RELATIVE PRONOUNS
DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
• When we want to give extra information about the
subject or the object of a sentence we need to add
extra clauses. These clauses are often added on, or
put inside a sentence and are introduced by relative
pronouns. These relative pronouns help to make
clear exactly what, where or who the extra
information is referring to.
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
match
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•
•
•
•
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Who (that)
Which (that)
When
Where
Whose
Why
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•
•
•
•
•
Possession
Place
Time
Things & Ideas
People
Reason
RELATIVE PRONOUNS
key
•
•
•
•
•
•
Who (that)
Which (that)
When
Where
Whose
Why
•
•
•
•
•
•
People
Things & Ideas
Time
Place
Possession
reason
Remember
• “that” is used instead of who and which when
we are speaking or writing informally.
• In the past WHOM was often used as the
object of a relative clause, but today WHO is
more normally used.
Which/who/that/where clauses
The relative pronouns are used in place of he, she, it
or they to join two sentences together:
1) Subject relative clauses:
• They were three friends. They often talked about
setting up a business.
• They were three friends who/that often talked about
setting up a business.
2) Object relative clauses:
• They approached a number of venture capitalists.
They thought they would be interested.
• They approached a number of venture capitalists
who/that they thought would be interested.
3) Relative clauses with where:
• The company bought a bottle plant in the UK. They
could manufacture the drinks there.
• The company bought a bottle plant in the UK where
they could manufacture the drinks.
Join sentences using a relative
pronoun:
• That’s the product. I told you about it.
………………………………………………………………..
• We visited the city. I was born there.
………………………………………………………………..
• I don’t like that man. He works in the marketing
department.
………………………………………………………………..
Join sentences using a relative
pronoun: KEY
• That’s the product which I told you about it.
• We visited the city where I was born there.
• I don’t like that man who works in the marketing
department.
Complete with a relative pronoun
• The man……..is waiting outside says he has an
appointment.
• The women……job you took has left her new job and
wants to come back here.
• The file …..I left on your desk has disappeared
• The reason ….. I can’t come is because I’m working
that day.
key
• The man who is waiting outside says he has an
appointment.
• The women whose job you took over has left her
other job and wants to come back here. (=of who)
• The file which I left on your desk has disappeared.
• The reason why I can’t come is because I’m working
that day.
Defining relative clauses
non – defining relative clauses ?
• The extra information which
is introduced by the relative
pronoun is necessary to the
meaning of the sentence .
• The extra information is not
necessary and can simply
give extra, non essential
information.
Defining relative clauses
non – defining relative clauses
• The extra information which
is introduced by the relative
pronoun is necessary to the
meaning of the sentence .
• The extra information is not
necessary and can simply
give extra, non essential
information.
• Defining
• Non-defining
Defining relative clauses
• The defining relative clause identifies and defines the
thing/place/person/reason or time talked about.
• It is necessary for the meaning:
- Example: He’s the man (who that) I met on the plane.
• Commas are not used
• You can omit (who) when the verbs in the main
clause and the relative clause have a different
subject.
• “that” (instead of which) can only be used for people
and things in defining relative clauses. (NOT nondefining)
When can you omit (leave out) the
pronoun?
• When the relative pronoun (who/which/that) is the object of the
relative clause and is followed by a noun or a pronoun, then it can
be omitted.
Example: The woman (who) you saw yesterday has just been
promoted. (different subject)
• But if the pronoun is the subject of the relative pronoun and so
followed by a verb, we must keep it.
Example: The technician who came to fix the computer said we needed
a new one. (same subject)
You can omit the relative pronoun when the verbs in the
main clause and in the relative clause have a different
subject.
example
• Example: He’s the man (who/that) I met on the
plane.
• You can omit who.
• The subject of met is I, (not he) so it’s not necessary
to put who. (=two different subjects)
Other examples: Defining
• The summer is the time when we sell more of our
products
• The weather is (the reason) why I decided to come
home early.
• This is the street where I was born.
• That’s the boy whose father plays for Real Madrid.
• It’s a book which tells you how to do marketing
Complete the sentences with a relative pronoun:
1. An environmentally-friendly product is a product-----will
not harm the environment when you see it.
2. It was in 2005……the Kyoto Agreement on global
warming came into force.
3. Glass…..has been recycled can be used again.
4. Deforestation happens in an area ……..all the trees have
been cut down.
5. Rain……is polluted with chemicals from factories is
called acid rain.
6. A farmer ……farm is organic does not use harmful
chemicals to grow food.
7. The greenhouse effect is something …….happens when
the sun’s heat is trapped close to the Earth by pollution.
8. An ecologist is a scientist ……studies the environment.
1. An environmentally-friendly product is a product which/that
will not harm the environment when you see it.
2. It was in 2005 when the Kyoto Agreement on global warming
came into force.
3. Glass which/that has been recycled can be used again.
4. Deforestation happens in an area where all the trees have
been cut down.
5. Rain which/that is polluted with chemicals from factories is
called acid rain.
6. A farmer whose farm is organic does not use harmful
chemicals to grow food.
7. The greenhouse effect is something which/that happens
when the sun’s heat is trapped close to the Earth by
pollution.
8. An ecologist is a scientist who studies the environment.
Add a relative pronoun where it is
necessary only.
1. Greenfield sites are places nothing has ever been
built.
2. Deforestation is a problem affects the whole world.
3. The bottles we recycled were made of brown glass
4. The green belt is an area of land around a city
building is not allowed.
5. The ecologist we saw on television was worried about
acid rain.
6. I always buy milk has been organically produced.
7. The man factory was polluting the river was fined
over £100,000.
Add a relative pronoun where it is
necessary only. (KEY)
1. Greenfield sites are places where nothing has ever been
built.
2. Deforestation is a problem which/that affects the whole
world.
3. The bottles we recycled were made of brown glass
4. The green belt is an area of land around a city where
building is not allowed.
5. The ecologist we saw on television was worried about acid
rain.
6. I always buy milk which/that has been organically
produced.
7. The man whose factory was polluting the river was fined
over £100,000.
NON-defining relative clauses
• The relative pronoun can’t be omitted
• In these sentences you can’t use that instead of
who/which
• The clause is written inside commas:
• Example: The regional sales manager, who is a close
friend of mine, has just been given a salary rise of
20%.
• The information inside commas can be removed
without the sentence losing its meaning. (the
sentence makes sense without it)
Examples of
non-defining relative clauses:
• Her husband, who/whom I met for the first time
last night, works for IBM.
• The report on the French subsidiary, which I left on
your desk, needs to be rewritten.
• This part of the factory, where we make components
for conveyor belts, is the oldest part of the plant.
• Last week I visited my aunt, who’s nearly 90 years
old.