Relative clauses


A relative clause tells us which person or thing the speaker means.

USE:

who /or whom – with a preposition/or that  for people.

which, that for things.

whose in the meaning of a possessive pronoun /e.g. her, his/ for people, places and things

what in the meaning: the thing/s/ that e.g. Did you hear what they said?

where when talking about places.


We say:  the day, the time, the year that something happens or without that /Do you remember the
day (that) we met?


We say the reason why or that or without: /The reason (that, why) I am phoning is.../


Who, that and which can be only omitted when they are the object of the verb in the relative
clause.

Compare:

The man who lives next door is very friendly. /not the man lives next door is very friendly/.

The man I wanted to see was away.


Relative clauses are classified as

defining – giving information that cannot be omitted. /We know a lot of people who live in London/

non-defining – giving extra information:

- commas are used to separate the relative clause from the rest of the sentence

            - that cannot be used

            - who or which cannot be omitted

/My brother Jim, who lives in London, is a doctor/


 EXERCISE:

1. Leave out who or that where possible:


1.  The woman who lives next door is a doctor.

2.  The people [DEL: who :DEL] we met at the party were very friendly.

3.  The people who work in the office are very friendly.

4.  What have you done with the money [DEL: that :DEL] I gave you?

5.  What happened to the money that was on the table? Did you take it?

6.  It was an awful film. It was the worst film [DEL: that :DEL] I've ever seen.

7.  It was an awful experience. It was the worst thing that has ever happened to me.

8.  The girl who was injured is now in hospital.

9.  Barbara works for a company that makes washing machines.


2. Put in that or what:
 1.  I gave her all the money……THAT………… I had.
 2. Tell me ………WHAT……. you want and I´ll try to get it for you.
 3. Why do you blame me for everything…THAT….. goes wrong?
 4. I won´t be able to do much but I´ll do the best …(THAT)… I can.
 5. I don´t agree with …WHAT……… you´ve just said.
 6. I can only lend you ten pounds. It´s all …(THAT)……..I´ve got.
 7. I don´t trust him. I don´t believe anything …(THAT)……… he says.
 8. Do you still remember the day …(THAT)…………..we first met?


3. Complete each sentence using who/whom/whose/where:


 1. What´s the name of the man …WHOSE…………car you borrowed?
 2. A cemetery is a place ....WHERE.............people are buried.
 3. A pacifist is a person ……WHO………… believes that all wars are wrong.
 4. An orphan is a child ……WHOSE………… parents are dead.
 5. This school is only for children WHOSE…………… first language is not English.
 6. I don´t know the name of the woman to WHOM………………… I spoke on the phone.
 7. I recently went back to the town WHERE …………I was born.
 8. I met a man WHO………….works in a circus.
 9. The place …WHERE………. we spent our holidays was really beautiful.
10. The woman with …WHOM………..he fell in love left him.