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Introduction To Defining Relative Clauses

This document defines and provides examples of different types of relative clauses: - That clauses are used to identify a noun or provide additional information about a noun. - Who/whom clauses are used to identify people. "Who" is more common than "whom". - Whose clauses are used to indicate possession. - Where clauses identify a place. When clauses identify a time. - "That" is used instead of "where" or "when" if the relative clause contains the relative pronoun as the subject or object of a verb.

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73 views2 pages

Introduction To Defining Relative Clauses

This document defines and provides examples of different types of relative clauses: - That clauses are used to identify a noun or provide additional information about a noun. - Who/whom clauses are used to identify people. "Who" is more common than "whom". - Whose clauses are used to indicate possession. - Where clauses identify a place. When clauses identify a time. - "That" is used instead of "where" or "when" if the relative clause contains the relative pronoun as the subject or object of a verb.

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hgood68
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Defining relative clauses

MAIN
VERB

A key opens this door. I need it.

need

it.
A key

opens this

door.
I
door.

need

the key

(subject)

that

opens this

A man is waving to us. He is my brother.

He
A man

is

my brother.

is waving to us.
(subject)

The man who is waving to us

got

I
It
We saw
The movie
good.

my brother.

You wrote a letter. I got it.

is

got

it.
You wrote
the letter

a letter.
(subjec

(that) t) you

wrote.

yesterday

was

We saw a movie yesterday. It was good.


a movie
(subjec

(that)
t)

was

good.

we

saw

yesterday.

NOTE: We can leave out that or who if they are not the subject of the next verb.
I need the key that opens this door. that is the subject of the verb opens.
I got the letter (that) you wrote. that is not the subject of the verb wrote (you
is the subject).

What is it?
that
The cake that you made is delicious!
Who is it?
who / that (who is more polite)
I want to meet someone who I can talk to. / I want to meet someone that I can talk to.
NOTE: If who is the object of the next verb, some people use whom, but who is
more common.
You spoke to a man. He has gone home.
The man whom you spoke to has gone home. / The man to whom you spoke has
gone home.
More common: The man (who) you spoke to has gone home.
Whose is it? (his, her, their)
whose
I had to pay money to a man. I hit his car.
Why?

why
I had to pay money to the man whose car I hit.
I dont like the cold.
Some children couldnt go to school. Their parents were poor.
I dont want to go to the
The children whose parents were poor couldnt go to school.
south pole because of
Where is it?
where / that
that
Im going to a shop. You bought those shoes there.
The reason why I dont
Im going to the shop where you bought those shoes.
want to go to the south
When is it?
when / that
pole is I dont like the
Ill never forget a day. I graduated from university then.
Ill never forget the day when I graduated from university.

NOTE: We cant use where or when as the subject or object of the next verb. We
use that instead.
Africa is the place where I met Annie.
Christmas is a time when family give
presents.
(Verb met, Subject I, Object Annie)
(Verb give, Subject family,
Object presents)
Africa is a place that I wanted to see.
Christmas is a time that many people dont
like.
(that is the object of see)
(that is the object of dont like)
Africa is the place that scared me the most. Christmas is the time that reminds us of
Jesus.
(that is the subject of scared)
(that is the subject of reminds)

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