Determinative and non-definitive subordinate clauses. Identifying relative clauses and Non-identifying relative clauses

Hello my dear readers.

When you hear the phrase " Relative Clause" - What are you thinking about? Russian people, who do not like to clutter their heads with all sorts of terms, will not immediately come up with an answer. But if you hint them at the words that, which or who, which are often found in texts, they immediately understand what we are talking about.

Yes, subordinate clauses, or relative clauses grammar: - the topic of today's conversation. I will try to tell you in the simplest way what, how and for what it is used. We will also look at the translation and defining words, which are used in this rule. At the end we will definitely consolidate the knowledge gained

What is it and how to use it?

Relative clause- or in Russian a attributive clause, is part of a complex sentence that depends on the main one. It usually combines two small sentences into one or simply adds new interesting information to make it clearer, let's see an example.

I have a mother who works as a doctor.— I have a mother who works as a doctor.

I missed the bus that was going to take me to church.- I missed the bus that was supposed to take me to church.

What does the rule tell us?

The rule states that in English, attributive clauses can be like identifying(restrictive) or non-identifying(distributive).

To put it simply, the first determine something important in the sentence, the latter do not define. Typically, non-identifying clauses can be separated by commas and therefore removed from the sentence.

For example:

This is the new computer that I bought yesterday. - This is a new computer that I bought yesterday.

She was pleased with the present that her father gave her. - She was happy about the gift her father gave her.

In these examples, the part of the text after the word that is defining, because if they are removed, the sentence will lose important semantic meaning. They should in no way be skipped or removed altogether.

Here's a good example to help you understand the significant difference.

The students, who had revised the material, passed the test.

The students who had revised the material passed the test.

If you remember the rule, then a subordinate clause separated by commas can be deleted from the text. Therefore, it turns out that in the first case all students passed the test (including those who repeated). But in the second case, it was those who repeated before the test who passed it!

Do you feel the difference?

When and how are who, that, which used?

The most common words used in relative clause are who, which, that.

• Who used only with living beings: people, animals (namely your own ones that you know!), etc.

The girl who was my age had already won this competition.- A girl who was the same age as me had already won this competition.

• Which Used only with inanimate objects.

The catalog which you ordered yesterday will arrive tomorrow. — The catalog you ordered yesterday will arrive tomorrow.

• That used with both animate and inanimate nouns.

The book that is on the table is a present for Joe’s birthday.— The book that lies on the table is a gift for Joe’s birthday.

If you want to know more about complex sentences in English, then please. If you are interested in all grammar, then mine will be very useful.

To make it much easier for you to master this topic, I have prepared exercises for you to practice (The answers will be at the end of the article, but please don’t peek until you’ve done it;)).

1. That is the shop ____ was awarded as the best shop in the city.
2. The girl ____ brother goes with me to the gym is a good singer.
3. The man ____ broke into our house was caught in two days.
4. She visits her grandmother ____ lives in countryside every summer.
5. She was wearing a dress ___ looked like princess’.
6. The bookshelf ____ we bought last week has broken down.
7. The man ___ was sitting on the bench turned around and saw his granddaughter.
8. A woman ____ son was crying paid no attention to him.
9. The woman ____ car had broken down on her way home spent 3 hours waiting for help.
10. My best friend ____ I have known for years will never let me down.
11. He didn’t follow the instructions ____ he was given, so he failed to pass the test.
12. The girl ___ lived next door was very shy and couldn’t say a word to protect herself at school.
13. I need to buy a laptop ____ can work up to 5 hours without a charger.
14. My father ___ is a doctor has no idea how to repair a car.
15. The photo ____ is placed on the mantel was taken at the picnic two years ago.

Well, I hope you are now armed with complete knowledge and ready to tackle any subordinate clauses in English. Trying to understand the English language, you can get lost in three pines. This is when you need the help of a professional teacher. Ask your questions - I will be glad to answer them.

In the meantime, I say goodbye.
Until new interesting meetings!

