1. 19.1 What are relative clauses?
19.2 Defining relative clauses
19.3 Non-defining clauses
19.4 Prepositions + which and whom
Grammar Practice
Part A
Part B
Part C
Part D
Part E
Language Practice
Part F
Part G
Part H
Part I

2. 19.1 What are relative clauses?
A relative clause is the part of a sentence that tells us which person or thing is being talked about, or gives more information about a person or a thing.
P.188

3. Is that the novel
(that/which) you borrowed
from Tom?
Which of those girls
is Tom’s sister?
The one who is wearing
glasses (is Tom’s sister). A B
No, this is the one (that/which)
I bought yesterday.
There are two kinds of relative clauses: defining and non-defining. Both kinds can be introduced by relative pronouns (who, whom, which), as well as whose, when, where, why and that.
P.188

4. 19.2 Defining relative clauses
Defining clauses contain essential information that clearly indicates which person or thing we are talking about (i.e. noun).
• about people (i.e. who is being talked about)
P.188

5. P.188 Relative clause with Examples who/that as the subject
The old couple who/that live next door seldom have visitors.
Compare: The old couple seldom
have visitors. They live
next door.
P.188

6. P.188 Relative clause with Examples whom/who/that as the object
The boy who/whom/that we met just
now is Susan’s brother.
Compare: The boy is Susan’s brother. We met him just
now.
P.188

7. P.188 Relative clause with Examples whose + noun as the subject
I have a friend whose brother is a
famous designer.
Compare: I have a friend. His brother is a famous designer.
P.188

8. P.188 1 As the object of the clause, the relative pronoun
can be omitted.
The boy (who/whom/that) we met just now is Susan’s brother.
2 In informal situations, who is more likely to be used
than whom as the object of the relative clause.
The boy who we met just now is Susan’s
brother.
P.188

9. P.188 3 That is often used instead of who in informal situations.
The boy that we met just now is Susan’s
brother.
P.188

10. P.189 • about things/places (i.e. what is being talked about)
Relative clause with
Examples
which/that as the subject or object
Did you see the book which/that
was on the table this morning?
(which/that is the subject of the
relative clause)
Compare: Did you see the book? It was on the table this morning.
P.189

11. P.189 Relative clause with Examples Is this the book which/that you
bought last week?
(which/that is the object of the
relative clause)
Compare: Is this the book? You bought it last week.
P.189

12. P.189 As the object of the relative clause, the relative
pronoun or that can be omitted.
Is this the book you bought last week?
with where, when and why
We can use where, when and why to introduce relative clauses after nouns that refer to place, time and reason. Sometimes that is used to replace when or why.
P.189

13. P.189 About Examples where place The hotel where we stayed was
quite far from the airport.
Compare: The hotel at which we stayed was quite far from the airport.
The hotel we stayed at was quite far from the airport.
P.189

14. P.189 time About Do you remember the day when/that we first met?
Compare: Do you remember the day on which we first met?
We can omit when/that.
Do you remember the day we first met?
when/that
Examples
P.189

15. P.189 reason About Is there a reason why/that you don’t like her?
Compare: Is there a reason for which you don’t like her?
We can omit why/that.
Is there a reason you don’t like her?
why/that
Examples
P.189

16. P.190 • Infinitives and participles instead of relative clauses
 After first, second, next, last, only and sometimes
after superlatives (tallest, most difficult, etc.), a to-
infinitive is more usual than a relative clause.
Who was the last person to leave the
classroom yesterday?
Compare: Who was the last person who
left the classroom yesterday?
It was the most important thing to do that
day.
P.190

17. P.190 clause expresses a continuous or repeated action.
 We can use a present participle when the verb in the
clause expresses a continuous or repeated action.
People living in tropical countries usually wear lightweight clothing.
P.190

18. 19.3 Non-defining clauses P.190
Non-defining clauses do not tell us which person or thing
is being described. We use these clauses to provide interesting additional information about a person or thing that has already been specified.
My father, who works in a bank, often comes
home late for dinner.
P.190

19. As you can see from the example above, non-defining clauses that occur in the middle of a sentence are separated by commas from the rest of the sentence. If the non-defining clause occurs at the end of a sentence, a comma is placed before the word (who, which, etc.) introducing the clause. In speech, these commas are where a speaker would pause. Non-defining clauses are generally formal, and therefore they are not common in informal speaking situations.
P.190

