RELATIVE CLAUSES

Vanessa Montisci

RELATIVE CLAUSES

Defining

• Give essential information to the main clause • Are not used within commas

• Students who/that are caught using mobile phones in class will be expelled

• Who, that, which, whom can be omitted if they refer to the object of the verb of the main sentence

• The computer (that /which) I bought was defective

Non-defining

• Give extra information to the meaning of the main clause

• They are to be used within commas

• We cannot omit the pronoun and NEVER use that

• My new mobile phone, which I bought yesterday, has a photo caller ID

Vanessa Montisci

WHEN, WHERE, WHY

• Where, when: can introduce both defining and non-defining relative clauses

• Wendy was brought up in Scotland, where she was born, but later emigrated to Australia

• If you visit Yorkshire, it is worth visiting the house where the Brontës lived

• Why can introduce a defining relative clause after the word ‘reason’

• Do you know (the reason) why Kate’s changed her mind?

Vanessa Montisci

FORMAL VS INFORMAL

Formal use

• Prepositions usually come before the relative pronoun

• This hotel, at which many celebrities stay when they are in the capital, is very expensive

• In defining relative clauses with prepositions we use whom to refer to people, which to refer to things

• The man to whom I spoke gave me different information

Informal use

• Prepositions come at the end of the relative clause

• This hotel where many celebrities stay at when they are in the capital…

• The pronoun is usually omitted

• The man I spoke to gave me different information

Vanessa Montisci

PRACTICE

• Look at the sentences. In which one does the speaker have one sister? In which more than two. In which is the information in the relative clause essential? • My sister who live in Mexico has two children • My sister, who lives in Mexico, has two children • Complete the email with the relative pronouns if necessary

• Dear Chris,

• How are you? I hope all the problems……………………you told me about in your last email have been solved and that your new house, …………………sounded very nice, is now finished.

• Well, I have got news. My husband has changed his job. The firm …………… he works for now is only minutes from home, ……………is really convenient. This means he can leave the car, ……………..he hates using, in the garage and take the bus.

• Eric, ……………..will be 19 next month, has just passed hi s exams, so he’ll be able to go on to university. Laura is sharing a flat in Bath with a friend ……………she used to go to school with. My mother, ………… is still living us, will soon be moving to a new flat with her sister. She’s very well and always full of energy and luckily so am I. […]

Vanessa Montisci

KEY SENTENCES

• • The protester was taken away by some policemen in riot gear. (arrested)

• The policemen ……………………………………….were in riot gear. • After just ten minutes I didn’t have anything else I needed to tell them. (had)

• After just ten minutes ……………………………..I needed to say • That’s the building. Joe’s office is on the sixth floor. (where)

• The office ………………………..is on the sixth floor of that building • On the website you can get lots of very useful information. (gives)

• Most of the information ………………………………………………..is very useful.

Vanessa Montisci