GRAMMAR RELATIVE CLAUSES

BASIC

Relative pronouns/
Examples Notice
Relative Adverbs
• The people who lived there has no idea what was happening.
WHO Subject
• Those who want tickets can get them from the office.
• This is Mr. Rogers, whom you met last year.
WHOM Object
• There were several people (whom) I did not recognize.
• It is a book which will interest children from all ages. Subject
WHICH
• It is subject (which) Professor Jams knows a great deal about. Object
• I like people that/who smile a lot. Subject
• Do you remember the people (that/whom) we met in Austria? Object
THAT
• This is the key that/which opens the garage. Subject
• I forget most of the film (that/which) I see. Object
• I saw I girl whose beauty took my breath away. Subject
WHOSE
• It was a meeting whose purpose I did not understand. Object
WHEN • I’ll never forget the day (when/on which/that) I first met you.

WHERE • Do you know a shop (where/at which/ that) I can find sandals?
WHY • Do you know the reason (why/for which/that) she doesn’t like me?

DEFINING AND NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

1. DEFINING Relative Clauses.

❖ Leaving out object pronouns
• I feel sorry for the man she married. → You don’t need to use Relative Clauses when it is not
“Subject”
• She met my brother, whom she later married. → You must use Relative Clause when it has a
comma.
(NOT She met my brother, she later married)
❖ Special use of THAT
▪ After superlative:
- It is the best film that has ever been made about HIV.
▪ After quantifiers: all, every(thing), some(thing), any(thing), no(thing), none, little, few, much, only +
That
- It is all that’s left?
- The only thing that matters is to find our way home.

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 - I hope the little that I’ve done has been usedful.
▪ After both people and things.
- The man and his dog that are walking in the park live next to my house.
▪ That can replace when/where, especially after somewhere, anywhere, everywhere, nowhere, place
- Come and see us any time (that) you are in the town.
- I’ll never forget the day (that) we married.
- Have you got somewhere (that) I can lie down for an hour?
- We need a place (that) we can stay for a few days.
▪ That is not used in non-restrictive clauses.
2. NON-DEFINING Relative Clauses.

Who…
Whom…
▪ Proper nouns (Lisa, Peter, etc.) + N
Which…
▪ Possessive adj (my, your, his, her their) + N
THAT… + main clause
▪ This/That/These/Those + N
Where
▪ Unique nouns (the Sun, the Moon, the world, etc.)
When
▪ N + prep phrase (the book on the shelf)
Why
(NO obmission)

WHICH → The whole idea

e.g. He got married again a year later, which surprised everybody.

REDUCED FORMS OF RELATIVE CLAUSES

who/which/that (used as Subject) + V (active) → who/which/that + present participle (-ing)

- Anyone who/that touches this wire will get shock.
→ Anyone touching this wire will get shock.
- Who’s the girl that is dancing with your brother?
→ Who’s the girl dancing with your brother?
- That was the car that broke down on drive.
→ That was the car breaking down on drive.

who/which/that (used as Subject) + V (passive) → who/which/that + past participle (-ed)

- Half of the people who were invited to the party didn’t turn up.
→ Half of the people who invited to the party didn’t turn up.

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 who/which/that (used as Subject) + be + a phrase (e.g. an adj phrase) → who/which/that + be the phrase
- The manager wanted to know the person who is mainly responsible for this project.
→ The manager wanted to know the person mainly responsible for this project.
▪ Ordinal number (first, second, etc.)
▪ Superlative + N
▪ Some other nouns: + TO INFINITIVE
action/ way/ measure/ decision/
year/ time/ day/ work/ place
- He was the last person that left
who left
to leave
- I want to find a way that solves the problem.
to solve the problem

WHOSE = OF WHICH/ OF WHOM

WHOSE + N = OF WHICH + the + N = The + N + OF WHICH

He has written a book. The name of the book I’ve forgotten.
→ He has written a book the name of which I’ve forgotten.
→ He has written a book of which I’ve forgotten the name.
→ He has written a book whose name I’ve forgotten.
→ He has written a book that I’ve forgotten the name of.

NOMINAL RELATIVE CLAUSES

1) N + number/ quantifier + OF WHICH/OF WHOM

- I have four sisters. All of them are models.
→ I have four sisters, all of whom are models
- I have four sisters. Two of them are models.
→ I have four sisters, two of whom are models.
- I received two letters. My mother wrote one of them.
→ I received two letters, one of which was written by my mother/my mother wrote.
❖ Quantifying determiners + OF WHICH/OF WHOM
▪ Quantifying determiners: some, any, none, all, both, several, enough, many, much, few, each,
half, neither, one.

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 - We’ve tested three types of boot, none of which is completely waterproof.
- She had a teddy bear, both of whose eyes were missing.
▪ Some other structure possible:
a number of whom the youngest of whom
the majority of whom half of which
three of which

2) “What” = The thing(s) (which)

e.g. I don’t know what to do. What we really need is a larger basket.

3) “Whatever”/ “Whoever” = anything that/ anyone that

e.g. You can do whatever you want
You can bring whoever you like.
Whoever gets most points, wins the prize.

4) “Whichever” → there are more than 2 items to choose.

e.g. There are three desk. You can choose whichever one you prefer.

5) Relative pronouns combining with connectors and prepositions:

during/ before/ after which despite whom in addition to which
at which point at which point by which time
in which case in which event
e.g.
• They enjoyed an interesting lecture, after which they took a stroll in the university grounds.
• We completely renovated the offices, in addition to which we installed a revolutionary security system.
• We argued for about an hour, at which point I felt there was nothing left to say.
• I waited until almost midnight, by which time all the passengers had disembarked.

POSITIONS OF PREPOSITIONS/ PARTICLES

1) He was respected by the people with whom he worked

(whom/that) he worked with

2) This is the chair in which/where the baby is sitting

(which/that) the baby is sitting in.

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3) With phrasal verbs:
- This is the man (whom/that) I called on.
(on whom) I called.
4) Prepositions can go at the end of a relative clauses, or, in very formal style, at the start.
- The exam which I’m worried about is on Monday. → The exam about which I’m worried in on Monday.
- Who is the girl whom you were talking to? → Who is the girl to whom you were talking?
- Christ is the friend whom I went to Vietnam with. → Christ is the friend with whom I went to Vietnam.