Answers:
1. which
2.whose
3.who
4. who
5. that
6. that
7. who
8. whose
9.whose
10. whom
11.that
12. who
13.that
14. who
15. that

We can use relative clauses to join two sentences or to give more information about something. We use relative clauses to describe people, things, time, places or reasons. Relative pronoun comes after the noun it describes.

Example:

The boywho won the prize was happy.

Those jeanswhich you want to buy are really expensive.

Rice. 2. Relative pronouns and adverbs ()

Relative clauses can be identifying (restrictive ) or non-identifying (distribution ). Identifying clauses give essential information . The sentence will not be complete without them. Non-identifying clauses are more often used in written English than in spoken English. They give extra information we do not usually need to understand the sense of the sentence. They usually go between commas. Non-identifying relative clauses can use most relative pronouns but they can’t use ‘ that ’.

Identifying relative clause:

• expresses important information;
• without it, the sentence is not complete in meaning.

Example:

This is the new car that I bought yesterday. - This is a new car that I bought yesterday.

The ring which he bought for her is beautiful. - The ring he bought for her is beautiful.

The book that you see on the table cost me twenty pounds. - The book you see on the table cost me twenty pounds.

Rice. 3. Relative clauses()

Non- identify ingrelativeclause:

• expresses additional information that can be dispensed with;
• separated by commas in a sentence;
• not used with that.

Example:

The school , where I studied, is in the center of the city. - The school where I studied is in the city center.

The textbooks , which the students like, have lots of helpful examples. - The textbooks that students like have a lot of useful examples.

John , who plays football, is always busy at weekends. - John, who plays football, is very busy at the weekend.

Relative pronouns as subject and object

Relative pronouns can be either a subject or an object subject, it is followed by a verb. When it is an object, it is followed by a noun or a pronoun.

Example:

Do you know the man whotalked to me?

The peaches thatare lying on the table are tasty.

We will stay at a hotel whichis next to the beach.

That is the film whichis very exciting.

Do you know the man whoI talked to?

The peaches thatyou bought in the shop are tasty.

We will stay at a hotel whichmy friend has recommended to us.

That is the film whichI like very much.

Readthesentencesandunderlinetherelativepronouns(Read the sentences and underline the relative pronouns):

1. He met his teacher who was very strict. - He met his teacher, who was very strict.
2. He’s looking for a secretary that can use a computer well. - He is looking for a secretary who knows how to use a computer well.
3. You will see the house which is opposite the petrol station. - You will see a house opposite the gas station.
4. The camera that costs about 200 pounds has been lost. - The camera, which costs about two hundred pounds, was lost.
5. The little girl whose doll was broken is crying. - The little girl, whose doll is broken, is crying.
6. The house whose roof is white belongs to my grandparents. - The house with a white roof belongs to my grandparents.

1. which
2. whose
3. whose

So, remember:

• who- for people
• which- for things
• that- for people and things
• whose- for people and things (Fig. 4)

Rice. 4. Use of relative pronouns

Relative pronouns can be either a subject or an object in relative clauses. When a relative pronoun is a subject, it is followed by a verb. When it is an object, it is followed by a noun or a pronoun.

Example:

Do you know the man whotalked to me?

The peaches thatare lying on the table are tasty.

We will stay at a hotel whichis next to the beach.

That is the film whichis very exciting.

Do you know the man whoI talked to?

The peaches thatyou bought in the shop are tasty.

We will stay at a hotel whichmy friend has recommended to us.

That is the film whichI like very much.

A relative pronoun introduces a relative clause. But there are some cases when you can omit a relative pronoun.

Omission of the relative pronoun is possible if a pronoun functions as the object of a main clause.

Example:

Do you know the girl who he is talking to?

Do you know the girl he is talking to?

The film which/that I saw two days ago was very interesting.

The film I saw two days ago was very interesting.

I didn't like the book which/that you gave me.

I didn’t like the book you gave me.

Where is the pencil which/that I lent you?

Where- to talk about a place

Why- to talk about a reason

When- to talk about time (Fig. 5)

Example:

This is the cafe where I ate a delicious cake yesterday. - This is the cafe where yesterday I ate a delicious cake.