20. P.190 • with who, whom, which About Subject/ object Examples who
people
can be used as a subject
I’m grateful to Paul, who helped us when we moved house.
whom
can be used as an object
It was not easy to break up with Paul, whom she had known for years. (formal)
P.190

21. P.190 About Subject/ object Examples which things
can be used as a subject or an object
We visited the Great Wall, which was magnificent. (Which is used as the subject of the relative clause.)
I gave her my telephone number, which she wrote down in her notebook. (Which is used as the object of the relative clause.)
P.190

22. P.190 • with whose, where and when
We took a No.75K bus to Bride’s Pool Waterfall, where we had a barbecue.
place
where
Paul, whose sister is my classmate, is leaving for Australia tomorrow.
possession – people/thing
whose
time
About
That September, when we met, was one of the wettest on record.
when
Examples
P.190

23. P.191 • with which (referring to a whole sentence)
We can use which to refer to the whole sentence, rather than only the noun before it.
Susan failed the test, which surprised us all.
Compare: Susan failed the test. This/That surprised us all.
whole
sentence
P.191

24. 19.4 Prepositions + which and whom
We can use a preposition before which and whom (for whom, in which, etc.) in both defining and non-defining relative clauses.
The girl about whom I told you is here now. (formal)
Compare: The girl is here now. I told you
about her.
Jack’s sister, about whom I told you, is here
now. (formal)
P.191

25. The camera with which I took the wedding photos belongs to my aunt.
Compare: The camera belongs to my aunt. I took the wedding photos with the camera.
I borrowed my aunt’s camera, with which I took the wedding photos.
P.191

26. 1. In informal situations, it is more common to use who
1 In informal situations, it is more common to use who instead of whom.
The girl who I told you about is here now.
2 We can use the structures some of/one of/three of/
each of/many of/much of/all of/none of, etc. +
whom/which in non-defining clauses.
Jane has two brothers, both of whom are
married. (formal)
There are three rooms in the flat, none of
which have a harbour view.
P.191

27. P.191 3 In informal situations:
• it is more common to put the preposition at the
end of a defining clause, and to use that
instead of which or who/whom.
The girl that I told you about is here
now.
The house that they lived in was
damaged in the typhoon.
P.191

28. P.191 • we can put the preposition towards the end of a
non-defining clause and use who instead of
whom, but we can’t use that or leave out the
relative pronoun.
Miss Lai, who I learned the
news from, is a friend of my brother’s.
John’s parents’ country house,
which we spent the night in last
summer, was damaged in the typhoon
last week.
P.191

29. Grammar Practice P.192 Complete the sentences using who, whom, which,
that or whose. If these words can be omitted, put them in
brackets. If there is more than one possible answer, you can write more than one answer. The first one has been done for you as an example.
P.192

30. P.192 1 I’ve finished the book ____________________ I borrowed
from the library.
2 Who was the girl _________________________ you were
speaking to just now?
3 The lock ___________________ was broken has now been
repaired.
4 Have you seen the letter ___________________ came this
morning? I can’t find it anywhere.
(which/that)
(that/whom/who)
which/that
which/that
P.192

31. P.192 5 Belinda’s cat, _____________ she got from the SPCA, which
has run away.
6 A nurse is a professional _______________ job is to care for
sick people.
7 The firm is looking for someone _________________speaks
English and Putonghua fluently.
which
whose
who/that
P.192

32. P.192 8 The bay in Mui Wo, _______________ is also known as Silver
Mine Bay, is named after the former silver mines in a nearby
valley.
9 Mr Wong, _______________ flat is above ours, used to play
guitar in a band.
10 I’ve lost her address, _______________ I wrote down on a
piece of paper.
which
whose
which
P.192

33. Complete the sentences with suitable prepositions where necessary
Complete the sentences with suitable prepositions where necessary. If no preposition is needed, put a cross () in the blank. The first two have been done for you as examples.
P.192

34.  P.192 1 The person _____________ whom this letter is addressed to
has moved out.
2 The Hong Kong Museum of Art, _____________ which is
located in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, showcases over
15,000 art objects.
3 I wonder who she’s talking _____________ on the phone.
4 The sofa I slept _____________ last night wasn’t very
comfortable. to 
with/to on
P.192

