Ejercicios relative clause english

Relative clauses

Explanations



Relative clauses

Relative clauses are normally joined by relative pronouns, but these pronouns can sometimes be left out. Some types of relative clauses are more common in formal speech and writing. It is important to know whether a relative clause is Defining or Non-defining, and whether it is a subject or object clause. See below.

Defining andNon-defining clauses

• Defining clauses give information which cannot be left out because it gives important information about the subject.
The doctor who treated me told me not to worry.
This describes which doctor we are talking about.

• Non-defining clauses give extra information. This is separated from the main sentence by commas.
Pablo Picasso, who died in 1973, was a painter andsculptor.

Defining clauses

• which, that
Which and that refer to things. That is less formal than which, and some speakers prefer to use which. That is also used to refer to people in speech and informal writing in defining clauses.
The bus which goes to Cairo leaves from here.
The road that we took led to an ancient temple.
The woman that we spoke to gave us directions.

• who and whomWho and whom refer to people. We use whom in formal speech and writing to introduce an object clause. (See below). Whom is used after a preposition in formal language. In informal language, many people prefer to use who, or that, instead of whom. Many speakers never use whom. (See also Leaving out relative pronouns.)
The woman who teaches us music also plays in an orchestra.
It was the same boywhom 1 met yesterday. (formal)
No one knows by whom the victim was shot. (formal)
No one knows who the victim was shot by. (informal)
The people that live next door make a lot of noise.

• whose
Whose means ‘of whom’.
The girl whose case had been stolen went to the police station.

Subject and object clauses

• Subject clauses refer to the subject of the sentence.
The doctor whotreated me told me not to worry.
The doctor (subject) treated me (object).

• Object clauses refer to the object.
The doctor that/who/whom I spoke to told me not to worry.
I (subject) spoke to the doctor (object).

Leaving out relative pronouns

• We cannot leave out the relative pronoun in non-defining clauses.
Pablo Picasso, who died in 1973, was a painter and sculptor.

• We can leaveout the relative pronoun in defining clauses which are object clauses.
The doctor I spoke to told me not to worry.

• We cannot leave out the relative pronoun in defining clauses which are subject clauses.
The doctor who treated me told me not to worry.

• We can also leave out the relative pronoun after a superlative.
That was the best meal I've ever eaten!
Combining sentences

• Notethe changes made when sentences are combined using a relative clause.

A bus goes to Cairo. It leaves from here.
The bus that/which goes to Cairo leaves from here.

We took a road. It led to an ancient temple.
The road (that) we took led to an ancient temple.

We spoke to a woman. She gave us directions.
The woman (that) we spoke to gave us directions.

A woman teaches us music. Shealso plays in an orchestra.
The woman who teaches us music also plays in an orchestra.

• Note that articles are often changed e.g. from a/an to the when sentences are combined.

A girl's case was stolen. She went to the police station.
The girl whose case was stolen went to the police station.

A doctor treated me. She told me not to worry.
The doctor who treated me told me not to worry.I spoke to a doctor: She told me not to worry.
The doctor I spoke to told me not to worry.

• Note this common error.
*The bus that/which goes to Cairo it leaves from here.
The subject is not repeated (The bus... it) in a relative clause.

Non-finite clauses

These are clauses with an -ing form verb.

I sent a card to the girl living across the street.
(I sent a card to the girl...