Introduction
(Pic of a doctor) This is Sammy. He's the doctor who helped me with my back problem. He works at a hospital which is near my house.
Grammar 1
("He's the doctor who helped me with my back problem." "He works at a hospital which is near my house.")
We call this grammar the...,
("relative clause")
When do we use the "relative clause"?
Relative clauses tell the listener more about the person or thing that the noun refers to. The pronouns that often begin the adjective clause are called relative pronouns.
"Who", "whom" and "that" for people.
"Which" and "that" refer to things.
"Where" refers to places.
"When" refers to time.
* Rule to Remember:
If the subject relative pronoun is followed by a form of the verb "be", both the relative pronoun and the verb form can be omitted.
(The man who is speaking to the teacher is my father. >>> The man speaking to the teacher is my father.)
Controlled Practice 1
(Pics of a man washing his car, barber, wedding, pilot, mechanic). Imagine that you know these people very well. Make sentences about them in the relative clause.
Make sentences using these words.
(man/next door/doctor >>> The man who lives next door is a doctor.)
milk/supermarket/sour
passengers/train/Chicago
woman/love/married
payphone/building/out of order
movie / last night / boring
staff / my local bank / friendly
concert / last weekend / great
new manager / my company / strange
man / upstairs / drums
Change the following sentences so that the relative pronoun (who, that, which) and the form of the verb “be” are omitted.
e.g. The people who are standing next to the door are waiting for you. >>> The people standing next to the door are waiting for you.
The teacher who is sitting next to the bookshelf comes from Canada.
The man who is shouting at the waiter just found a fly in his soup.
The ship that is sinking in the harbour belongs to my brother.
The woman who is handing out coupons has been working for seven hours.
The game, which is starting at 4 pm, will be between the Giants and the Tigers.
The child who is crying in the corner lost his favourite toy.
Language in Use 1
Tell me about the following, using the relative clause.
(astronaut >>> An astronaut is someone who works in space.)
(politician, prisoner, priest, opportunist, philosopher, computer, blender, wheel, clock, butter)
Grammar 2
Let's now look at several types of adjective clauses.
("restrictive" and "unrestrictive")
(A "restrictive" adjective clause provides information that helps to identify the noun that it describes.)
(My friend who/that works at Alpha Industries is wealthy.)
(An "unrestrictive" adjective clause provides extra information about the noun it modifies. This information is not necessary to identify the noun.)
This type of clause is more common in written form than spoken.
(My friend, who just got married, works at Alpha Industries.)
* Rule to Remember:
"Which" can be used to introduce both restrictive and unrestrictive clauses, although it is most commonly used to introduce unrestrictive clauses. "That" can only be used to introduce restrictive clauses.
Controlled Practice 2
What is the difference between these two sentences? The house that my uncle built is falling down. (restrictive)
The house, which my father built, is falling down. (unrestrictive)
Is this sentence "restrictive" or "unrestrictive"? Why?
(The man, whose identity is being withheld by the police, saw the accident. >>> unrestrictive)
Make one sentence from two.
Many people arrived late. They were kept waiting.
(Many people who arrived late were kept waiting.)
The politician was voted into office. He owns a big mansion.
(The politician, who owns a big mansion, was voted into office.)
Air pollution increases yearly. It is the main cause of lung disease.
(Air pollution, which is the main cause of lung disease, increases yearly.)
Hawaii is renowned for its surf. It is a popular destination for tourists.
(Hawaii, which is renowned for its surf, is a popular destination for tourists.)
Five people missed the flight. They were all from Australia.
The dog bit three people. It is owned by my neighbour.
The teach went back to England. He had been here for ten years.
The old shop closed down. I worked there when I was in high school.
The boat sank during its first voyage. My father designed it.
Language in Use 2
Fill in the blank with "which" or "that".
The store, __________ I bought these shoes at, is having a big sale.
There are many countries __________ people cannot enter, without proper visas.
Water, __________ is one of the most important natural resources in the world, covers 75% of the Earth.
The apartment _________ I live in is too small.