1. RELATIVE
CLAUSES

2. We use relative clauses to join sentences or to give more information about something.
e.g. The bands which dominated Western popular music in the 1960s were the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

3. DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
They add essential information. They make it clear exactly who or what we are talking about. They can’t be omitted.
e.g. The one singer who had the most influence in the 1960s was probably the “protest” singer Bob Dylan.

4. RELATIVE PRONOUNS a person who, that, whose a thing or animal
which, that, whose
time
when
place
where

5. If the relative pronoun is the subject of the relative clause, it can’t be left out.
e.g. I saw a poster which/ that was
subject
advertising a gig for a new rock band.

6. If the relative pronoun is the object of the relative clause, it can be left out.
e.g. The film (which/ that) we saw
object
was three hours long.

7. We usually place a preposition at the end of a relative clause.
PREPOSITIONS
We usually place a preposition at the end of a relative clause.
e.g. That’s the house which I used to live in.
Is that the man (who) you were talking to a few minutes ago?

8. In more formal English we place the preposition before the relative pronoun.
e.g. The delivery date for your goods will depend on the postcode area in which you live.

9. NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
They add extra information and are separated by commas. The clause can be omitted.
e.g. Bob Marley, who had a huge hit with “No Woman, No Cry”, was a popular reggae artist.

10. That is not used in this type of clauses.
e.g. We stayed at the Grand Hotel, which Anne recommended to us.
Object pronouns can’t be left out.
e.g. This watch, which my father gave me, is over 50 years old.

11. We use this type of clauses after numbers and words like some, many, most, neither.
e.g. There were a lot of people at the party, some of whom I had met before.
I did French and Italian at university, neither of which I had learnt before.

12. REDUCED RELATIVE CLAUSES
A present participle can replace a relative clause in the present or past continuous.
e.g. The woman singing that song is a famous singer. (The woman who is singing that song is a famous singer.

13. A past participle can replace a passive relative clause.
e.g. The CD released last month has sold a million copies. (The CD which was released last month has sold a million copies.)