Unit

92 Relative clauses 1: clauses with who/that/which

A Study this example situation:
Last week we had a party and a lot of people came. Everybody enjoyed it.
Everybody who came to the party enjoyed it.
relative clause

A clause is a part of a sentence. A relative clause tells us which person or thing (or what kind of
person or thing) the speaker means:
the woman who lives next door to me
(‘who lives next door to me’ tells us which woman)
people who complain all the time
(‘who complain all the time’ tells us what kind of people)
We use who in a relative clause for people (not things):
The woman who lives next door to me is a doctor.
I don’t like people who complain all the time.
An architect is someone who designs buildings.
What was the name of the person who called?
Do you know anyone who wants to buy a car?
We also use that for people, but not which:
The woman that lives next door to me is a doctor. (not the woman which)
Sometimes you must use who (not that) for people – see Unit 95.

B When we are talking about things, we use that or which (not who) in a relative clause:
I don’t like stories that have unhappy endings.
or … stories which have unhappy endings.
Grace works for a company that makes furniture.
or … a company which makes furniture.
The machine that broke down is working again now.
or The machine which broke down …
In these examples that is more usual than which, but sometimes you must use which. See Unit 95.

C In relative clauses we use who/that/which, not he/she/they/it.

Compare:
I met a Canadian woman at the party. She is an English teacher. (2 sentences)
I met a Canadian woman who is an English teacher. (1 sentence)
I can’t find the keys. They were on the table.
Where are the keys that were on the table? (not the keys they were)

D What = the thing(s) that

Compare what and that:
What happened was my fault. (= the thing that happened)
but
Everything that happened was my fault.
(not Everything what happened)
The machine that broke down is now working again.
(not The machine what broke down)

184 Relative clauses 2–5 ➜ Units 93–96

 Unit
Exercises 92
92.1 What do these words mean? Choose from the box and write sentences with who.
steals from a shop buys something from a shop
designs buildings pays rent to live somewhere
doesn’t tell the truth breaks into a house to steal things
is not brave expects the worst to happen

1 (an architect) An architect is someone who designs buildings.

2 (a customer)
3 (a burglar)
4 (a coward)
5 (a tenant)
6 (a shopli er)
7 (a liar)
8 (a pessimist)

92.2 Make one sentence from two. Use who/that/which.

1 A girl was injured in the accident. She is now in hospital.
The girl who was injured in the accident is now in hospital.
2 A waiter served us. He was impolite and impatient.
The
3 A building was destroyed in the fire. It has now been rebuilt.
The
4 Some people were arrested. They have now been released.
The
5 A bus goes to the airport. It runs every half hour.
The

92.3 Complete the sentences. Choose from the box and use who/that/which.
happened in the past makes furniture
runs away from home can support life
cannot be explained has stayed there
developed the theory of relativity were hanging on the wall

1 Helen works for a company that makes furniture .

2 The movie is about a girl .
3 What happened to the pictures ?
4 A mystery is something .
5 I’ve heard it’s a good hotel, but I don’t know anyone .
6 History is the study of things .
7 Albert Einstein was the scientist .
8 It seems that Earth is the only planet .

92.4 Are these sentences right or wrong? Correct them where necessary.
1 I don’t like stories who have unhappy endings. stories that have
2 What was the name of the person who phoned? OK
3 Where’s the nearest shop who sells bread?
4 Dan said some things about me they were not true.
5 The driver which caused the accident was fined £500.
6 Do you know the person that took these pictures?
7 We live in a world what is changing all the time.
8 Gary apologised for what he said.
9 What was the name of the horse what won the race?

185
Unit Relative clauses 2:
93 clauses with and without who/that/which
A Look at these example sentences from Unit 92:
The woman who lives next door to me is a doctor. (or The woman that lives …)

The woman lives next door to me who (= the woman) is the subject

Where are the keys that were on the table? (or … the keys which were …)

The keys were on the table that (= the keys) is the subject
You must use who/that/which when it is the subject of the relative clause. You cannot leave out
who/that/which in these examples.

