Relative Clauses

THE RELATIVE CLAUSES (“WHO, WHICH, THAT)
● “who, that” are used for humans

Here’s the man (who/that) I told you about
● “Which/that” are used for things

This is the dress (which/that) I bought last week.
● Whose/which express possession and cannot be omitted

Whose is used for people, animals and inanimate objects
This is Mrs Jones, whose son studies in Paris.
I placed the iPhone whose screen was broken
Fill in using “who, which or whose” where necessary.

1. Harry has black hair____which___ is starting to turn grey.
2. The car____which______ is parked outside is John's.
3. That's the man ____who____ fixed my car.
4. James Watt was an inventor ______whose______ ideas changed the world.
5. That's Mrs Smith, _____whose_____husband is a surgeon.
6. This is the dog _____which_______ leg is broken.
7. There's a concert on tonight ____which_______l'd like to see.
8. Albert's the man _____who______you should see about your garden.
9. That's the girl ______who_______ purse was stolen.
10. Mrs Black, _____whose_____cat died last week, is moving to Bristol.
11. That's the table ______which______legs need mending.
12. There's the house _____which_____ was talking about.
13. He knows the girl ________who_________ has three dogs.
14. He knows the girl _______whose_________ three dogs are beautiful.
15. This is John _____who______ laptop was stolen this morning.
Relative clauses are introduced with

a) relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which or that) and
b) relative adverbs (when, where, why) as follows.
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
used for people (who/that)

There's the boy who/that won first prize
used for animals (which/that things)

I read a book which/that was very boring
RELATIVE ADVERBS
● Time when (= in/on/at which)

1876 was the year when the telephone was invented
● Place where (= in/at/ on/to which)
That's the hotel where we spent our summer holiday
● Reason why (= far which)

Lack of qualifications was the reason (why) she didn't get the job.
Fill in using “when, where or why” where necessary.

1 This is the town ______where____ I grew up.
2 Do you know the reason _____why________she was crying yesterday?
3 There are several Reasons_____where_______ I can't go to the party.
4 I'll never forget the day _____when_______ I first met Joan.
5 The Star Bar, ____where___ I worked for a while, has closed down.
6 That picture was taken in the park ___where___ I used to play.
7 I remember the day ___when______ we first met.
8 Tell me _____why_____ you came home late.
9 There was a very hot summer the year __________when_______ he was born.
10 That's the restaurant ________where________ we met for the first time.
WHO VS WHOM
What to Know:
Whom is the objective case of who. It is the form of who in the object position of a sentence,
To determine when to use whom, figure out if the "who" is the noun that receives the action of a verb “object of
the sentence” ("Who gave it to you?" vs "You gave it to whom?").
Rule. Use this he/him method to decide whether who or whom is correct:

he = who
him = whom
Examples:
Who/Whom wrote the letter?

He wrote the letter. Therefore, who is correct.
Who/Whom should I vote for?

Should I vote for him? Therefore, whom is correct.
Exercise 1. For each of the following, choose the correct sentence.
a) You’ll be shocked when I tell you who called me last night.

b) You’ll be shocked when I tell you whom called me last night.
a) Who should I ask to the dance?

b) Whom should I ask to the dance?
a) The doctor who you recommended is not available for three months.
b)The doctor whom you recommended is not available for three months.
a) Cedric hasn’t decided whom should be appointed yet.

b) Cedric hasn’t decided who should be appointed yet.
a) I’m looking for an assistant on whom I can depend.
b) I’m looking for an assistant on who I can depend.
a) She is the woman whom I met for lunch yesterday.
b) She is the woman who I met for lunch yesterday.
a) Whom will you be vacationing with?

b) Who will you be vacationing with?
a) Who left this report on my desk?

b) Whom left this report on my desk?
REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING:
● Who is always the subject. The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or
being something; the subject performs the action
● Whom is always an object. The object of a sentence is the noun or pronoun that the subject does
something to; the object is the receiver of the action.
We use whom commonly with prepositions.
Examples:
He is the person with whom I was having a conversation

He is the person to whom I had a conversation
He didn’t ask for whom I had voted.
Exercise 2. Fill in using “who, or whom” where necessary.
1 To whom are you talking ? I am waiting for you.