Tell me the reason why you are crying. - Tell me the reason why you are crying.

My favorite day of the week is Friday, when the weekend is about to begin. - My favorite day of the week is Friday, when the weekend is about to begin.

Put the relative adverbs where/why/when (Pasterelativeadverbswhere/why/when)

1. We will visit the castle......the kings lived.
2. Winter is the time of the year.........many people suffer from flu.
3. I can’t understand the reason...........you have been late for work.
4. Do you know the reason............she is so upset?
5. This is the library.........you can find even rare books.
6. The school........I study is near my house.
7. This is the reason........I never invite her to the party.
8. I remember the day............I went to school.

Answers to the exercise:

1. We will visit the castle where the kings lived.
2. Winter is the time of the year when many people suffer from flu.
3. I can't understand the reason why you have been late for work.
4. Do you know the reason why is she so upset?
5. This is the library where you can find even rare books.
6. The school where I study is near my house.
7. This is the reason why I never invite her to the party.
8. I remember the day when I went to school.

Bibliography

1. Afanasyeva O.V., Mikheeva I.V. English language. 9th grade. - M.: Bustard - 2008.
2. Baranova K.M., Dooley D., Kopylova V.V. English language. - M.: Education - 2011.
3. Biboletova M.Z., Trubaneva N.N. English language. 9th grade. - M.: Title - 2008.

1. Ego4u.com ().
2. Perfect-english-grammar.com ().
3. Wikihow.com ().

Homework

1. Fill in the gaps with the most appropriate relative pronouns.

a) This is the store.........was robbed last week.

b) The bag.......I bought is blue.

c) She wore a costume.........made her look funny.

d) The girl.........door was open was waiting for the guests.

e) The boy............rode a horse was very handsome.

f) This is the gadget...........price is really high.

2. Fill in the gaps with the most appropriate relative adverbs.

a) The morning......you came to me was wonderful.

b) The café............we went last Friday is really nice.

c) This is the place.........I can be alone.

d) Tell me the reason............you are smiling.

e) The department store............you work as a shop assistant gets a lot of customers every day.

f) Could you explain me the choice.............you study this subject.

3. Translate into English, paying attention to relative pronouns.

a) The man who lives next door is 60 years old.

b) The boy who lost his diary is very inattentive.

c) The toys that are on the table are mine.

d) The book I am reading is very interesting.

e) I don’t know anyone whose parents were teachers.

f) Mom chose products that were cheaper.

g) Those people who sleep little are more likely to experience mood swings.

h) Athletes who train hard win competitions.

Relative clauses (adverbial attributive clauses)

