IDIOMA I (INGLS)

UNIT 2. RELATIVE CLAUSES. THEORY AND EXERCISE.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS: who, which, that, what, whose, when, where and why.

- Who refers to people

The woman who gave him the money was very young.
Whom can also be used to refer to people, but it is only be used as the object of
verbs in relative clauses. Whom is used in a more formal style:
Hes married someone who I really dont like.
Hes married someone whom I really do not like.

- Which refers to things or animals.

The film, which lasted for three hours, was boring.

- That can refer back to people, things or animals.

The book that I am reading at the moment is very interesting.
The girl that we met yesterday was his sister.

- What: we use the relative pronoun what without a noun in front of it.
The shop didn't have what I wanted. (= the thing that I wanted)
What we saw gave us quite a shock. (= the thing that we saw)

- Whose is a relative possessive word. It can refer back to people, things or animals. It
replaces his, her, its, etc.
The boy whose bag was stolen is over there.
In a relative clause, whose + noun can be the subject or the object of a verb.
I saw a girl whose beauty took my breath away. (subject)
It was a meeting whose purpose I didnt understand. (object)
Instead of whose, we can use:
noun + of which
of which + a noun
that + noun of

They are less formal and refer to things

Hes written a book whose name Ive forgotten.

UNIT 2. RELATIVE CLAUSES. THEORY AND EXERCISES 1

 Hes written a book the name of which Ive forgotten.
Hes written a book of which Ive forgotten the name.
Hes written a book that Ive forgotten the name of.
- When and where can introduce relative clauses after nouns referring to time and
place. We can also use preposition + which.
July and August are the months when most people go on holiday.
July and August are the months on which most people go on holiday.
The hotel, where we stayed, was good.
The hotel in which we stayed was good.

- Why is used after reason. It is used in the same way as preposition (for) + which.
A famine was the reason why so many Irish people emigrated to the USA in
the 19th century.

RELATIVE CLAUSES are clauses that begin with a relative pronoun. They are often used
to modify nouns or some pronouns - to identify people and things, or to give more
information about them.
There is a programme on tonight which you might like.
Here is the book that you were looking for.

Kinds of relative clause:

Defining relative clauses (or restrictive relative clauses): the information

provided in a defining relative clause is essential to understand the meaning of the
sentence. The purpose of a defining relative clause is to clearly define who or what
we are talking about. Without this information, it would be difficult to know who or
what is meant.
The woman who lives in apartment No. 34 has been arrested.
I hate people who cant stop talking

Non-defining relative clauses (or non-restrictive relative clauses): provide

interesting additional information which is not essential to understand the meaning
of the sentence.
Mrs. Jackson, who is very intelligent, lives on the corner.

Correct punctuation is essential in non-defining relative clauses. If the non-defining

relative clause occurs in the middle of a sentence, a comma is put before the relative

UNIT 2. RELATIVE CLAUSES. THEORY AND EXERCISES 2

 pronoun and at the end of the clause. If the non-defining relative clause occurs at the
end of a sentence, a comma is put before the relative pronoun.

NOTE: In defining relative clauses there are no commas.

Relative Pronouns in Defining and Non-defining Relative Clauses:

Defining relative clauses non-defining relative

clauses
Person object person object

subject Who, that Which, that Who Which

Whom, who, Which, that, Whom, who Which

object that,
Of which, Of which,
possessive whose whose whose whose

- Relative Pronouns Used As The Subject of Defining Relative Clauses

Children who (that) play with fire are in great danger of harm.

- Relative Pronouns Used As The Object of Defining Relative Clauses

That's the boy ( , that, who, whom) I invited to the party.
There's the house (, that, which) I'd like to buy.

- Relative Pronouns Used As A Possessive In A Defining Relative Clauses

They were sure to visit the town whose location (OR the location of which) was
little known.

- Relative Pronouns Used As The Subject of Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Frank Zappa, who was one of the most creative artists in rock 'n roll, came
from California.

- Relative Pronouns Used As The Object of Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Frank invited Janet, who (whom) he had met in Japan, to the party.
NOTE: 'That' can never be used in non-defining clauses.

UNIT 2. RELATIVE CLAUSES. THEORY AND EXERCISES 3

 - Relative Pronouns Used As A Possessive In Non-Defining Relative Clauses
The artist, whose name he could not remember, was one of the best he had ever
seen.

PREPOSITIONS IN RELATIVE CLAUSES

A relative pronoun can be the object of a preposition.

This is the bus that I've been waiting for.

The restaurant that we normally go to is closed today.

Compare:
Statement Relative clause

I've been waiting for the bus. The bus that I've been waiting for.
We go to the restaurant. The restaurant that we go to.

We do not use another pronoun like it or her after the preposition.

Incorrect: The restaurant that we go to it.
Someone who I work with her.

Leaving out the pronoun:

We often leave out the relative pronoun when it is the object of a preposition.

