Relative Clauses

A relative clause is extra information added to a sentence to describe a noun. Think of it as a descriptive sticker you attach to a person, place, or thing. These clauses are introduced by relative pronouns like who, which, and that.

Subject Relative Clauses

In these clauses, the relative pronoun (who/which/that) is the subject of the verb that follows it. The pronoun is doing the action.

  • Formula: ... noun + who/which/that + verb ...
  • Example 1: The man who lives next door is very friendly.
    • (Who is doing the action? The man -> who. Who lives? He lives.)
  • Example 2: I have a phone which takes amazing pictures.
    • (What is doing the action? The phone -> which. Which takes? It takes.)

Rule: In a subject relative clause, you CANNOT omit the relative pronoun.

Incorrect: “The man ~~lives~~ next door is very friendly.”

Object Relative Clauses

In these clauses, the relative pronoun (who/which/that) is the object of the verb. There is a different subject doing the action.

  • Formula: ...noun + who/which/that + new subject + verb ...
  • Example 1: The man who I met yesterday is very friendly.
    • (Who is doing the action? I am. I met the man -> who.)
  • Example 2: The phone which you bought looks expensive.
    • (Who is doing the action? You are. You bought the phone -> which.)

Rule: In an object relative clause, you CAN omit the relative pronoun. This is very common in spoken English.

Correct: “The phone you bought looks expensive.”

Correct: “The man I met yesterday is very friendly.”

When Can I Omit the Pronoun? 🤔

This is the key takeaway:

If the pronoun is followed by a VERB (it’s a subject clause) -> DO NOT OMIT.

The dog that is barking is my neighbor's.

If the pronoun is followed by a NOUN or PRONOUN (it’s an object clause) -> YOU CAN OMIT.

The dog (that) we saw yesterday was a golden retriever.

Other Useful Pronouns

These pronouns add specific types of information and are generally not omitted in B1-level English.

  • Whose (Possession): Used to show that something belongs to someone.
    • She’s the artist whose paintings are famous all over the world.”
  • Where (Place): Used to describe a location.
    • Itagüí is the city where I live.
  • When (Time): Used to describe a time.
    • 2025 is the year when we will travel to Japan.
Exercise 1
⬇️ Interactive exercise will appear here soon.

Defining and Non-defining Relative Clauses

Learn how to give additional information about people and things using relative clauses. Understanding the difference between these clauses is crucial – one gives essential information needed to identify someone/something, while the other just adds extra details.

⏰ When Do We Use These Clauses?

Defining Relative Clauses (No Commas):

To give essential information that identifies the person/thing

  • The doctor who works at the city hospital is my cousin.
  • Engineers that design buildings must be very precise.

Non-defining Relative Clauses (With Commas):

To give extra information that isn’t essential

  • Dr. Smith, who has worked here for 20 years, is retiring.
  • My sister, who is a lawyer, lives in London.

📌 Structure

Defining Clauses:

Who/That/Which + essential information

No commas

The teacher who speaks five languages works here.

Non-defining Clauses:

Comma(,) + Who/Which (never 'that') + extra information + Comma(,)

Use commas

My boss, who started the company, is retiring soon.

Common Relative Pronouns

For People:

  • Who (defining and non-defining)
  • That (only defining)
  • Whom (formal, for objects)

For Things:

  • Which (defining and non-defining)
  • That (only defining)

📝 Notes

Common Mistakes:

  • My uncle, that is a doctor, lives nearby.
    • My uncle, who is a doctor, lives nearby.
  • The dentist which I visited was excellent.
    • The dentist who I visited was excellent.

Important Tips:

  • Always use commas with non-defining clauses
  • If removing the clause changes the meaning → Defining
  • If removing the clause doesn’t change the meaning → Non-defining
  • Never use ‘that’ in non-defining clauses

💬 Examples

Defining Clauses (Essential Information):

  • The nurses who work in emergency care need special training.
  • Teachers that work with young children need lots of patience.
  • The chef who won the competition trained in Paris.

Non-defining Clauses (Extra Information):

  • My brother, who is a successful architect, designed this building.
  • Dr. Johnson, who graduated from Harvard, runs the department.
  • The new manager, who moved here from Spain, starts next week.
Exercise 1
⬇️ Interactive exercise will appear here soon.