Subject or object Relative clauses give extra information about a noun in the main clause. Relative clauses begin with a relative pronoun (who, which, that, whom, whose). The relative pronoun can refer to the subject of the clause. -That"s the woman who bought my car. The woman (subject) bought my car (object). Or the relative pronoun can refer to the object of the clause. -This is the car that I used to own. I (subject) used to own the car (object).	Subject or object Subordinate clauses provide additional information about the noun in the main clause. Subordinate clausesbegin with a relative pronoun(who, what, that, whom, whose). A relative pronoun can refer to the subject of a sentence. The woman (subject) bought her car (object). Or a relative pronoun can refer to an object in a sentence. I (subject) owned the car (object).
Defining . Defining clauses give important information which tells us exactly what is being referred to. -The book which you lent me is really good. This indicates which book we are talking about. Without the relative clause, it might be difficult to understand the meaning.	Defining Defining clauses provide important information that tells us exactly what is meant. -The book you provided me is really good. This points to the book we are talking about.Without a defining clause, it can be difficult to understand the meaning.
Non-defining . Non-defining clauses add extra information. They are separated by commas in writing, and by a pause on either side (where the commas are) in speaking. We generally usewhich not that in non-defining clauses. - This gives extra information about the book. We could miss out the relative clause and the meaning would still be clear.	Not defining Non-defining clauses add additional information. They are separated by a comma in writing, and a pause on each side (where the commas are) in conversation. We generally usewhich A Notthat in non-defining sentences. - The book I hadn't read was still on the shelf. This gives additional information about the book. We could lower theis a defining clause,but the meaning will still be clear.
Omitting the relative pronoun . In a defining relative clause we can leave out the relative pronoun if it is the object of the clause. - That's the car (that) I used to own. We cannot miss out the relative pronoun if it is the subject of the clause. - That's the woman who bought my car. . In a non-defining relative clause we cannot leave out the relative pronoun. - The book, which I hadn't read, was still on the shelf.	Omitting the relative pronoun V o defining sentencewe can omit the relative pronoun if it is the object of a sentence. This is the car I had. We cannot omit a relative pronoun if it is the subject of a sentence. -This is the woman who bought the car. V n e defining clauseswe cannot omit the relative pronoun. - The book I didn’t read was still on the shelf.
Which, who and that . That instead of which When we talk about things, that is often used instead of which in defining clauses. This is very common in speech. - Is this the house that you bought? . That instead of who When we talk about people, that can be used instead of who in defining clauses. -Have you met the boy that Sue is going to marry? . Which in non-defining clauses That cannot be used to introduce a non-defining clause. -The hotel, which was a hundred years old, was very comfortable. . Prepositions That cannot be used after a preposition. -This is the car (that / which) I paid £2000for.(speech) - This is the car for which I paid£2000. (formal)	Which, who and what . That instead of which When we talk about thingsThat often used insteadwhich in a defining clause. This is very common in speech. - Is this the house you bought? . That instead of who When we talk about peoplethat can be used insteadwho in a defining clause. -Have you met the young man Sue is marrying? . Which in non-defining sentences That cannot be used to introduce a non-defining clause. - The hotel, which was a hundred years old, was very comfortable. . Prepositions That cannot be used after a preposition. -This is the car (for which) I paid £2000. (in speech) -This is the car I paid £2,000 for. (formally)
Whom and whose . Whom is generally used in writing. -Smith was one of the men whom Jones had met earlier.(formal) - Smith was one of the men (that / who) Jones had met earlier. (speech) Whom has to be used after presentations. - This is the person (who) I sold my car to. (speech) - This is the person to whom I sold my car. (formal) . Whose means of whom, and usually refers to people. - This is Jack. His sister is staying with us. - This is Jack, whose sister is staying with us.	To whom and whose Whom , typically used in writing. - Smith was one of the men Jones had previously dated. (formally) -Smith was one of the men Jones had met earlier. (in speech) Whom mustbeusedafter prepositions. This is the person (to whom) I sold my car.(in speech) - This is the man to whom I sold my car. (formally) . Whose means whose, and usually refers to people. -This is Jack. His sister is staying with us. -This is Jack, whose sister is staying with us.

Exercise 1: Fill in: who, whose, which or where.

My school, 1) __________is called King Edward's, has about 2,000 students. My favorite teacher, 2)__________ is called Mr Brown, teaches sport. The sports centre, 3)___________ I play basketball and tennis, is the largest in the area. I walk to school every day with my friend Mike, 4)____________ father teaches History.

Exercise 2:

Make sentences as in the example. Use relative pronouns or relative adverbs.

Example:A painter is someone who paints pictures.

. builder / someone / build houses . elephant / animal / ears are big

. circus / place / can see acrobats

. tiger / animal / live in jungle

. supermarket / place / do shopping

Exercise 3:

Fill in: who "s or whose.

1 My mother,_________

2 She"s the woman ________________married to an actor.

3 Celine is the girl ______________brother won the prize.

4 Helen is the person______________car is outside our house.

5 Ann's the one________________ a history teacher.

6 Lucas is the man ______________helping us move house.

7 That's the woman _____________

8 . ______________concert did you go to?

Exercise 4:

Fill in the correct relative pronoun. What part of sentence is each, subject or object? Write S for subject and ABOUT for object, then state if the relatives can be omitted or not in the box provided.