With object pronoun Without object pronoun

The bus that I'm waiting for is late. The bus I'm waiting for is late.
Is this the article which you were interested in? Is this the article you were interested in?
That's the man who I was talking about. That's the man I was talking about.

Here are some more examples of relative clauses without an object pronoun.
I cant remember the name of the hotel we stayed at.
This is the colour we've finally decided on.
The shop I got my stereo from has lots of bargains.

A preposition at the beginning:

These examples are typical of formal English.
Was that the restaurant to which you normally go?
Electronics is a subject about which I know very little.

UNIT 2. RELATIVE CLAUSES. THEORY AND EXERCISES 4

 The Sales Manager is the person from whom I obtained the figures.

Here the preposition comes at the beginning of the relative clause, before which or
whom. We cannot put a preposition before that or who.

A subject (that) I know little about. Incorrect: a subject about that I know little.
The person (who) I got the figures from. Incorrect: the person from who I got the
figures.

EXERCISE:

1. Combine the short sentences into one longer sentence using relative clauses.
Use pronouns instead of nouns where it sounds better.

1. My flat is in an old part of the city. It was built in the 1920s.

___________________________________________________________
2. There are lots of bars and restaurants in the neighbourhood. I live in the
neighbourhood.
___________________________________________________________
3. My neighbour comes from Ecuador. He works on the fruit farms around the city.
___________________________________________________________
4. The neighbour makes a lot of noise walking around. His flat is above mine.
___________________________________________________________
5. The traffic is also very noisy. It passes my flat.
___________________________________________________________
6. The local market sells excellent local produce. It is a two-minute walk from my
flat.
___________________________________________________________
7. In my study there are doors leading to a balcony. The balcony overlooks the
street. You can see a long way in both directions from my balcony.
___________________________________________________________
8. The price of flats in this area has risen a great deal since 1998. I bought my flat in
1998. This means I could make money if I sold my flat.
___________________________________________________________
9. The government carried out a census. According to the census there are more
people moving into the area. This makes me think that the council should invest
more money here.
___________________________________________________________

UNIT 2. RELATIVE CLAUSES. THEORY AND EXERCISES 5

 10. I once wanted to apply for a property grant, so I rang the council and spoke to a
woman. She told me that I should go to the local council offices. I could pick up
an application form at the local council offices. I should fill in the application form
and return it as soon as possible.
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

2. Decide which word or phrase is correct.

1. The plane _________ has just taken off is an hour late.

a) it b) what c) which d) who
2. My friend Nigel, _________ works in the City, earns much more than I do.
a) that b) which c) who d) whose
3. Martin is someone with _________ I usually agree.
a) him b) that c) who d) whom
4. I'd like to see the photo _________
a) took b) you took it c) that you took d) that you took it
5. Atlanta is the city _________ the Olympic Games were held in 1996.
a) that b) when c) where d) which
6. It rained all the time, _________ was a great pity.
a) that b) what c) which d) who
7. We passed shops _________ windows were decorated for Christmas.
a) the b) their c) which d) whose

3. Complete the story about a thief's punishment. Write the missing words
(who, that, which, whose). Use one word only in each space.

This is a true story (1) _________ is supposed to have happened somewhere in the
US. A man (2) _________ was accused of housebreaking appeared in court. He had
put his arm through the window of a house and stolen some money (3) _________
was lying on a table inside. The argument (4) _________ the man's lawyer put
forward wasn't very impressive. He said that it was the man's arm (5) _________ had
committed the crime and not the man himself. 'You cannot punish a man for what his
arm has done,' said the lawyer. Now the judge in (6) _________ court the man was
appearing wanted to show how stupid the lawyer's argument was. Instead of finding

UNIT 2. RELATIVE CLAUSES. THEORY AND EXERCISES 6

 the man guilty, he found the man's arm guilty and sent it to prison. 'He can go with
his arm or not, as he chooses,' the judge added, (8) _________ made everyone
laugh. But what the judge didn't know was that the man had an artificial arm. He took
the arm off, gave it to the judge - (9) _________ could hardly believe his eyes - and
walked out of the court.

