What Are Relative Clauses?
A relative clause is a type of clause that gives more information about a noun. It is introduced by a relative pronoun such as who, which, that, whom, or whose.
Relative clauses help us avoid repetition and make our sentences more detailed and natural.
Types of Relative Clauses
There are two main types of relative clauses in English.
1. Defining Relative Clauses
A defining relative clause gives essential information about the noun. Without it, the sentence loses its meaning. We do not use commas.
Examples:
1- The student who studies hard will pass the exam.
2- The car that he bought was very expensive.
3- The city where I was born is beautiful.
4- The woman whose bag was stolen reported it to the police.
2. Non-Defining Relative Clauses
A non-defining relative clause gives extra information about the noun. The sentence still makes sense without it. We use commas to separate it.
Examples:
1- My mother, who is a teacher, lives in London.
2- Paris, which is the capital of France, is a beautiful city.
3- My brother, who works in a hospital, is a doctor.
4- The book, which I bought last week, was very interesting.
Relative Pronouns
We use different relative pronouns depending on what we are describing.
Who
We use who when referring to people.
Examples:
1- The teacher who taught me English was very kind.
2- The man who called you is my brother.
3- The girl who won the competition is my friend.
Which
We use which when referring to things or animals.
Examples:
1- The house which was built in 1900 is now a museum.
2- The book which she recommended was excellent.
3- The dog which bit him was very large.
That
We use that in defining relative clauses for both people and things.
Examples:
1- The movie that we watched last night was amazing.
2- The woman that works here is very kind.
3- The phone that I bought is broken.
Whose
We use whose to show possession.
Examples:
1- The student whose bag was stolen reported it to the teacher.
2- The man whose car broke down called for help.
3- The author whose book I read is very famous.
Where and When
We use where for places and when for time.
Examples:
1- The school where I studied is very old.
2- I remember the day when we first met.
3- The city where she lives is very beautiful.
Common Mistakes
Using Which Instead of Who
Incorrect: The woman which works here is my friend.
Correct: The woman who works here is my friend.
Using Who Instead of Which
Incorrect: The book who I read was interesting.
Correct: The book that/which I read was interesting.
Adding Extra Pronoun
Incorrect: The man who I met him was very kind.
Correct: The man who I met was very kind.
Memory Tips
Who = for people
Which = for things and animals
That = for people or things in defining clauses
Whose = for possession
Where = for places
When = for time
Conclusion
1- Defining relative clauses give essential information and do not use commas.
2- Non-defining relative clauses give extra information and use commas.
3- Who is used for people, which for things, and that for both in defining clauses.
4- Whose shows possession and where/when refer to places and times.
Mastering relative clauses will make your English more natural and fluent.