Relative Clauses

Relative Clauses

1. Relative clauses are clauses starting with the relative pronouns who*, that, which, whose, where, when. They are most often used to define or identify the noun that precedes them.

   • Relative Pronouns
     • Who (to describe people – subject)
       • Whom (to describe people – object).
         • Whose (to describe possession).
           • That (to describe things – defining relative clauses).
             • Which (to describe things – non-defining relative clauses).
   • Relative Adverbs
     • When (to describe times).
       • Where (to describe places).
         • Why (to give a reason).

2. Relative clauses are clauses starting with the relative pronouns who*, that, which, whose, where, when. They are most often used to define or identify the noun that precedes them.

   • Relative adverbs
     • When (to describe times).
     • Where (to describe places).
     • Why (to give a reason).
   • Relative pronouns
     • Whom (to describe people – object).
     • Who (to describe people – subject).
     • That (to describe things – defining relative clauses).
     • Whose (to describe possession).
     • Which (to describe things – non-defining relative clauses).

3. Defining and Non-defining

   • A defining relative clause tells which noun we are talking about: I like the woman who lives next door. (If I don't say 'who lives next door', then we don't know which woman I mean).
   • A non-defining relative clause gives us extra information about something.

4. Defining relative clauses

   • The relative pronoun is the subject
     • The relative clause can come after the subject or the object of the sentence. We can't drop the relative pronoun.
   • The relative pronoun is the object
     • In this case we can drop the relative pronoun if we want to. Again, the clause can come after the subject or the object of the sentence.