4. Combine the two sentences into one.

1. That man was Anna's brother. He just walked past.

The man _______________________ Anna's brother.
2. The plane was twenty-five years old. It crashed.
The plane _______________________ twenty-five years old.
3. One day Tessa was ill in bed. Martin rang.
The day _______________________ ill in bed.
4. Our offices are in Queen Street. They are new.
Our _______________________ in Queen Street.
5. Some documents have been found. They were stolen from a car.
The documents _______________________ found.
6. That map is out of date. You were looking at it.
The map _______________________ out of date.
7. The King's Theatre is in the centre of town. It dates from 1896.
The King's _______________________ in the centre of town.
8. A woman was terribly upset. Her dog was run over.
The woman _______________________ terribly upset.
9. Janet solved the puzzle. She did it before everyone else.
Janet was _______________________ the puzzle.
10. A man was standing outside the building. He was selling newspapers.
A man _______________________ outside the building.
11. The talk was very interesting. Judy gave it.
The talk _______________________ very interesting.
12. The house is empty now. I used to live there.
The house _______________________ is empty

5. Combine each pair of sentences by making the second sentence into a non-
defining relative clause.

1. My brother loves chocolate ice cream. He is rather fat.

__________________________________________________

UNIT 2. RELATIVE CLAUSES. THEORY AND EXERCISES 7

 2. My uncles cottage has been damaged by floods. We usually spend our holidays
there.
__________________________________________________
3. My bicycle has been stolen. I only got it last week.
__________________________________________________
4. The chemistry exam was actually quite easy. We had been worrying about it.
__________________________________________________
5. The young man caused a fight in a bar. His girlfriend has left him.
__________________________________________________
6. During the summer there are dreadful traffic jams. Everyone goes on holiday
then.
__________________________________________________
7. My parents enjoyed that film very much. They dont often go to the cinema.
__________________________________________________

6. In some of these sentences there is a mistake in relation to relative

sentences. Underline each mistake and write the correction.

1. The man who was sitting next to me he had a brown jacket.

2. The book what I bought was by Edward Lear.
3. He lent me the book, which I found it very useful.
4. The winner, that was 25, will receive $12,000.
5. Our office is about two kilometres from the centre, which I share with my two
colleagues.
6. I ate the ice cream was in the refrigerator.
7. Jonathan has a little sister, with whom he plays all the time.
8. I dont know because you have to go so early!
9. The older one is a boy, which name is Jonathan.
10. Many people were surprised that Peter Smith, who only two years ago was
bankrupt, now appeared to be very rich.

7. Each of these sentences has a mistake in it. Write the correct sentence.

1. I've found the magazine who was missing.

2. This isn't the train on that I normally travel.
3. The letter that I opened it wasn't for me.
4. The reason because I didn't know was that no one had told me.
5. I didn't know the name of the man helped me.
6. Rupert knows the family who's house is for sale.

UNIT 2. RELATIVE CLAUSES. THEORY AND EXERCISES 8

 7. Einstein who failed his university entrance exam discovered relativity.
8. The person we talked to were very friendly.
9. It's the President makes the important decisions.
10. I can't find my diary, what is real nuisnace.
11. Lake Suiperior, that lies on the US Canadian border is the largest lake in North
America.

8. Complete the second sentence in each pair. Use no more than five words
including the word in bold. Do NOT change this word.
1. Mr Tass was a rich businessman. His daughter was very beautiful.
was Mr Tass __________________________ was a rich businessman.
2. The mysterious man was never seen again. That made Mrs Brown very happy.
seen The mysterious man __________________________ made Mrs
Brown very happy.
3. She borrowed the car from a colleague. She worked with him.
with She borrowed the car from _______________________ she worked
with.
4. Mrs Deed was especially kind to the students. Their homework was tidy.
students Mrs Deed was especially kind to _______________________
tidy.
5. Tom couldn't wait for the weekend. He was setting off for San Francisco then.
off Tom couldn't wait for the weekend _______________________ for
San Francisco.
6. London is the largest British city. It is the capital of the United Kingdom.
capital London, _______________________ the United Kingdom, is the
largest British city.
7. The World Wide Web has become an essential part of our lives. It was invented by
Tim Berners-Lee.
become Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web,
___________________ part of our lives.
8. Nearly all the proposals the committee put forward have been accepted.
put Nearly all the proposals _______________________ have been
accepted.
9. Mosquitoes are small two-winged insects. They can spread fatal diseases like
malaria and dengue fever.
are Mosquitoes, _______________________, can spread fatal diseases
like malaria and dengue fever.

UNIT 2. RELATIVE CLAUSES. THEORY AND EXERCISES 9

 10. The government officials were completely unaware of the urgency of the matter.
We spoke to them last week.
to The government officials _______________________ last week were
completely unaware of the urgency of the matter.
11. That horrible incident occurred in 1967. I was still a baby.
still That horrible incident occurred in 1967, ____________________ a
baby.
12. Theres a football match on television tomorrow I think you shouldnt miss.
shouldnt Theres a football match on television tomorrow

____________________ miss.
13. Thats the hotel where we had lunch last Sunday.
in Thats the hotel ____________________ last Sunday.
14. Being an airline employee, my girlfriend sometimes gets cheap flights,
works My girlfriend, ____________________, sometimes gets cheap
flights.
works My girlfriend, who works for an airline , sometimes gets cheap flights.
15. I dont like Jim because hes so mean.
why Jims meanness ____________________ I dont like him.

UNIT 2. RELATIVE CLAUSES. THEORY AND EXERCISES 10