Rachel Carson created controversy with her 1962 book Silent Spring, which warned about the effects of pesticides. A biology course in college first led Carson to study the environment. She was inspired to write Silent Spring after receiving a letter from a woman in Massachusetts concerned about pesticides harming bird habitats. The book's publishers commissioned an independent study to verify Carson's statements about the pesticide chlordane.

1. Relative Clauses
1.
2.
3.
4.
Rachel Carson (1907–1964) created quite a controversy
with her widely read 1962 book, Silent Spring, which gave
a sharp warning to the public.
However, a biology course that she took in her sophomore
year at Pennsylvania College for Women led her in an
entirely different direction.
Carson came up with the idea for Silent Spring after
receiving a letter from a stranger in the state of
Massachusetts who was disturbed by the effects of
pesticides on her bird sanctuary.
The book's publishers underwrote a study to independently
verify the statements that Carson had made about
chlordane.
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2. Concept Checking (1)
1.
When do you use the pronoun who in a relative clause?
 To refer to a person
 The man who escaped from the prison was a bank
robber.
2. When do you use the pronoun which in a relative clause?
 To refer to a thing
 The car which is parked there is the director’s car.
3. When do you use the pronoun that in a relative clause?
 To refer to a person or a thing
 The man that escaped from the prison was a bank
robber.
 The car that is parked there is the director’s car.
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3. Join the sentences on the left with those on
the right using who or which
1. Do you know a shop?
2. I know somebody.
3. I want some plates.
4. I was at school with the man.
5. I’d like to speak to the person.
6. She’s got friendly with a boy.
7. The police haven’t found the man.
8. There’s some cheese in the fridge.
9. We’ve got some light bulbs.
10. This is the switch.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
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He lives next door.
He stole my car.
He/She deals with exports.
It isn’t working.
It needs to be eaten.
It sells good coffee.
They last for years.
She could mend that chair.
They can go in the microwave.
He is driving that taxi.

4. Join the sentences on the left with those on
the right using who or which (answers)
1. Do you know a shop which sells good coffee?
2. I know somebody who could mend that chair.
3. I want some plates which can go in the microwave.
4. I was at school with the man Who is driving that taxi.
5. I’d like to speak to the person who deals with exports.
6. She’s got friendly with a boy who lives next door.
7. The police haven’t found the man who stole my car.
8. There’s some cheese in the fridge which needs to be eaten
9. We’ve got some light bulbs which last for years.
10. This is the switch which isn’t working.
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5. Concept Checking (2)
4. How do you reduce an adjective clause to an adjective
phrase?
 If there is a to be (am, is, are, etc), delete the to be and the
relative pronoun (who/which/that)
The car which is parked there is the director’s car.
The car parked there is the director’s car.
 If there is no to be (am, is, are, etc), delete the relative
pronoun (who/which/that) and change the verb to Ving.
The man who escaped from the prison was a bank robber.
The man escaping from the prison was a bank robber.
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6. Change the relative clauses below to relative phrases
1. The nurse who is looking after my mother is very kind to her.
The nurse looking after my mother is very kind to her.
2. Luggage that is left unattended will be taken away by police.
Luggage left unattended will be taken away by police.
3. Who’s that good-looking man who is talking to Alice?
Who’s that good-looking man talking to Alice?
4. All the rubbish that is floating in the sea is a real danger to health.
All the rubbish floating in the sea is a real danger to health.
5. Do you know the man who is standing near the door?
Do you know the man standing near the door?
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7. Change the relative clauses below to relative phrases
1. The nurse who is looking after my mother is very kind to her.
The nurse looking after my mother is very kind to her.
2. Luggage that is left unattended will be taken away by police.
Luggage left unattended will be taken away by police.
3. Who’s that good-looking man who is talking to Alice?
Who’s that good-looking man talking to Alice?
4. All the rubbish that is floating in the sea is a real danger to health.
All the rubbish floating in the sea is a real danger to health.
5. Do you know the man who is standing near the door?
Do you know the man standing near the door?
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