35. P.192 5 Do you know the name of the boy ___________ whom she
went to the cinema last night?
6 She plans to visit the town she was born ____________ .
7 The pollution index for the district _____________ which we
live is often very high.
8 They went to the Peak, _____________ which they got a
good view of the harbour.
with in in
from
P.192

36.  P.192 9 The photos he showed us _____________ were taken by
his brother.
10 The people he is working _____________ are very friendly. 
with/for
P.192

37. Complete the sentences with relative clauses using the expressions in the box. Put the relative pronouns in brackets if they can be omitted. The first one has been done for you as an example.
P.193

38. P.193 1 Is that the girl ____________________________________
_______________________________________________ ?
2 The tourist wanted to personally thank the taxi driver _____
________________________________________________
_______________________________________________ .
3 Where is the magazine _____________________________
(who/whom/that) you saw at the
party last night
who/that found his wallet and gave it in to the
police
(which/that) I bought
last night
OPTIONS
P.193

39. P.193 4 The proposal _____________________________________
_____________________________________ sounded good.
5 A woman ________________________________________
_________________ has tested negative for the deadly virus.
6 The hospital _____________________________________
________________________________________________
_______________________________ is in Eastern District.
(which/that) Ben made at the
meeting
whose relatives died of
Ebola
(that) Mrs Leung’s husband was
admitted to/where Mrs Leung’s husband was
admitted
OPTIONS
P.193

40. P.193 7 The job _________________________________________
_______________________________________ pays well.
8 They booked a room on the top floor, _________________
_______________________________________________ .
9 The restaurant ____________________________________
________________________________________________
_______________________________ closed down yesterday.
(which/that) Kate’s brother applied
for/for which Kate’s brother applied
(from) where
they had a bird’s eye view of the city
Lily’s grandparents used to
go to for dim sum/where Lily’s grandparents
used to go for dim sum
OPTIONS
P.193

41. Read the information about Paul and his friends
Read the information about Paul and his friends. Use the information to complete each sentence using a non-defining clause. The first two have been done for you as examples.
P.194

42. P.194 Tim Melinda David Ron Kate tennis shoe boxes reading pen
one of Paul’s best friends
Paul sometimes walks to school with her
Melinda’s boyfriend
interests include classical music and jazz
her parents have a large house in Dongguan
the only outdoor game Paul plays
Paul kept his toys in them when he was a child
Paul’s favourite pastime
Paul gave it to Steve before Steve left for Australia
P.194

43. P.194 1 Paul often turns to Tim, ____________________________
______________________________________ , for advice.
2 Paul is waiting for Melinda, _________________________
_______________________________________________ .
3 Paul used to go to the same school as David, ___________
4 Paul doesn’t share Ron’s interests, ___________________
(who is) one of his best
friends
who/whom he
sometimes walks to school with
(who is)
Melinda’s boyfriend
which include
classical music and jazz
INFORMATION
P.194

44. P.194 5 Kate, ___________________________________________
________________ , has invited Paul to her birthday party.
6 Paul is good at tennis, ______________________________
_______________________________________________ .
7 These are Paul’s shoe boxes, ________________________
8 Paul says that reading, _____________________________
________________ , has helped to improve his vocabulary.
whose parents have a large house in
Dongguan
(which is) the only outdoor
game he plays
in which/where he kept
his toys when he was a child
(which is) his favourite
pastime
INFORMATION
P.194

45. 9 The pen on Steve’s desk, ___________________________
_______________________________________________ ,
is Steve’s favourite.
which Paul gave
him before he left for Australia
INFORMATION
P.194

46. Join each pair of sentences with a relative pronoun
Join each pair of sentences with a relative pronoun. Add commas where necessary. The first one has been done for you as an example.
P.195

47. P.195 1 There is someone here./He wants to speak to you.
________________________________________________
2 The man has been discharged./ He was admitted yesterday with
head injuries.
There is someone here who wants to speak to
you.
The man who was admitted yesterday with head
injuries has been discharged.
P.195

48. P.195 3 The 25-year-old man finished the 10K road race easily./He is
an avid runner.
________________________________________________
4 Do you know Mrs Lee?/Her daughter is the face of a new
marketing campaign.
The 25-year-old man, who is an avid runner,
finished the 10K road race easily.
Do you know Mrs Lee, whose daughter is the
face of a new marketing campaign?
P.195

