RELATIVE CLAUSES

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

We use defining relative clauses to add
essential information to a sentence. The
clause goes immediately after the noun it
describes.
This is the man who sold me the car.
 We use relative pronouns:
who, that for people
which, that for objects
where for places
whose to talk about possession
when, that for a time
why, that for a reason
 He is the man who / that owns this car.
This is the house where I was born.
The girl whose party I went to phoned me.
 We can leave out who, which, that, whose,
when the clause is the object of a sentence.

The doctor who I saw spoke perfect English.

The doctor I saw spoke perfect English.
The man who I met was very rude. The man I
met was very rude.
 Mr Smith is the teacher who my son likes.
Mr Smith is the teacher my son likes.
 We cant leave out the relative pronoun in a
defining relative clause that refers to the
subject.

The doctor who spoke perfect English

was tall and dark.
Thats the dog that attacked my children
 In defining relative clauses why and when
can be omitted

I'd like to know the reason (why) he decided

not to come

BUT, where cannot be omitted:

She went to a hotel where dogs could stay
with their owners.
 We usually put prepositions that go with the
verb at the end of the sentence.

Robert Jones is the man who I wrote to.

Jenny made the video that I appeared in.
But, careful! We never use a preposition
when the relative pronoun is where.
I grew up in that house. Thats the house
where I grew up. (not grew up in)
Complete the sentences with a suitable
relative pronoun if necessary.
Is that the book _________ you read last month?
Is this the film _________ won three Oscars?
This is the shop ________ they sell Mexican food.
Last summer I met a girl _________ father is a
famous lawyer.
An engineer is a person ________ plans, makes
or repairs things like machines, roads or bridges.
My neighbour works for a company _______
builds roads.
This is the town _________ my mother grew up.
Complete the sentences with a suitable
relative pronoun .
A tin opener is a thing ____ you open things with.
Palencia is the city _______ my mother was born.
This the company ________ my brother works
for.
I didnt enjoy the film ________ we saw last night.
The chair _______ we were sitting on broke.
A flight attendant is a person ________ job is to
look after people on a plane.
Here is the book _____ you have been looking for.