This document discusses relative pronouns and relative clauses in English. It defines the different types of relative pronouns including who, whom, which, that, whose, where and when. It explains how these pronouns are used in defining and non-defining relative clauses, and whether they can be omitted or not depending on if they are the subject or object of the clause. Examples are provided to illustrate the different uses of relative pronouns and relative clauses.

1. RELATIVE PRONOUNSRELATIVE PRONOUNS
 WHOWHO
 WHOM (object)WHOM (object)
 WHICHWHICH
 WHOSEWHOSE
 THATTHAT
 They introduce relative clauses.They introduce relative clauses.
 A relative clause tells us which person or thingA relative clause tells us which person or thing
the speaker means/ refers to.the speaker means/ refers to.

2. SUBJECT OF RELATIVESUBJECT OF RELATIVE
CLAUSECLAUSE
 I know a man.I know a man. HeHe is a lawyer.is a lawyer.
 I know a manI know a man whowho is a lawyer.is a lawyer.
 A dog ran away.A dog ran away. A dogA dog is mine.is mine.
 The dogThe dog which /thatwhich /that ran away is mine.ran away is mine.
 CAN NEVER BE OMITTEDCAN NEVER BE OMITTED

3. Who / that: refer to peopleWho / that: refer to people
 Those peopleThose people live next door.live next door. TheyThey have 16have 16
children.children.
 The peopleThe people whowho live next door have 16live next door have 16
children.children.

4. OBJECT OF RELATIVEOBJECT OF RELATIVE
CLAUSECLAUSE
 I spoke toI spoke to a mana man. I had met. I had met himhim before.before.
 I spoke to a manI spoke to a man (whom/who(whom/who/that/that)) I hadI had
met before.met before.
 That’s the book. I readThat’s the book. I read itit last summer.last summer.
 That’s the bookThat’s the book (which/that)(which/that) I read lastI read last
summer.summer.
 CAN BE OMITTED IN DEFININGCAN BE OMITTED IN DEFINING
RELATIVE CLAUSES.RELATIVE CLAUSES.

5. WHOSE=possessive adjectivesWHOSE=possessive adjectives
with people, objects and animalswith people, objects and animals
 That’s the woman-That’s the woman- herher house caught firehouse caught fire
yesterday.yesterday.
 That’s the womanThat’s the woman whosewhose house caughthouse caught
fire yesterday.fire yesterday.
 That’s the house-That’s the house- itsits entrance is guarded.entrance is guarded.
 That’s the houseThat’s the house whosewhose entrance isentrance is
guarded.guarded.
 CAN NEVER BE OMITTEDCAN NEVER BE OMITTED

6. RELATIVE CLAUSESRELATIVE CLAUSES
 DEFINING RELATIVEDEFINING RELATIVE
CLAUSESCLAUSES
 WHOWHO
 WHOMWHOM
 WHICHWHICH
 THATTHAT
 WHEN, WHEREWHEN, WHERE
 NON-DEFININGNON-DEFINING
RELATIVE CLAUSESRELATIVE CLAUSES
 WHOWHO
 WHOMWHOM
 WHICHWHICH
 WHEN, WHEREWHEN, WHERE

7. DEFINING RELATIVEDEFINING RELATIVE
CLAUSESCLAUSES
 Necessary informationNecessary information
 Essential to the meaning of the mainEssential to the meaning of the main
sentencesentence
 Relative pronouns can be omitted whenRelative pronouns can be omitted when
they are the object of the relative clausethey are the object of the relative clause
 The relative clause is not put in commasThe relative clause is not put in commas

8. . People are fined. (Which people?). People are fined. (Which people?)
PeoplePeople who /thatwho /that park illegally are fined.park illegally are fined.
(Which people? Those who park illegally)(Which people? Those who park illegally)
. The film was boring (Which film?). The film was boring (Which film?)
The filmThe film (which/ that)(which/ that) I watched yesterdayI watched yesterday
was boring.was boring.
(Which film? The one I watched yesterday)(Which film? The one I watched yesterday)

9. NON-DEFINING RELATIVENON-DEFINING RELATIVE
CLAUSESCLAUSES
 They give extra informationThey give extra information
 Not essential to the meaning of theNot essential to the meaning of the
sentencesentence
 RELATIVE PRONOUNS CANNOT BERELATIVE PRONOUNS CANNOT BE
OMITTEDOMITTED
 THATTHAT CANNOT BE USEDCANNOT BE USED
 THE RELATIVE CLAUSE IS PUT INTHE RELATIVE CLAUSE IS PUT IN
COMMASCOMMAS

10. . The Jeffersons live next door.. The Jeffersons live next door.
The Jeffersons,The Jeffersons, whowho own a Jaguar, live next door.own a Jaguar, live next door.
My cat is called Monty.My cat is called Monty.
My cat,My cat, whichwhich I found on the street, is calledI found on the street, is called
Monty.Monty.

11. ExerciseExercise
 1) I talked to the girl 1) I talked to the girl whosewhose car had broken down in front of car had broken down in front of
the shop.the shop.
 2) Mr Richards, 2) Mr Richards, whowho is a taxi driver, lives on the corner. is a taxi driver, lives on the corner.
 3) We often visit our aunt in Bandung 3) We often visit our aunt in Bandung whichwhich is in West Java. is in West Java.
 4) This is the girl 4) This is the girl whowho comes from Spain. comes from Spain.
 5) That's Peter, the boy 5) That's Peter, the boy whowho has just arrived at the airport. has just arrived at the airport.
 6) Thank you very much for your e-mail 6) Thank you very much for your e-mail whichwhich was very was very
interesting.interesting.
 7) Anne, 7) Anne, whosewhose father is a professor, forgot her umbrella. father is a professor, forgot her umbrella.
 8) The children, 8) The children, whowho shouted in the street, are not from our shouted in the street, are not from our
school.school.
 9) The car, 9) The car, whosewhose driver is a young man, is from Kalimantan. driver is a young man, is from Kalimantan.
 10) What did you do with the money 10) What did you do with the money whichwhich your mother lent your mother lent
you?you?

12. RELATIVE ADVERBSRELATIVE ADVERBS
 WHEREWHERE
 WHENWHEN
 WHY: THE REASON WHYWHY: THE REASON WHY
 I didn’t get a pay rise – that was the reasonI didn’t get a pay rise – that was the reason
why I left.why I left.
 I didn’t get a pay rise – that was the reasonI didn’t get a pay rise – that was the reason
(that) I left.(that) I left.

13. DEFINING RELATIVEDEFINING RELATIVE
CLAUSESCLAUSES
 WHERE: refers toWHERE: refers to
place, after nounsplace, after nouns
like: place, house,like: place, house,
street, town andstreet, town and
country.country.
 The streetThe street wherewhere wewe
used to play is veryused to play is very
busy now.busy now.
 The streetThe street (which(which
/that)/that) we used towe used to
playplay inin is very busyis very busy
nownow

14.  WHEN: refers to time,WHEN: refers to time,
after nouns like: time,after nouns like: time,
period, moment,period, moment,
day…day…
 I’ll never forget theI’ll never forget the
day when I first metday when I first met
him.him.
 I’ll never forget theI’ll never forget the
day (that) I first metday (that) I first met
him.him.

15. NON-DEFININGNON-DEFINING
 WHERE: always afterWHERE: always after
a named place.a named place.
 WHEN: always after aWHEN: always after a
named time.named time.
 I stopped in Dallas,I stopped in Dallas,
where my sister lives.where my sister lives.
 Come back at 3:30,Come back at 3:30,
when I won’t be busy.when I won’t be busy.