RELATIVE SENTENCESRELATIVE SENTENCES

2nd of Bachillerato

DEFINITION

They function as an adjective that gives information about one of the elements in the main clause.

A relative clause appears next to the element it modifies.

There are two types:

A. DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE: It gives essential information about the element it modifies. The sentence will be incomplete without it. It is directly joined to the main clause. It is informal, mainly used orally.

B. NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE: It gives extra information about the element it modifies. It is separated by comma(s) from the main clause. It is more formal, mainly used in writing.

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSERELATIVE PRONOUNS:- WHO / THAT refer to people; they can be the subject or the object in the

r.c.; when object, they can be omitted.It was Julie who / that visited me at the hospital.He is the man (who / that) I met at the party last weekend .

- WHICH / THAT refer to objects; they can be the subject or the object in the r.c.; when object, they can be omitted.The piano is the instrument which / that really interests me.The bag (which / that) we found was full of money.

- WHOSE indicates possession; it cannot be omitted.That’s the boy whose brother is a popstar.

- WHOM refers to people; it’s used after prepositions but it is usually omitted and the preposition moves after the verb.The people with whom he works regards him as eccentric. (Formal style)The people he works with regards him as eccentric. (Informal style)

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

RELATIVE PRONOUNS: - WHAT is only used when the antecedent is omitted in the main clause.

I gave her what she neededDo you want to hear what he told me?

RELATIVE ADVERBS:

- WHEN / THAT refer to a moment in time; they can be omitted.

Can you give me a moment (when / that) I can talk to you in private?

- WHERE refers to a particular place; it cannot be omitted.

I remember the cinema where I watch my first film.

- WHY / THAT refers to a reason; it can be omitted

They have explained to me the reason (why /that) they didn’t come to my birthday party.

NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

RELATIVE PRONOUNS:

- WHO refer to people; they can be the subject or the object in the r.c.; it cannot be omitted.

This is Mr. Gallagher, who writes comics.

Silvia Roberts, who lives next door, is very friendly.

- WHICH refer to objects; they can be the subject or the object in the r.c.; it cannot be omitted.His house, which is painted white, has a large garden.I passed Anna a large glass of water, which she drank immediately.

- WHOSE indicates possession; it cannot be omitted.

This is Felicity, whose mother you know.

NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

RELATIVE ADVERBS:

- WHEN refers to a moment in time; it cannot be omitted.

Rob and Alice arrived in the afternoon, when I was having a nap.

- WHERE refers to a particular place; it cannot be omitted.

Hong Kong, where Mo Yang lives, is a huge and modern city.

ACTIVITIES

COMBINE THE SENTENCES

a. Lisa read a tourist brochure. It was about Colorado.

Lisa read a tourist brochure …

b. She’s the girl. I noticed her at the station.

She’s the girl …

c. That’s the travel agents. I booked my holiday to Kenia there.

That’s the travel agents …

d. That’s the house. It was burnt down last month.

That’s the house …

e. Have you met the girl? She’s going out with Ted.

Have you met the girl …

f. That was the day. They got married then.

That was the day …

ACTIVITIES

g. The theatre is famous. It’s over 80 years old.

The theatre …

h. My holiday in Ibiza was wonderful. I first met Jenny there.

My holiday in Ibiza …

i. My friend lives in Queens. He drives a taxi.

My friend …

j. Kelly lives in Arizona. Her boyfriend is a cowboy.

Kelly …

k. The book is very good. It’s about baseball.

The book …

l. Coca Cola is the most popular soft drink. It was invented in 1886.

Coca Cola …

RESULTS

COMBINE THE SENTENCES

a. Lisa read a tourist brochure. It was about Colorado.

Lisa read a tourist brochure which / that was about Colorado.

b. She’s the girl. I noticed her at the station.

She’s the girl (who / that) I noticed at the station.

c. That’s the travel agents. I booked my holiday to Kenia there.

That’s the travel agents (where) I booked my holiday to Kenia.

d. That’s the house. It was burnt down last month.

That’s the house which / that burnt down last month.

e. Have you met the girl? She’s going out with Ted.

Have you met the girl who / that is going out with Ted?

f. That was the day. They got married then.

That was the day when they got married.

RESULTS

g. The theatre is famous. It’s over 80 years old.

The theatre, which is over 80 years old, is famous.

h. My holiday in Ibiza was wonderful. I first met Jenny there.

My holiday in Ibiza, where I first met Jenny, was wonderful.

i. My friend lives in Queens. He drives a taxi.

My friend, who drives a taxi, lives in Queens.

j. Kelly lives in Arizona. Her boyfriend is a cowboy.

Kelly, whose boyfriend is a cowboy, lives in Arizona.

k. The book is very good. It’s about baseball.

The book, which is about baseball, is very good.

l. Coca Cola is the most popular soft drink. It was invented in 1886.

Coca Cola, which was invented in 1886, is the most popular soft drink.