Relative clauses add additional information to a main clause using relative pronouns like who, which, that, when, where, whose. Defining relative clauses are essential to identifying the noun, while non-defining clauses provide extra information and are set off by commas. Relative pronouns can be omitted in some defining clauses if they are the object. Prepositions are sometimes placed at the end of relative clauses involving location or object.
2. Relative pronouns
We use reative pronouns to add
a new clause (the relative
clause ) to a sentence
ej:
This is the CD which i bought
The woman who wrote that song
This is the house where he was
born
Thas was the day when we
arrived
3. That: we can use that instead of who or which in relative clauses.
ej: he is the singer that=(who) i´ve met
here´s the album that=(which) we bougth
We also use that instead of when in relative clauses
ej: i remember the day when i started the school
i remember the day that i started the school
We can also use that instead on where,but we must add a
preposition,of place at the end of the clause
ej: this is the house where we lived
this is the house that we lived in
4. Prepositions in Relative clauses:
When the verb in a relative clause has a dependent preposition we
usually place the preposition at the end of the clause
ej: we told you about this song
this is the song that we told you about
when the relative clause has a preposition of place,we can use:
where (whitout the preposition)
that/which +preposition
ej: this is the restaurant Paul went to it
this is the restaurant where Paul went
ej: this is the restaurant wich Paul went to
this is the restaurant that Paul went to
5. when the relative clause has a preposition of time,we do not usually
which+preposition to refer to time.We use when (whitout the
preposition)
ej: Tuesday is the day.We usually have a test on this day
Tuesday is the day when we usually have a test
Tuesday is the day which we usually have a test on
Tuesday is the day that we usually have a test on
6. Omision of Relative pronouns:
we can omit the relative pronoun if is the object of the relative
clause.If a relative pronoun is followed by another subject+a verb,it
is probably the object of a relative clause
ej: that´s the guitar(that/which) they gave me
we omited the relative pronouns:who/which/that and when
,especially in spoken English
ej: that´s the boy (who) Maria is going out with
we cannot omit the relative pronoun if it is the subject of the relative
clause
ej:he is the boy who/that lives near me.
we can omit where,but we must add a preposition of place at the
end of the clause
7. Whose:
The relative pronound whose refears to possesion
ej: they are the childrens .Their mother is a famous singer
they are the childrens whose mother is a famous singer
We cannot omit the relative pronoun whose in relative clauses
BE CAREFUL!BE CAREFUL! Do not confuse whose with who´s ( the contracted
form of who is or who has)
8. Defining and non-definig relative
clauses:
• Defining relative clauses:
definig relative clauses give esssential information about the noun
that they follow .whithout the relative clause,we do not know which
person ,thing,place or time the speacker is refering to
ej: she is the singer who visited my school
We can omit the relative pronoun who,which and that when they are
the object of the relative clauses
9. • Non- defining clauses:
non-defining relative clauses give extra information which is not
essential about the noun that the follow.If we remove the relative
clause ,we still know which person,thing place or time the speaker
is referring to
ej: the band ,who are starting a tour next week, have just
released their third album
we always use commas to separate the non-defining clause from the
rest of the sentence:
ej: the tickets ,which cost over €50 each ,are avaible online
ej: she was born in Bogotá,which is the capital of Colombia
10. • We can combine two simple sentences whith a non-defining relative
clause :
ej: My uncle is called Carl. He´s a singer
My uncle,who´s a singer is called Carl
my uncle ,who´s called Carl, is a singer
(both are correct)