This document provides information about relative clauses in English. It defines relative clauses as structures that are added to sentences to provide information about something mentioned in the sentence. It notes that relative clauses always contain a verb and are usually introduced by the relative pronouns who, which, that, where, and whose. Examples of relative clauses are provided. Exercises are included where the reader underlines or finds the relative clauses in sample sentences. Guidance is offered on using who, which, that and whose in relative clauses.
2. RELATIVE CLAUSES
Las cláusulas relativas son estructuras que se
incorporan en algunas frases para dar
información acerca de algo en la misma frase.
Las cláusulas relativas siempre tienen un verbo.
Estas cláusulas suelen ir introducidas por
pronombres relativos: WHO, WHICH, THAT,
WHERE y WHOSE.
- Where is the man who was sitting next to
you?
3. RELATIVE CLAUSES
Exercise. Underline the relatives clauses in
the following sentences.
1) They spoke with the boy who saw the accident.
2) Did you see the cat that slept at the door?
3) I bought the bicycle which you like so much.
4) The drink that is on the table is mine.
5) Anybody who speaks English can participate.
6) The pool where I swam yesterday is really big!
7) The boy whose parents died wants to see you.
4. RELATIVE CLAUSES
Exercise. Find the relatives clauses in the
following sentences.
1) They spoke with the boy who saw the
accident.
2) Did you see the cat that slept at the door?
3) I bought the bicycle which you like so much.
4) The drink that is on the table is mine.
5) Anybody who speaks English can participate.
6) The pool where I swam yesterday is really big!
7) The boy whose parents died wants to see you.
5. RELATIVE CLAUSES
Los pronombres más utilizados son Who, Which
y That.
WHO se utiliza para referirnos a personas.
WHICH o THAT para referirnos a objetos y
animales.
The boy who is singing on TV is a friend of mine.
I want you to give me back the money which I
lent you last month.
I want you to give me back the money that I lent
you last month.
6. RELATIVE CLAUSES
WHOSE indica posesión, se utiliza para sustituir
a pronombres y adjetivos posesivos.
I saw a man. His wife is a teacher.
I saw a man whose wife is a teacher.
WHERE se utiliza para señalar lugares.
I live in a town. In the town most people works
doing toys.
I live in a town where most people works doing
toys.
7. RELATIVE CLAUSES
En ocasiones podemos sustituir WHO y WHICH
por THAT.
No obstante, es preciso usar THAT:
a. Después de all, any, none,anything,
everything, y nothing.
He bought everything that he liked.
b. Detrás de un adjetivo superlativo: It’s the best
film that I’ve ever seen.
8. RELATIVE CLAUSES
WHO / WHICH / THAT pueden omitirse cuando
se refieren al objeto de la frase. Si se refieren al
sujeto NO se pueden omitir
I bought the car that you liked so much
= I bought the car you liked so much
I bought a car. You liked the car so much
I saw a boy who wanted to see you
≠ I saw a boy wanted to see you
I saw a boy. A boy wanted to see you
9. RELATIVE CLAUSES
Exercise. Complete with that, which, who, where o
whose. Sometimes more than one answer is possible.
Then, rewrite the sentences without that, which… when
possible.
1) Anything ____ I said was heard.
2) The boy ____ was in the shop looked very poor.
3) Which is the best song ____ you’ve ever heard?
4) Where is the glass ____ was broken?
5) The girl ____ wallet was lost is crying.
6) Tell me the place ___ you’d like to go.
7) The dog ____ was all the night barking is mine.
8) Where is the letter ____ I sent you?
10. RELATIVE CLAUSES
Answers 1.
1) Anything THAT I said was heard.
2) The boy WHO / THAT was in the shop looked very
poor.
3) Which is the best song THAT you’ve ever heard?
4) Where is the glass WHICH / THAT was broken?
5) The girl WHOSE wallet was lost is crying.
6) Tell me the place WHERE you’d like to go.
7) The dog WHICH / THAT was all the night barking
is mine.
8) Where is the letter WHICH / THAT I sent you?
11. RELATIVE CLAUSES
Answers 2.
1) Anything I said was heard.
2) The boy WHO / THAT was in the shop looked very
poor.
3) Which is the best song you’ve ever heard?
4) Where is the glass WHICH / THAT was broken?
5) The girl WHOSE wallet was lost is crying.
6) Tell me the place you’d like to go.
7) The dog WHICH / THAT was all the night barking
is mine.
8) Where is the letter I sent you?
12. TO + INFINITIVE / INFINITIVE+ING
En inglés no se pueden juntar dos verbos
en infinitivo, con la excepción de modales y
auxiliares.
Examples:
I like playing the guitar (correct)
I like to play the guitar (correct)
I like play the guitar (wrong)
13. TO + INFINITIVE / INFINITIVE+ING
En ocasiones los dos verbos van separados
por TO, en otras ocasiones el segundo
verbo termina en –ING. Otras veces se
puede elegir entre las opciones anteriores:
I want to watch a movie
I forgot to lock the door
I enjoy speaking English
I like going to the cinema…
14. TO + INFINITIVE / INFINITIVE+ING
Verbo + TO + verbo:
Los verbos más comunes en los que
únicamente se utiliza TO son:
WANT, NEED, PLAN, DECIDE, HOPE,
OFFER, FORGET, REFUSE, TRY, LEARN,
EXPECT.
Examples: I want to talk to you / I need to
tell you something / We plan to have a
holiday / He tries to do his best…
15. TO + INFINITIVE / INFINITIVE+ING
Verbo + ING:
Los verbos más comunes a los que
únicamente se les puede añadir un segundo
verbo terminado en –ING son:
ENJOY, SUGGEST, MIND, FINISH, STOP,
AVOID, KEEP, REGRET
Examples: I enjoy swimming / He doesn’t
mind working till late / Did you finish reading
your book?...
16. TO + INFINITIVE / INFINITIVE+ING
Verbo + ING o verbo+TO+verbo:
Los verbos en los que se pueden utilizar las
dos conexiones vistas anteriormente son:
LIKE, LOVE, PREFER, START, BEGIN,
CONTINUE, HATE
Examples:
I like to play the piano ó I like playing the piano
She hates to work on Sundays ó She hates
working on Sundays
17. TO + INFINITIVE / INFINITIVE+ING
Exercise. Guess the verb and put it in its
correct form: to / -ing. When both are
possible write the two possibilities.
1) He likes ____ (_lay) the guitar.
2) Do you enjoy ___ (r_a_) crime novels?
3) Could you stop ___ (ma_e) so much noise?
4) I need ___ (_uy) some new clothes.
5) The company started ___ (_ork) in 1987.
6) They refused ___ (co_e) next week.
18. TO + INFINITIVE / INFINITIVE+ING
Exercise. Guess the verb and put it in its correct
form: to / -ing. When both are possible write the
two possibilities.
1) He likes TO PLAY / PLAYING the guitar.
2) Do you enjoy READING crime novels?
3) Could you stop MAKING so much noise?
4) I need TO BUY some new clothes.
5) The company started TO WORK /
WORKING in 1987.
6) They refused TO COME next week.