RELATIVE clauses

1 We use relative pronouns and adverbs to add a relative clause to a sentence. We use the relative pronoun or adverb that refers to the noun before the relative clause:

That’s the woman!

That’s the woman who won.

2 We use who or that to refer to people.

The girl who / that works in the café is pretty.

3 We use which or that to refer to things.

I only read the books which / that interest me.

4 We use where to refer to places.

This is the city where he was born.

We can also use that to refer to places, if we add a place preposition at the end of the clause.

This is the city that he was born in.

5 We use the adverb when or that to refer to time.

July is the month when / that we finish school.

6 We use whose to express possession.

That’s the singer whose album got to number one. --> Whose is different from who’s, which is the contracted form of who is or who has.

7 We often use that after something, anything, everything, nothing, all and superlatives.

Here’s something that you can read in the car.

It’s the best film that I’ve ever seen.

1 Defining relative clauses give essential information about the noun they refer to. Without the relative clause, the sentence would be incomplete and would not make sense. Compare:

That’s the writer.

That’s the writer who was on TV yesterday.

2 Non-defining relative clauses give extra non- essential information about the noun they refer to. If we remove the relative clause, the sentence still makes sense. Compare:

Festival tickets are on sale now.

Festival tickets, which cost £200, are on sale now.

3 We can combine two sentences with a non-defining clause.

Gemma’s sister is called Elaine. She’s a teacher.

Gemma’s sister, who’s a teacher, is called Elaine.

4 We always use commas to separate the non-defining clause from the rest of the sentence. We cannot omit who, which, when or where from a non-defining relative clause, nor can we start one with that.

My coat, which I bought last year, has never been worn.

My coat, that I bought last year, has never been worn.

We can omit who, which or that if it is the object of a defining relative clause, but we cannot omit whose. This is very common in spoken English.

That’s the moped (which / that) Pablo bought.

She’s the girl (who / that) Martin asked out last night.