Relative Clauses Worksheet

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Defining Relative Clauses

Defining relative clauses define or identify the person, thing or place in the sentence.

Relative Pronoun Use Example

who (or sometimes that) for people The person who was waiting by her car
wanted to stop her getting in her in the car.
which or that for things or animals The cart that hit her car was an SUV.
where for places The place where she worked was an office
building.
whose for possessions (always The driver whose car hit her car was an
followed by a noun) elderly man.

Exercise A: Read the following unfinished story.

Anita had a strange day yesterday. First, she was delayed leaving for work because a woman
tried to stop her from getting into her car when she left her apartment. The woman had long
brown hair and was waiting for Anita. The woman kept blocking Anita from getting in her car,
but Anita managed to push past her and open the car
door. On her way to work, another car hit her car
while she was waiting at a red light at a very busy
intersection. When she got out of the car, she saw
that her front grill had been damaged. The other car
was a large SUV, and the driver was an elderly man
with a blue hat. He apologized for hitting her car.
Then, he drove off without giving his insurance or
contact information.

Anita arrived at work to see some of her co-workers standing in the car park outside her office
building. Her other co-workers were across the street in a café. Smoke was coming out of the
office building, and firefighters were going in to try to put out the fire. A co-worker told Anita
that a computer had exploded and started to fire. I had been her computer.

Since she couldn’t go to work, Anita went to the café across the street. The elderly man with a
blue hat was sitting at a table by the window. She walked over to ask him for his insurance
information. Suddenly, he stood up and pushed her with all his strength. Right then, a car drove
through the café window and into the table, just missing her.
Confused, Anita looked around. The elderly man had disappeared. But in the corner of the café,
she saw the woman with long brown hair from earlier that day.
Now, match the phrases together and write out the sentences about the story.

1. The woman who (a) hit Anita’s car (I) was an elderly man.
2. The car that (b) was waiting for Anita’s car (II) was very busy.
3. The intersection where (c) car hit her car (III) had long brown hair.
4. The driver whose (d) the SUV hit her car (IV) was a large SUV.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Exercise B: Choose the correct relative pronoun for each sentence.

1. Elton John is the singer (which / when / who) sang Tiny Dancer.
2. That’s the café (which / where / who) I met my husband.
3. I like books (where / who / which) have strong main characters.
4. A cinema is a place (which / where / who) you go to watch films.
5. September is the month (when / which / where) we go back to school.
6. The person (when / who / which) I miss the most is my best friend.
7. Italy is the country (who / when / where) the renaissance began.
8. Mozambique is another country (where / who / when) they speak Portuguese.
9. Summer is a time (where / who / when) people go traveling.
10. There’s a restaurant in the city center (which / where / who) you can eat paella.
11. The car (who / which / where) has a scratch on the side is mine.
12. That’s the woman (when / who / where) helped me find the hotel.

Exercise C: Rewrite each sentence correcting the relative pronoun mistake.

1. That’s the office which all the video editors work.

2. I don’t think he likes the toy who I bought him.

3. The city which I was born is on the coast.

4. This bin is the one when we throw away our recyclables.

5. Christmas is a time where I eat too much food.

6. I saw my grandmother in a photo who she took when she was 18.

7. The man which is interested in buying your car will phone later.

Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Non-defining relative clauses provide additional information about the person, thing or place in
the sentence. Non-defining relative clauses don’t identify anything, just add to the information.
Commas are used to separate them from the rest of the sentence.

Relative pronoun Use Example

who for people Marilyn Monroe, who died in 1962, is
still very famous.
which for things or animals The movie “Some Like It Hot”, which
came out in 1959, starred Marilyn
Monroe.
where for places Hollywood, where the American film
industry started, is near Los Angeles,
whose for possessions (always Haruto, whose favorite actress is
followed by a noun) Marilyn Monroe, is from Japan.

Exercise A: Read the following text. Then, complete each gap in the sentences below with who,
which, where or whose.

Haruto and Yuna are a married couple. They have planned a trip to
Hollywood. They’ve dreamed of going to Hollywood because it’s the
birthplace of the American film industry. Many famous films are made there.
Haruto and Yuna are from Japan, so it will be a long trip. Yuna wants to learn
about her favorite film stars. Her favorite American actor is Robin Williams.
Williams starred in the 1998 movie “Patch Adams”, and “Patch Adams” is
Yuna’s favorite American film. The film was nominated for eight awards and won one, the
ASCAP Award. Williams was known for his comedic acting style and his range in performances.
He died in 2014. Haruto’s favorite American actress is Marilyn Monroe. Monroe was known for
playing beautiful, sexy characters and for being a sex symbol. Although Monroe died in 1962,
she is still very famous. Haruto’s favorite film starring Monroe is the 1959 film “Some Like It
Hot”. Monroe won a Golden Globe Award for her performance in this film.

While Haruto and Yuna are in Hollywood, they want to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Many
celebrities have stars on it. Both Williams and Monroe’s stars are on Hollywood Boulevard.
Williams’s star is on the north side, while Monroe’s star is on the south side.

1. Hollywood, is Haruto and Yuna’s holiday destination, is known as the center of

the American film and TV industry.

2. Japan, Haruto and Yuna are from, is a long way from Hollywood.

3. Haruto, likes Marilyn Monroe, wants to see Monroe’s star on the Walk of Fame.

4. Marilyn Monroe, acting abilities earned her a Golden Globe award, has a
Hollywood Walk of Fame star on the south side of Hollywood Boulevard.

5. Robin Williams, starred in the film “Patch Adams”, was a famous comedian.

Exercise B: Underline the additional (non-defining) information in each of the five sentences.