Relative Clauses

What es a relative clause ?• A relative clause is one that is connected to the

main clause of the sentence by a word such as who, whom, which, that, or whose. For example:

It reminded him of the house that he used to live in.

When did we use the relative clause ?

relative pronoun use examplewho subject or object pronoun for people I told you about the woman who lives next door.

which subject or object pronoun for animals and things Do you see the cat which is lying on the roof?

which referring to a whole sentence He couldn’t read which surprised me.

whose possession for people animals and things Do you know the boy whose mother is a nurse?

whom object pronoun for people, especially in non-defining relative clauses (in defining relative clauses we colloquially prefer who)

I was invited by the professor whom I met at the conference.

that subject or object pronoun for people, animals and things in defining relative clauses (who or which are also possible)

I don’t like the table that stands in the kitchen.

Different Relative Clauses

There are two types of relative clause:

• Restrictive relative clause.• Non-restrictive relative clause.

Non-restrictive relative clause.

• Non-restrictive relative clauses are normally introduced by which, whose, who, or whom, but never by that.

• Gives extra information about a noun.

• It’s separated from the noun by commas.

Whit the non-restrictive relative clause we never use:

THAT.

Which/who replacing that.

Which

Examples :     The boy that lost his watch was careless.

The boy who lost his watch was careless.

Who

Examples :     The book that’s on the table is mine.

The book which is on the table is mine.

Note:In non-defining relative clauses, who/which may not be replaced with that.

If a non-restrictive relative clause is in the middle of a sentence, you should

put commas before and after it:

Bill, who had fallen asleep on the sofa,suddenly roused himself.

[non-restrictive relative clause]