B Sometimes who/that/which is the object of the verb. For example:

The woman who I wanted to see was away on holiday.

I wanted to see the woman who (= the woman) is the object

I is the subject
Did you find the keys that you lost?
that (= the keys) is the object
you lost the keys
you is the subject
When who/that/which is the object, you can leave it out. So you can say:
The woman I wanted to see was away. or The woman who I wanted to see …
Did you find the keys you lost? or … the keys that you lost?
The dress Lisa bought doesn’t fit her very well. or The dress that Lisa bought …
Is there anything I can do? or … anything that I can do?
Note that we say:
the keys you lost (not the keys you lost them)
the dress Lisa bought (not the dress Lisa bought it)

C Note the position of prepositions (to/in/for etc.) in relative clauses:

Tom is talking to a woman. Do you know her? (2 sentences)

Do you know the woman Tom is talking to ? (or … the woman who/that Tom is talking to)

I slept in a bed. It wasn’t comfortable. (2 sentences)

The bed I slept in wasn’t comfortable. (or The bed that/which I slept in …)

Are these the books you were looking for? or

Are these the books that/which you were …
The man I was sitting next to on the plane talked all the time. or
The man who/that I was sitting next to …
Note that we say:
the books you were looking for (not the books you were looking for them)
the man I was sitting next to (not the man I was sitting next to him)

D We say:
Everything (that) they said was true. (not Everything what they said)
I gave her all the money (that) I had. (not all the money what I had)
What = the thing(s) that:
What they said was true. (= The things that they said)

186 Relative clauses 1 ➜ Unit 92 Relative clauses 3–5 ➜ Units 94–96 whom ➜ Unit 94B
 Unit
Exercises 93
93.1 In some of these sentences you need who or that. Correct the sentences where necessary.
1 The woman lives next door is a doctor. The woman who lives next door
2 Did you find the keys you lost? OK
3 The people we met last night were very friendly.
4 The people work in the o ice are very friendly.
5 I like the people I work with.
6 What have you done with the money I gave you?
7 What happened to the money was on the table?
8 What’s the worst film you’ve ever seen?
9 What’s the best thing it has ever happened to you?

93.2 What do you say in these situations? Complete each sentence with a relative clause.
1 Your friend lost some keys. You want to know if he found them. You say:
Did you find the keys you lost ?
2 A friend is wearing a dress. You like it. You tell her:
I like the dress .
3 A friend is going to the cinema. You want to know the name of the film. You say:
What’s the name of the film ?
4 You wanted to visit a museum, but it was shut. You tell a friend:
The museum was shut.
5 You invited people to your party. Some of them couldn’t come. You tell someone:
Some of the people couldn’t come.
6 Your friend had to do some work. You want to know if she has finished. You say:
Have you finished the work ?
7 You rented a car. It broke down a er a few miles. You tell a friend:
Unfortunately the car broke down a er a few miles.

93.3 These sentences all have a relative clause with a preposition. Put the words in the correct order.
1 Did you find (looking / for / you / the books / were)?
Did you find the books you were looking for ?
2 We couldn’t go to (we / invited / to / were / the wedding).
We couldn’t go to .
3 What’s the name of (the hotel / about / me / told / you)?
What’s the name of ?
4 Unfortunately I didn’t get (applied / I / the job / for).
Unfortunately I didn’t get .
5 Did you enjoy (you / the concert / to / went)?
Did you enjoy ?
6 Gary is a good person to know. He’s (on / rely / can / somebody / you).
Gary is a good person to know. He’s .
7 Who were (the people / with / were / you) in the restaurant yesterday?
Who were in the restaurant yesterday?

