Relative pronouns and relative adverbs

A Pronouns in identifying and adding clauses

There are two kinds of relative clause: identifying and adding. Look at the pronouns in these examples.

IDENTIFYING

I'm sure I know the person who served us.

The pop singer whom Guy invited onto his chat show never turned up.

The woman whose flat was burgled spent the night at a friend's house.

Towns which/that attract tourists are usually crowded in the summer.

In an identifying clause we can use who, whom, whose, which or that.

ADDING

Natalie, who served us, is a friend of Emma's.

Arlene Black, whom Guy invited onto his chat show, never turned up.

Natasha, whose flat was burgled, spent the night at a friend's house.

Oxford, which attracts many tourists, is often crowded in the summer.

In an adding clause we can use who, whom, whose or which. We do NOT use that.

Sometimes we can leave the pronoun out of an identifying clause.

The woman (who) you met yesterday works in advertising.

Have you seen the book (that) I was reading?

Laura couldn't find the box (that) she kept her photos in.

We cannot leave the pronoun out of an adding clause.

Sarah, whom you met yesterday, works in advertising.

That book 'Brighton Rock', which I was reading, is really good.

Laura had a wooden box, in which she kept her photos OR which she kept her photos in.

C The relative adverbs where, when and why

Look at these examples.

This is the place where the accident happened.

Do you remember the day when we moved the piano upstairs?

The reason why Nick came was that he wanted to see Rita.

We can leave out when or why, or we can use that.

Do you remember the day (that) we moved the piano upstairs?

The reason (that) Nick came was that he wanted to see Rita.

There are also adding clauses with where and when.

We went to the Riverside Restaurant, where I once had lunch with Henry.

Mark likes to travel at night, when the roads are quiet.

D A special use of which

In an adding clause, we can use which relating to a whole sentence, not just to a noun.

It rained all night, which was good for the garden.

Here which means 'the fact that it rained all night'. Here are some more examples.

David helped me clear up, which was very kind of him.

Sarah had to work late again, which annoyed Mark.

Tom pushed Nick into the swimming-pool, which seemed to amuse everyone.