2whom cares about what he was talking about?
3 With whom did this boy want to play?
4 Who is at the door now? I can't be quiet.
5 With whom did they want to go out in summer?
6 who would like to come with me for a trip?
7 Who are you looking at?
8 The man, who I met yesterday, was from another country.
9 The boys, who live in the capital, were very glad to be there.
10 who is your best friend?
11 I just want to know who made this delicious cake!
12 Do you know the person who is gazing at me?
13 To whom have you offered the flowers?
14 My parents will accept whom I choose as my husband/wife!
15 For whom_are you buying this present?
16 Tell me, who told you this wonderful news?
17 The electrician whom I asked for assistance was very helpful!
18 Who wrote this beautiful love poem?
20 With whom are you having this conversation?
Position of prepositions in relative clauses

PREPOSITIONS can come EITHER BEFORE relative pronouns OR AT THE END of the relative clause.
e.g. This is the house in which Shakespeare lived. (formal)
This is the house Shakespeare lived in. (informal)
Also: This is the house where Shakespeare lived.
Note: “WHO” and “THAT” ARE NOT USED AFTER PREPOSITIONS

e.g. This is the boy with whom I went out (formal)
This is the boy (who) I went out with. (informal)
EXAMPLES:
a) Mary looks very nice; she is the new secretary.

WHO
Mary, who is the new secretary, looks very nice.
b) The Browns live next door; their son is a dentist.
WHOSE
The Browns, whose son is a dentist, live next door.
e) The book is on the top shelf; It's about plants.
WHICH
The book which is about plants is on the top shelf.
The book which is on the top shelf is about plants.
d) August is the month when they got married.
WHICH
August is the month in which they got married.
Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words. The first one has been done as an
example.
EXAMPLE:
1 The cat is sitting at the window. lt belongs to my aunt. Which
The cat which is sitting at the window belongs to my aunt.
2 Tim is Lucy's brother; he loves basketball. Who

Tim, who loves basketball , is Lucy's brother.
3 Ann is very upset; her car was stolen. Whose
Ann, whose car was stolen, is very upset.
4 The village is very nice. lt's close to the forest. Which
The village, which is close to the forest is very nice.
5 The woman arrived yesterday; she is the new manager. Who
The woman who arrived yesterday is the new manager.
6 The chair is very old; its legs are broken. Whose
The chair , whose legs are broken, is very old.
7 1970 was the year when my sister was born. Which
1970 is the year in which. my sister was born.
8 The man is standing next to John. He's my cousin. Who
The man , who is standing next to John, is my cousin.
9 Helen called two minutes ago. Her mother is ill. Whose
Helen, whose mother is ill, called two minutes ago.
10 1966 was the year when I got my divorce. Which
1966 was the year in which I got my divorce.
Rewrite the sentences in as many ways as possible as in the example:

That's the office block where my mother works.
That's the office block in which my mother works.
That's the office block (which) my mother works in....
2 He's the person for whom I wrote that report.

_He’s the person whose report was written by me________
3 The project on which we were working is finished
___This is the project whose work is finished___________
4 This is the church in which my parents were married.
_This is the church where my parents were married______
5 This is the car we drove through Europe in.
___This is the car in which we drove through Europe_____________
6 That is the shopkeeper whom I had an argument with.
__The shopkeeper, who had an argument with me, is there____
7 That's the cottage we used to live in.
___That’s the cottage where we used to live
That’s the cottage in which we used to live____
8 This is Peter, with whom I went to Spain.
___Spain is the country where Peter and I went_________________________________________

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THE RELATIVE CLAUSES (“WHO, WHICH, THAT)

● “who, that” are used for humans

● “Which/that” are used for things

● Whose/which express possession and cannot be omitted

This is Mrs Jones, whose son studies in Paris.

I placed the iPhone whose screen was broken

Fill in using “who, which or whose” where necessary.

Relative clauses are introduced with

used for people (who/that)

used for animals (which/that things)

● Time when (= in/on/at which)

● Reason why (= far which)

Fill in using “when, where or why” where necessary.

Rule. Use this he/him method to decide whether who or whom is correct:

Who/Whom wrote the letter?

Who/Whom should I vote for?

Exercise 1. For each of the following, choose the correct sentence.

a) You’ll be shocked when I tell you who called me last night.

a) Who should I ask to the dance?

a) Cedric hasn’t decided whom should be appointed yet.

a) Whom will you be vacationing with?

a) Who left this report on my desk?

REMEMBER THE FOLLOWING:

We use whom commonly with prepositions.

He is the person with whom I was having a conversation

Exercise 2. Fill in using “who, or whom” where necessary.

1 To whom are you talking ? I am waiting for you.

Position of prepositions in relative clauses

Note: “WHO” and “THAT” ARE NOT USED AFTER PREPOSITIONS

a) Mary looks very nice; she is the new secretary.

2 Tim is Lucy's brother; he loves basketball. Who

Rewrite the sentences in as many ways as possible as in the example:

2 He's the person for whom I wrote that report.

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