93.4 Put in that or what where necessary. If the sentence is already complete, leave the space empty.
1 I gave her all the money – I had. (all the money that I had is also correct)
2 Did you hear what they said?
3 She gives her children everything they want.
4 Tell me you want and I’ll try to get it for you.
5 Why do you blame me for everything goes wrong?
6 I won’t be able to do much, but I’ll do I can.
7 I won’t be able to do much, but I’ll do the best I can.
8 I don’t agree with you said.
9 I don’t trust him. I don’t believe anything he says.
187
Unit
94 Relative clauses 3: whose/whom/where
A whose
Study this example situation:

When we were driving home, we saw some people standing by the

road. Their car had broken down, so we stopped to help them.
We helped some people whose car had broken down.
(= their car had broken down)

We use whose mostly for people:

A widow is a woman whose husband is dead.
(her husband is dead)
I met someone whose brother I went to school with.
(I went to school with his/her brother)
Compare who and whose:
I met a man who knows you. (he knows you)
I met a man whose sister knows you. (his sister knows you)
Do not confuse whose and who’s. The pronunciation is the same, but who’s = who is or who has:
I have a friend who’s learning Arabic. (who’s = who is)
I have a friend who’s just started learning Arabic. (who’s = who has)
I have a friend whose sister is learning Arabic.

B whom
Whom is possible instead of who when it is the object of the verb (see Unit 93B):
George is a person whom I admire very much. (I admire him)
You can also use a preposition + whom (to whom / from whom / with whom etc.):
It’s important to have friends with whom you can relax. (you can relax with them)
Whom is a formal word and we do not o en use it in spoken English. We usually prefer to say:
a person I admire a lot or a person who/that I admire a lot
friends you can relax with or friends who/that you can relax with

C where
We use where in a relative clause to talk about a place:
I recently went back to the town where I grew up. (I grew up there)
The restaurant where we had lunch was near the airport.
I would like to live in a place where there is plenty of sunshine.

D the day, the time, the reason …

We say ‘the day we got married’, ‘the year I was born’, ‘the last time they met’ etc. :
I can’t meet you on Friday. That’s the day I’m going away.
The last time I saw her, she looked great.
You can also use that:
The last time that I saw her, she looked great.
We say ‘the reason I’m calling you’, ‘the reason she didn’t get the job’ etc.
The reason I’m calling you is to ask your advice.
You can also use that:
The reason that I’m calling you … or The reason why I’m calling you …

188 Relative clauses 1–2 ➜ Units 92–93 Relative clauses 4–5 ➜ Units 95–96 whom ➜ Unit 96
 Unit
Exercises 94
94.1 You met these people at a party:
1 2 3
My mother writes My wife is an I own a
detective stories. English teacher. restaurant.

4 5 6
My ambition is We’ve just My parents used to
to climb Mount got married. work in a circus.
Everest.

The next day you tell a friend about these people. Complete the sentences using who or whose.
1 I met somebody whose mother writes detective stories .
2 I met a man .
3 I met a woman .
4 I met somebody .
5 I met a couple .
6 I met somebody .
94.2 For each situation write a sentence with whom (more formal) and without whom (less formal).
1 You met a friend. You hadn’t seen him for years.
more formal I met a friend whom I hadn’t seen for years .
less formal I met a friend I hadn’t seen for years .
2 You needed a lawyer. A friend of yours recommended one.
more formal I went to see a lawyer .
less formal I went to see a lawyer .
3 You called your bank with a problem. You spoke to somebody, but he wasn’t very helpful.
more formal The person wasn’t very helpful.
less formal The person .
4 Tom was in love with a woman, but she wasn’t in love with Tom.
more formal The woman wasn’t in love with him.
less formal The woman wasn’t in love with him.
94.3 Complete the sentences using who/whom/whose/where.
1 We helped some people whose car had broken down.
2 A cemetery is a place people are buried.
3 A pacifist is a person believes that all wars are wrong.
4 An orphan is a child parents are dead.
5 What’s the name of the hotel your parents are staying?
6 This school is only for children first language is not English.
7 The person from I bought my car is a friend of my father’s.
8 I live in a friendly village everybody knows everybody else.
94.4 Use your own ideas to complete these sentences.
1 I can’t meet you on Friday. That’s the day I’m going away .
2 The reason was that the salary was too low.
3 I’ll never forget the time .
4 was the year .
5 The reason is that neither of them can drive.
6 The last time I was .
7 Do you remember the day ?
189