	Did you see the man __________ stole her bag?			not. omitted
	The dress__________ Mary bought yesterday is too big.
	Please give me the keys______	are on the table.
	Is that the man______________we saw in the park yesterday?
	What's the name of the lady_____	babysits your little sister?
	Klaus is playing with the dog____	lives next door.
	Have you eaten all the cakes_____	I made yesterday?
	How old is the man___________	owns that shop?
	Have you met the man_________	Jackie is going to marry?
	Let's all look at the picture______	is on page 7.
	Has Peter returned the money____	he borrowed from you?
	What color is the dress ______	are you going to wear tonight?

Exercise 5:

Write one word for each space.

Hi Janet,

How are you? I"mdoingall right.Ijustwantedtotellyou1)______________ something exciting 2) ________ happened to me last Saturday. Do you remember Beth, 3) _____________party did we go to last winter? Well, I went 4) __________ her andher cousin to a concert at Croke Park5)___________my favorite band, Nickelback, were playing. Anyway, her cousin Rick knew someone 6) _________ was working backstage and he let us meet the band. He's not even invited us to a party 7) ______________ the band was going to after the concert. It was amazing! Now about the weekend hiking trip - the reason 8)______ I can"t come is because my sister has asked me to take care of her children as she"s 9)______________on a business trip. I"m so sorry. I was really 10)_____ forward to it.

Write and tell me your news,

Shelly

Exercise 6:

Fill in the appropriate relative, say whether the relative clauses are essential or not to the meaning of the main sentence, then add commas where necessary.

Paul Stevens___________ starred in Days went to school with my brother.

The pen __________ I left on that table has disappeared.

The woman_________ repairs our car is very friendly.

David _________grew up in Canada speaks French fluently.

The man _______car was stolen has gone to the police station.

Rye_________ my grandmother lives is near the sea.

Oleg____car has broken down is late for work.

The Coliseum_________attracts many tourists is in Rome.

Exercise 7:

Fill in the relative pronoun or adverb. Put commas where necessary. Write D for defining, ND for non-defining and if the relative can be omitted or not in the box provided.

	Mr Brown,who_ _	teaches us French, comes from London.		not omitted
	The girl___________	I met on the bus looks just like my sister.
	Peter Smith_________	had an accident is in hospital.
	The apples__________	grow on these trees are delicious.
	This lemon pie______	I made yesterday tastes great.
	The film__________	I saw on TV last night was very exciting.
	My friend Akim_____	is a doctor works very long hours.
	John___________	father is a lawyer has moved to Paris.
	The sports center____	we play tennis is expensive.
	The vase.__________	Susan gave me got broken.
	The summer______	I went to Spain was really hot.
	The car____________	tires are flat is mine.
	The cafe___________	I first met my husband has closed down now.
	Simon___________	mother is a vegetarian doesn't eat meat.
	The bakery_________	is by my house sells wonderful pies.

Exercise 8:

a) Translate the sentences into English.

1. The artist who painted this picture lived in the 19th century.

2. The book you read in the summer is really very exciting.

3. Katya, whose brother is in my class, won the world championship.

b) Translate the text into English.

The zoo is a place where people go since childhood. The animals that can be seen there represent different countries and continents. People who often visit the zoo even have their favorite animals there. In some zoos, animals can be given special food that is purchased here. The day when the whole family goes to the zoo is usually a very joyful day, especially for children.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Answers:

Exercise 1: 1)which 2)who 3)where 4)whose

Exercise 2:

1)Builder is someone who/that builds houses

2) A circus is a place where we can see acrobats.

3)A tiger is an animal which/that lives in the jungle.

4)A supermarket is the place where we do the shopping.

5)An elephant is an animal whose ears are big.

Exercise 3:

1 My mother,_whose ________ name is Elizabeth, is a piano teacher.

2 She"s the woman ___who"s_ ____________married to an actor.

3 Celine is the girl __ whose ____________ brother won the prize.

4 Helen is the person___whose ___________car is outside our house.

5 Ann's the one___who's _____________ a history teacher.

6 Lucas is the man ___ who"s_ __________ helping us move house.

7 That's the woman __ whose ___________ son just graduated from university.

8 . ___Whose ___concert did you go to?

