3. relative pronouns
n The woman who/that lives next door
is a bank clerk.
n The woman (whom/that) I saw
yesterday lives in Oxford.
n The key (which/that) I cannot find is
pure gold.
n The fresh fruit which/that is in the
basket will be served soon.
n The man (whom/that) I’m talking
about has gone on holiday to Spain.
n The cottage (which/that) they spent
a fortune on is on sale now.
Subject
Object
n DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
Subject
Indirect Object
Indirect Object
4. relative pronouns
n Those men, who have a cottage at
Hastings, won $ 1m on the pools.
n All the club members, whom you
talked me about, love sailing.
n This afternoon I met our friend Jack,
who(m) I hadn’t seen for ages.
n We stayed one week at the Carlton
Hotel, which Anne recommended us.
n The McGraws are going to spend
their weekend in Glasgow, where (in
which) their sons live.
n I met Mary’s friends, whose house
was on sale at the estate agency.
Subject
Indirect Object
NON - DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
Object
Object
Indirect Object
Indirect Object
5. relative pronouns
n Who
n Whom/ about whom
n Which/ of which
n Whose
THAT
Defining Relative Clauses
are essential to
understand the
meaning expressed.
6. relative pronouns
n Who
n Who(m)
n Which
n whose
n NON-DEFINING Relative
Clauses
n are non-essential to
understand the
meaning expressed
7. relative pronouns
you can
n only omit object relative pronouns
(in Defining Relative Clauses)
n only omit indirect object relative pronouns
(but postpone the preposition)
8. relative pronouns
n you can never
n omit relative pronouns
in Non-Defining relative clauses
n you can never
n use a preposition in front of ‘that’
9. relative pronouns…
some practice …
1. He spoke French. But the people didn’t know French. He was speaking to these people.
2. She climbed to the top of the Monument to see the wonderful view. She had been told about this view.
3. The car crashed into a queue of people. Four of them were killed.
4. I missed the train. I usually catch this train and I had to travel on the next. This was a slow train.
5. The Smiths were given rooms in the hotel. Their house had been destroyed in the explosion.
6. Tom had been driving all day. He was very tired and wanted to stop.
7. Ann had been sleeping in the back of the car. She felt quite fresh and wanted to go on.
8. She refuses to use machines. This makes her work more arduous.
9. The horse kept stopping to eat grass. I was on the horse. This annoyed the riding instructor.
10. I was given the address by a man. I met this man on a train.