49. P.195 5 Mr and Mrs Smith seem to be enjoying themselves in Hong
Kong./We had dinner with them at a Chinese restaurant last
night.
________________________________________________
Mr and Mrs Smith, with whom we had dinner at
a Chinese restaurant last night/who we had
dinner at a Chinese restaurant last night with,
seem to be enjoying themselves in Hong Kong.
P.195

50. P.195 6 This letter has only just arrived./It was sent by air mail.
________________________________________________
This letter, which was sent by air mail, has
only just arrived.
P.195

51. P.195 7 Several people were gathering around the damaged car./The
windscreen and headlights of the car had been smashed.
________________________________________________
Several people were gathering around the
damaged car, whose windscreen and headlights
had been smashed/the windscreen and
headlights of which had been smashed.
P.195

52. P.195 8 Mary has a good voice./We asked her to sing at the party last
night.
__________________________________________
____________________________________________
Mary, whom/who we asked to sing at the
party last night, has a good voice.
P.195

53. Language Practice
Complete the passage by choosing the appropriate expressions from the list below (A-M). You can use each
expression ONCE only. The first one has been done for you as an example.
P.196

54. P.196 Have you ever been to the Strangeness of the Human Body
Exhibition, (1) _____ are put on show? Visitors are encouraged
to get close to the exhibits, (2) _____ , to learn more about the
mysteries of the human body. An innovative preservation
process (3) ______ was used to process the bodies. This is a
special procedure (4) ______ . L H M J
OPTIONS
P.196

55. P.196 Conflicting reactions are voiced by the public. Some find it
of great educational value. ‘The exhibit (5) _____ shows a
damaged liver, (6) _____ ,’ noted Paul, one of the visitors.
‘Looking at it reminds me of the importance of a healthy
lifestyle, (7) _____ .’ Teachers (8) _____ agreed that the
exhibition was a unique biology lesson for their students. I A F G
OPTIONS
P.196

56. P.196 Some visitors, however, are pleased (9) _____ . ‘It made me
feel queasy (10) _____ ,’ a woman in her thirties said. ‘I lost
my appetite for several days after the visit,’ another said. ‘I feel
very uncomfortable (11) _____ . The insides of people’s bodies
shouldn’t be exposed to complete strangers, (12) _____ . The
dead deserve to be treated in a more dignified manner.’
Questions regarding (13) _____ have also been raised. E K C B D
OPTIONS
P.196

57. Fill in each blank in the passage with ONE suitable word
Fill in each blank in the passage with ONE suitable word. The first one has been done for you as an example.
P.197

58. P.197 The first typhoon signal of the year was raised last month
(1) ________ Typhoon Neoguri, (2) ________ was the second
earliest typhoon ever recorded in Hong Kong’s history, hit the
territory. Three hundred flights were affected on that day,
some of (3) _________ were cancelled.
With winter lasting longer than usual this year, some have
speculated (4) ________ Hong Kong might be in for an
extremely hot summer.
when
which
which
that
P.197

59. P.197 However, H.G. Wai, (5) _______ is now Assistant Director of who
the Observatory, said that there is no direct correlation
between season length and future weather conditions,
(6) ________ are typically determined by a series of complex
factors.
who
which
P.197

60. P.197 ‘If more tropical cyclones appear near the Philippines, the
chances of hotter weather in Hong Kong will be greater,’ said
Mr Wai, (7) ________ later admitted (8) _________ the task
of weather forecasting has become increasingly difficult due
to global warming. A high-performance computer (9)
____________ will enable greater precision in weather
forecasting will soon be purchased. ‘It is expected (10)
_________ the new computer will be in service by the middle
of next year,’ he informed the media.
who
that
which/that
that
P.197

61. P.197 About the Hong Kong Observatory
The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), (11) ________ major
services include weather forecasting and meteorological
monitoring, was established in 1883 by Sir George Bowen,
(12) ________ was the 9th Governor of Hong Kong.
Observatory Road, (13) ________ which the Hong Kong
Observatory Building is located, was named after this
landmark. In 1884, the typhoon signal system, (14) ________
is currently divided into five different levels according to the
level of severity, was officially instituted.
whose
who
on/in
which
P.197

62. (Note: accept all reasonable answers)
HKO issues warnings to Hong Kong residents from time to
time (15) ________ a typhoon approaches. Because of the
system, better precautions, (16) ________ are essential for
personal safety during typhoon season, can be adopted by the
public. However, it was not until 1916 (17) __________ full
24-hour observation of the main meteorological elements
finally started. Over the years, HKO has evolved to cope with
rising challenges, (18) _________ today include a variety of
extreme weather conditions and climate change.
when
which
that
which
(Note: accept all reasonable answers)
P.197

