didn’t get the job that I wanted. (defining / non-defining)

15. Everything that happened was my fault. (defining / non-defining)

1. The man who I wanted to see was on holiday.

2. I don’t like stories that have unhappy endings

3. Have you found the keys that you lost?

4. The man who lives next door is very friendly.

5. We know a lot of people who live in London.

6. Where are the eggs that were in the fridge?

7. The bed that I slept in was too soft.

8. I didn’t get the job that I wanted.

9. Everything that happened was my fault.

10 This is the worst film that I’ve ever seen.

11. The waitress who served us was very impolite.

13. The man that I met has been married twice.

1. The man who I wanted to see was on holiday.

2. I don’t like stories that have unhappy endings

3. Have you found the keys that you lost?

4. The man who lives next door is very friendly.

5. We know a lot of people who live in London.

6. Where are the eggs that were in the fridge?

7. The bed that I slept in was too soft.

Clare finally got the job that she wanted.

9. Everything that happened was my fault.

10 This is the worst film that I’ve ever seen.

11. The waitress who served us was very impolite.

13. The man that I met has been married twice.

14. Gerry works for a company that makes typewriters.

Exercise on Relative Clauses (Contact clauses)

Decide whether the relative pronouns must be used or not.

I was on my way to the Odeon Cinema, where

My friend Jimmy, who

Last July, when

I spent a year in Australia when

I met a woman who can speak Welsh.

I'd like to eat at the restaurant where Correct we met. ((((

Thanks for the wine that Correct you brought us. NE

This is the bar where Correct I work.

I'll always remember the day when Correct we met.

1. This is the town where I spent my childhood.

Type in the correct relative pronoun.

The man who

At the zoo, there is a parrot which

Do you know the woman whose

I really like the suit that

It was my brother whom

I entrusted with looking after my baby.

Type in the correct relative pronoun.

Did you see the car that

was driving much too fast?