Relative Clauses

What are Relative Clauses?

Relative clauses give us extra information

about a noun.

This information can be necessary

to identify the noun (defining)
or simply add information (non defining)
RELATIVE PRONOUNS

Used to refer to people (subject)

which Used to refer to things,animals

whose Used for possession (cuyo/a)

that Used to refer to both people and things

when Used to refer to time

where Used to refer to places

RELATIVE PRONOUNS

Used to refer to people (object)

why Used to refer to reason

what Used to refer to things

DEFINING VS NON DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
DEFINING
No commas
Necessary information.
Essential to distinguish which
person or thing we are talking
about.
Ex: I called my sister who lives in
London
(I have more than one sister and I
called the one who lives in London)
We can use ‘that’
We can use THAT instead of WHO/WHICH
Ex: That is the t-shirt which/that I bought
in London.
Relative pronouns can be omitted
We can omit who,which,that when they are
followed by subject+verb
Ex: Do you like the cake (that/which) I made?
NON-DEFINING
Between commas
Extra information.
Not necessary to distinguish which
person or thing we are talking
about.
Ex: My sister,who lives in London,
is very tall
(I have only one sister and I´m just
mentioning that she lives in London)
We cannot use ‘that’
We cannot use THAT instead of WHO/WHICH
Ex: These phones,which cost a fortune,are
made in Tokio *NOT `that cost a fortune´
Relative pronouns cannot be omitted
We cannot omit who,which
Ex: They introduced me to John,who I liked
immediately.