63. Read Version 1 of the article
Read Version 1 of the article. Then complete version 2 of the article using relative clauses. You may have to change some of the words. The first one has been done for you as an example.
Version 1
P.198

64. P.199 Version 2 Version 1 is a healthy sport which/that is favoured
by many people
(1) Cycling _________________________________________
________________ . It helps us lose weight and reduce the
risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. (2) The sport,
__________________________________ , helps improve
coordination as well. (3) Cycling regularly can also reduce
stress, _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________ .
which involves the whole body
a high level of which is not good for either
your physical or your mental health
P.199

65. P.199 Version 2 Version 1 who have sleeping problems
(4) And for those ____________________________________ ,
taking to two wheels can help them get more quality sleep.
(5) In addition to boosting fitness, cycling, ________________
______________ , is environmentally friendly. (6) It reduces
the use of fuels, _____________________________________
__________________________________________________ .
who have sleeping problems
which does not
pollute the air
which means dollars are saved
for other uses
P.199

66. P.199 Version 2 Version 1 which originated in Europe
(7) Today, bicycle sharing, ___________________________ ,
is becoming popular around the world. You can find similar
bike sharing schemes in many cities. (8) One example
is Toronto, _________________________________________ .
(9) Its bike sharing scheme, ___________________________ ,
is known as Bike Share Toronto. People simply need to register
online to purchase a rider pass at a Bike Share station to rent a
bike.
which originated in Europe
which is the most populated city in Canada
which started in 2011
P.199

67. Version 2
Version 1
(10) It costs about seven Canadian Dollars, ________________
_________________________________________ , for a 24-
hour pass, while riders pay just 90 Canadian Dollars (about
HK$600) for a one-year membership. (11) There are currently
80 Bike Share stations in Toronto, ______________________
__________________________________________________ .
which is
roughly equal to 47 Hong Kong Dollars
which are all/all of
which are in the downtown area
P.199

68. Version 2
Version 1
(12) Besides Toronto, you can find similar bike sharing
schemes in Paris, London, Barcelona, Seattle, Beijing and
Taipei, ____________________________________________ .
It is expected that more and more cities will introduce similar
schemes in the not-so-distant future.
which are all densely populated cities
P.199

69. Fill in each blank in the letter using ONE suitable word
Fill in each blank in the letter using ONE suitable word. The first one has been done for you as an example.
P.200

70. Dear Kate
Thanks for the letter you wrote on 12 January, (1) __________
for some unknown reason didn’t reach me until yesterday. I’m
glad (2) __________ your elder brother finally got his very first
job after graduating, (3) ___________ must be very exciting for
him.
which
that
which
P.200

71. P.200 Nothing much seems to have happened here since you left,
except that our dog Jacky, (4) ____________ we love so much,
was diagnosed (5) _________ canine parvovirus infection, (6)
___________ is a common but fatal dog disease, just last week.
We brought Jacky to a veterinary clinic (7) ________ reputation
is well established in the field. However, the vet said that Jacky
was simply too old to have another operation, and (8) ________
he would have at most two months to live. Our family is very
upset because Jacky, (9) ______________ we perceive as a core
whom/who
with
which
whose
that
whom/who
P.200

72. P.200 member of our family, will soon be leaving us forever.
Cherishing every remaining day we have with Jacky (10)
_________all that we can do at the moment! I now walk my
dog (11) _________________ I have free time, and Daddy has
promised to drive us to the countryside next weekend. The great
outdoors is something that Jacky always enjoys. Besides, some
fresh air will be good (12) ________ him. is
when/whenever
for
P.200

73. P.200 By the way, do you still remember the restaurant (13) ________
we used to have breakfast together every Sunday morning? It
has closed down recently as the building (14) _________ which
it has been situated is being renovated. I tried another restaurant
further away (15) __________ food isn’t as good, and that
makes me miss our old favourite restaurant all the more! I bet
you feel the same.
where in
whose
P.200

74. (Note: accept all reasonable answers)
Mum and Dad, (16) __________ are with me now, send their
best wishes to you all.
Write again (17) _________ you have time.
Best wishes
Helen
who
when
(Note: accept all reasonable answers)
P.200