Exercise 4:

1) who/ that(S- not omitted)	6)which/that(S- not omitted)	11)which/that (O-omitted)	16)who/that(S-not omitted)
2)which/that (O-omitted)	7)which/that (O-omitted)	12)which/that (O-omitted)	17)which/that (S-not omitted)
3) which/that (S- not omitted)	8)who/that(S-not omitted)	13)who/that(S-not omitted)	18)who/ that(S-not omitted)
4) who(m) / that(O-omitted)	9)who(m) / that(O-omitted)	14)which/that (S-not omitted)	19)which/that (O- omitted)
5) who/that(S-not omitted)		15)who/that(S-not omitted)	20)who(m) / that (O-omitted)

Exercise 5:

1)about	3)whose	5)where	7) which	9)going
2)which	4)with	6) who	8)why	10)looking

Exercise 6:

1)who	3)who/that	5)whose	7),whose...,
2)which/that	4),who.........,	6),where....,	8), which...,

Exercise 7:

1) who(ND-not omitted)	6)which/that (D-omitted)	11)when (D-omitted)
2) who(m) / that (D-omitted)	7),who...,(ND-not omitted)	12)whose (D-omitted)
3),who..., (ND-not omitted)		13)where (D-omitted)
4) which / that(D-omitted)	9)where (D-omitted)	14),whose..., (ND-not omitted)
5) ,which..,(ND-not omitted)	10)which/that(S-not omitted)	15)which/that (D-omitted)

Exercise 8:

Translation (suggested answers)

a) 1) The artist who painted this picture lived in the 19 th century.

2) The book you read in the summer is really very exciting.

3) Kate, whose brother studies in my class, has won the world championship.

b) The zoo is a place where people go from their childhood on. Animals which you can see there come from different countries and continents. People who often go to the zoo even have their favorite animals there. In some zoos you can give the animals special food which has been bought there. A day when the whole family goes to the zoo is usually very jolly, especially

__________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

More exercises:

1 ) Underline any relative pronouns that can be left out in these sentences.

1 I think that my boss is the personwho I most admire.

2 Harry, who was tired, went to bed very early.

3 Were taking the train that leaves at 6.00.

4 Have you seen the book that I left here on the desk?

5 The film which we liked most was the French one.

6 My radio, which isn't very old, has suddenly stopped working.

7 The clothes which you left behind are at the reception desk.

8 The couple who met me at the station took me out to dinner.

9 Last week I ran into an old friend who I hadn't seen for ages.

10 Don't cook the meat

2)Replace the relative pronouns in italics with that, where possible.

1 This is the magazine which I told you about.

2 John's flat, which is in the same block as mine, is much larger.

3 The girl whose bag I offered to carry turned out to be an old friend.

4 The policeman who arrested her had recognized her car.

5 I work with someone who knows you.

6 We don't sell goods which have been damaged.

7 Brighton, which is on the south coast, is a popular holiday resort.

8 I don't know anyone whose clothes would fit you.

9 There's a cafe near here which serves very good meals.

10 People who park outside get given parking tickets.

3) Underline the most suitable word in each sentence.

1 My friend Jack, that I who / whose parents live in Glasgow, invited me to spend Christmas in Scotland.

2 Here's the computer program that / whom / whose I told you about.

3 I don"t believe the story that / who / whom she told us.

4 Peter comes from Witney, that / who / which is near Oxford.

5 This is the gun with that I whom / which the murder was committed.

6 Have you received the parcel whom / whose / which we sent you?

7 Is this the person who I which / whose you asked me about?

8 That"s the girl that I who / whose brother sits next to me at school.

9 The meal, that I which / whose wasn't very tasty, was quite expensive.

10 We didn't enjoy the play that / who / whose we went to see

4) Put one suitable word in each space, or leave the space blank where possible.

