Relative Clauses

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Relative Clauses
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Relative clauses with who/that/which

• A clause is a part of a statement. A relative
  clause tells us which person or thing (or what
  kind of person or thing) the speaker means.
• Who/that is used when we are talking about
  people.
• When we are talking about things, we have to use
  that/which.

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Examples

• The man who lives next door is very friendly.
• Who was the girl that spoke very offensively in
  the ball?
• Everything that happened was not my fault.
• The window which was broken has now been repaired.

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Contact clauses

• If a clause is an object relative clause and it
  is defining, who, that or which is not necessary.
• It is not possible to omit who, that or which in
  a subject relative clause.
• The man was feeling ill left early.

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Examples

• Have you seen the dress (which) I bought
  yesterday?
• The woman (who was) injured in the accident was
  taken to the hospital.
• There were some children (who were) swimming in
  the river.

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Whose

• Whose is used to indicate possession in relative
  clauses instead of his/her/their.

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Examples

• An orphan means a child whose parents are dead.
• Shes the journalist whose article was on the
  front page of The Times.

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Where/when/why

• Where is used to talk about places.
• When is used to indicate time.
• We can use why when we are explaining the reason
  in a relative clause. It is also possible to use
  that instead or leave out why and that.

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Examples

• I couldnt understand the reason why they were
  rude.
• I recently went back to the town where I was
  born.
• 1945 was the year when World War II ended.