Things may be added and substracted.

1. BASIC Relative clauses
Based on A. Aguado’s examples.
Changed, Revised, and Completed
by Nur Garriga

2. RELATIVE CLAUSES
NON-DEFINING DEFINING
 EXTRA  ESSENTIAL
INFORMATION INFORMATION
 Between COMMAS  COMMAS
 THAT  THAT

3. RELATIVE PRONOUNS:
used for Clauses beginning with
Question Words
 THAT: as WHICH OR WHO  WHAT: THE THING/S WHICH
 WHICH: OBJECTS, THINGS,  WHOSE: POSSESSIVE for
PEOPLE or THINGS
IDEAS, SITUATIONS, FACTS
 WHO/WHOM: PEOPLE  WHERE / IN WHICH:
PLACES
 WHEN: TIME
 WHY: THAT’S THE REASON
WHY

4. OTHER RELATIVES
WHATEVER: ANYTHING THAT…
 E.g. Let’s do whatever you like, it’s your birthday!
WHENEVER: ANYTIME THAT…
 E.g. Visit us whenever you can.
WHEREVER: ANYWHERE
 E.g. With this cell phone you’ll have coverage anywhere, wherever you
are.
ANYHOW/ANYWAY: THE WAY IN WHICH…
 E.g. I’ll do that anyhow, I’m determined to do it.
WHOEVER: ANYBODY/ANYONE WHO…
 E.g. Whoever you see and whatever you hear, pretend you are talking
to me on the phone.

5. Defining clauses
give essential information about the noun/clause.
Examples:
She’s the teacher.  this is incomplete, it needs a defining clause.
• She’s the teacher who gave me interesting lessons.
• Math is the subject.  this is incomplete, it needs a defining clause.
• Math is the subject that gives me most problems.
• The girl who/that works at the library is very friendly.
• You’re the person who/that gets the highest marks.
• School is a place which/that gives you education & knowledge.
• There are times when my mind goes completely blank during his lessons.
• You need to find a room where you can study properly.
• That’s the girl whose brother plays basketball.

6. Whose versus Who’s
Whose refers to possession.
Examples:
 He’s the person whose book I lost.
 They held a meeting whose target I did not understand.
Who’s is the contracted form of
who is or who has.
Examples:
 He’s the one who’s very intelligent. (who is)
 He’s the boy who’s lived in Boston for many years. (who has).

7. Omission of object pronouns
We can omit the relative pronoun if it
connects the object with the relative
clause.
Examples:
 That’s the film (that/which) we saw.
 He’s the teacher (that/who) I can’t stand.
 That’s the person (that/who) I truly love.
We often omit the relative pronouns: that,
which and who in speech.
We can’t omit the relative pronoun
whose.
whose

8. Non-defining
give extra information which is not essential.
We cannot omit the relative pronoun.
Examples:
• Ana has just passed a B-level in English.
• Last year, when I passed the A-levels, I met Steven who is my boyfriend
now.
• The teachers at Miquel Biada School, where he took the exam, are
delighted.
 We can also combine two simple sentences by using a
non-defining relative clause.
Examples:
Jaime’s sister is called Pilar. She’s a teacher.
 Jaime’s sister, who’s a teacher, is called Pilar.
 Jaime’s sister, who’s called Pilar, is a teacher.

9. BASIC
RELATIVE PRONOUNS & CLAUSES
THE END

10. BASIC
RELATIVE PRONOUNS & CLAUSES
THE END