Relative Clauses

Understanding Relative
Clauses
A Detailed Guide with Examples and Exercises
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Relative Clauses
These are subordinate clauses that modify a noun or pronoun in the main clause.
They provide additional information about the noun, making the sentence more
informative and detailed.
Relative clauses are introduced by relative pronouns such as who, whom, whose,
which, that, where, when, and why.
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Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses. The main relative pronouns in English are:
1. Who = refers to people

2. Whom = refers to people (as the object of a verb or preposition); formal
3. Which = refers to animals and things
4. That = refers to people, animals and things; informal
5. Where = refers to a place
6. When = refers to a time
7. Why = refer to a reason
8. Whose = indicates possession and can refer to people or things as well.

Types of Relative Clauses
There are two main types of relative clauses:
1. Essential (or Defining) Relative Clauses

2. Non-essential (or Non-defining) Relative Clauses

Essential (Defining) Relative Clauses
Essential relative clauses provide crucial (or important) information about the noun they
modify. This information is necessary to understand the meaning of the sentence. These
clauses are not set off by commas.
Examples:
1. India is the country which sold the most coffee in 2010.

2. The only reason why they migrated to the nearby area is not clear.
3. The man who invented the telephone was Alexander Graham Bell.
4. The company where I work is moving to a new location.

Non-essential (Non-defining) Relative
Clauses
Non-essential relative clauses provide extra information about the noun, but this information is
not essential for understanding the main point of the sentence. These clauses are set off by
commas.*
Examples:
1. We visited Rome, where ancient ruins are plentiful, during our summer vacation.
2. Our CEO, whose vision has shaped the company, is retiring this year.
3. The Eiffel Tower, which is located in Paris, is a popular tourist attraction.
4. My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting us next week.
* ‘That’ is typically not used in non-defining relative clauses.

Exercise No. 1
Combine the Sentences Using Appropriate Relative Clauses
1. In the future, I would like to work with children, ___________ I’m quite good at.
2. The reason ___________ I stopped taking lessons is that I was struggling to make the school payments on
time.
3. The place we liked the most was Santa Teresa Beach, ___________ nature is still pretty much untouched.
4. I was employed to be a data entry clerk, ___________ job is to input data into a computer from forms.
5. I’ll never forget the day ___________ I lost my passport on the way to the airport.
6. When she got there, there were at least ten other people ___________ were also applying for the job.

Answers
1. In the future, I would like to work with children, which I’m quite good at.
2. The reason that I stopped taking lessons is that I was struggling to make the school payments on time.
3. The place we liked the most was Santa Teresa Beach, where nature is still pretty much untouched.
4. I was initially employed to be a data entry clerk, whose job was to input data into a computer from forms.
5. I’ll never forget the day when I lost my suitcase at the airport.
6. When she got to the building, there were at least 10 other people who were also applying for the job.

Exercise No. 2
Combine the following simple sentences into one sentence by using relative clauses. Remember to use
correct punctuation.
1. I talked to many of my childhood friends at our high school reunion. I hadn’t seen them in years.
2. She likes wearing expensive clothes. Her clothes are manufactured by famous brands.
3. The position would give him some work experience in management. He doesn’t have any work
experience in management right now.
4. I used to teach French to children. The children’s first language was English.
5. I was asked to write an article on a complicated topic. I knew nothing about the topic.

Answers
1. I talked to many of my childhood friends, who/whom I hadn’t seen in years, at our high school reunion.
2. She likes wearing expensive clothes which/that are manufactured by famous brands.
3. The position would give him some work experience in management, which he doesn’t have right now.
4. I used to teach French to children whose first language was English.
5. I was asked to write an article on a complicated topic that/which I knew nothing about.

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Understanding Relative

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1. Who = refers to people

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There are two main types of relative clauses:

1. Essential (or Defining) Relative Clauses

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1. India is the country which sold the most coffee in 2010.

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* ‘That’ is typically not used in non-defining relative clauses.

Combine the Sentences Using Appropriate Relative Clauses

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4. I used to teach French to children whose first language was English.

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