2. Relative Clause
The boy is my brother. Which boy are you
talking about?
He is wearing a cap. Oh I see! The boy who is
wearing a cap is your brother.
3. Relative Clause
The boy who is wearing a cap is my brother.
What does it refer to?
The relative pronouns (which, who, whom or that) refer to the
noun (or noun phrase) before it.
Are you
talking
about me?
4. Relative Clause
People who (subject), whom (object)
Things which
We can use ‘that’ instead of ‘who’, ‘whom’ and ‘which’.
5. Relative Clause
The lady who (that) talked to me last night was Jenny.
Jenny talked to me last night.
(Sub.)
The lady whom (that) talked to last night was Jenny.
I talked to Jenny last night.
(Obj.)
I
6. Relative Clause
Which relative pronoun should we use?
1. The girl studies French doesn’t speak
Cantonese.
2. Do you know the man I talked to?
3. It’s a book will interest children of all ages.
who/that
whom/that
which/that
7. Relative Clause
The students are smart.
They are learning relative clause.
The students are smart.
who are learning relative clause
‘who’ is used instead of ‘they’
8. Relative Clause
Try to connect the sentences by using relative clause.
e.g. The girls annoyed me. They talked too much.
The girls who talked too much annoyed me.
9. Relative Clause
1. The man told me to come back today. He left yesterday.
2. The cute boy is the owner’s son. He works in the shop.
3. The ladder began to slip. I was standing on it.
The man who left yesterday told me to come back today.
The cute boy who works in the shop is the owner’s son.
The ladder which I was standing on began to slip. /
The ladder on which I was standing began to slip. (more formal)
10. Relative Clause
Remember! The pronoun refers to the same
thing as the relative pronoun does should be
omitted.
e.g. The girl is my sister. You saw her yesterday.
A: The girl whom you saw her yesterday is my sister.
B: The girl whom you saw yesterday is my sister.
12. Exercise
The watch is mine. You saw the watch in the drawer.
The girl is my cousin. Ben talked to the girl.
The watch which (that) you saw in the drawer is mine.
The girl whom (that) Ben talked to is my cousin.
13. The park is beautiful. The park is next to our school.
The dictionary is useful. I bought the dictionary yesterday.
The park which (that) is next to our school is
beautiful.
The dictionary which (that) I bought yesterday is
useful.
14. The problem is difficult to solve. We are facing the problem.
The problem which (that) we are facing is difficult to
solve.
16. Formal / Informal
Non-Defining relative clauses (with
commas) are more common in written
English because they are quite formal.
In spoken English we would probably use
two sentences.
Compare:
Elvis Presley, who has sold over one billion albums, died of
prescription drug abuse. [written]
with
Elvis has sold over a billion albums. He died of an
overdose. [spoken]
17.
18.
19. Verb + preposition
When the verb is followed by a preposition in
the relative clause we can use two structures:
The woman is a lawyer. I spoke to a woman
Formal: Preposition + rel.pronoun
The woman to whom* I spoke is a lawyer.
(*We can’t omit the relative pronoun after a preposition)
Or
Informal: Preposition after the verb
The woman (who) I spoke to is a lawyer.
20. Relative Adverbs
Time: when or
in/on/at + which or that
That was the year when/that/in which I
got my degree.
11 September 2001 was the day
when/that/on which people’s attitude
towards terrorism changed.
The adverb (when) can be omitted.
11 September 2001 was the day people’s
attitude towards terrorism changed.
21. Relative Adverbs
Place: where or
in/on/at + which or that
That’s the factory where/in which they
make chemicals.
That’s the spot where/on which the
battle took place.
The adverb (where) cannot generally be
omitted.
22. Relative Adverbs:
Reason: why (for which)
I will explain the reasons why /for
which the accident occurred
The adverb (why) can be omitted.
I will explain the reasons the accident
occurred
