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1. Relative clauses which give extra information, as in the example sentences above, must be separated off by commas The relative pronoun that cannot be used to introduce an extra-information (non-defining) clause about a person.

   • WRONG: Neil Armstrong, that was born in 1930, was the first man to stand on the moon. CORRECTO: Neil Armstrong, who was born in 1930, was the first man to stand on the moon.

2. The relative pronouns WHERE and WHEN are used with place and time nouns.

   • FIS is a school WHERE children from more than 50 countries are educated.

3. The relative pronoun WHOSE is used in place of the possessive pronoun. It must be followed by a noun.

   • There's a boy in grade 8 WHOSE father is a professional tennis player.

4. There is a relative pronoun WHOM, WHICH can be used as the object of the relative clause.

   • My science teacher is a person WHOM I like very much.

5. When the relative clause contains a present or past participle and the auxiliary verb to be. In such cases both relative pronoun and auxiliary can be left out:

   • Who's that man (who is) standing by the gate? The family (that is) living in the next house comes from Slovenia. She was wearing a dress (which was) covered in blue flowers.

6. 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

7. Note: You cannot omit the relative pronoun a.) if it starts a non-defining relative clause, or, b.) if it is the subject of a defining relative clause. For example, who is necessary in the following sentence: What's the name of the girl who won the tennis tournament?

   • Some native speakers, particularly those from the USA, consider it a mistake to use which in a defining/restrictive relative clause.

8. There are two common occasions, particularly in spoken English, when the relative pronoun is omitted: When the pronoun is the object of the relative clause. In the following sentences the pronoun that can be left out is enclosed in (brackets):

   • Do you know the girl (who/m) he's talking to? Where's the pencil (which) I gave you yesterday? I haven't read any of the books (that) I got for Christmas.