The story so far:

Jane Piatt, (1)..... .......is traveling to London because of a mysterious letter, is the only person(2).....................witnesses a murder at Victoria Station. The detective to(3).....................she gives her statement then disappears.JanegoestoanofficeinSohotoanswerthe letter 4).................... she had received. There she discovers that her uncle Gordon,(5).....................

lives in South America, has sent her a small box (6)................... she is only to open if in trouble.) Jane,(7)..................... parents have never mentioned an Uncle Gordon, is suspicious of the box,(8)..................... she gives to her friend Tony. They go to Scotland Yard and see Inspector Groves,(9)..................... has not heard of the Victoria Station murder,(10)..................... was not reported to the police. Jane gives Inspector Groves the murdered man's ticket,(11)..................... she found beside his body. Then Jane and Tony decide to go to Redhill,(12)................... was the town (1 3)................... .. the murdered man had come from. On the train they meet a man,(14)..................... face is somehow familiar to Jane,(15)..................... says he knows her Uncle Gordon.

5 ) Put a suitable relative pronoun in each space, or leave the space blank where possible.

1 My bike, ..........I had left at the gate, had disappeared.

2 The shoes.....................I bought were the ones..................I tried on first.

3 The bag in...................the robbers put the money was found later.

4 The medicine......................the doctor gave me had no effect at all.

5 Peter,...................couldn't see the screen, decided to change his seat.

6 I really liked that tea...................you made me this morning.

7 What was the name of your friend...................tent we borrowed?

8 The flight......Joe was leaving on was cancelled.

.......................................................................................................................................................................

Answers:

1 1 who. 2 none. 3 none. 4 that. 5 which. 6 none. 7 which. 8 none. 9 who. 10 that.

2 1 that I told you about. 2 not possible. 3 not possible. 4 that arrested her. 5 that

knows you. 6 that have been damaged. 7 not possible. 8 not possible. 9 that serves

very good meals. 10 that park outside.

3 1 whose. 2 that. 3 that. 4 which. 5 which. 6 which.7 who. 8 whose. 9 which.10 that.

4 1 who. 2 who. 3 whom. 4 blank. 5 who. 6 which. 7 whose. 8 which. 9 who. 10

which. 11 which. 12 which. 13 blank. 14 whose. 15 who.

5 1 which. 2 blank, blank. 3 which. 4 blank. 5 who. 6 blank. 7 whose. 8 blank.

At higher levels, more and more complex designs are added to study. Sometimes it becomes difficult to train them without students getting bored. One such construction is relative clauses (defining and non-defining). The topic is complex, but even here you can add variety to your practice.

Today we are sharing a selection of exercises for training relative clauses!

The Longest Sentence

Invite students to write in pairs the longest sentence about a famous person, some object, some attraction, etc.

Procedure: Divide students into pairs. Give each pair the name of the person, object or place they will write a sentence about. If necessary, provide an example.

For example:

T: Stephen Hawking
S1: Stephen Hawking was a famous scientist.
S2: Stephen Hawking, who spent most of his life in a wheelchair, was a famous scientist.

Students continue the sentence, adding a new fact each time, using defining or non-defining relative clauses (depending on what you want to practice).

Likes and dislikes

Students continue the sentences with their own ideas using relative clauses. Then they exchange ideas with classmates.

Procedure: Write on the board the beginning of the sentences you want to practice. Give students time to think and complete the sentences themselves with their ideas. Students share ideas in pairs or groups, or using the speed-dating task principle. When the whole class checks, the most interesting ideas are put on the board.

Examples of sentences to fill out:

I like/dislike people who...
I like/dislike days when…
I like/dislike places where…
I like/dislike films which…

Clues for solving

Small lists of words are created for which students come up with simple explanations using relative clauses. Students exchange clues they come up with and others must guess what the original word was. The number and complexity of words will depend on the level of the students and the time you have.

Procedure: Prepare lists of words known to students that begin with the same letter. Students work in pairs or mini-groups to create clues, each of which is written on a separate piece of paper. The pieces of paper are passed around in a circle to other groups, who must guess all the words from the original list and the letter with which they began.

Definition examples:

Hollywood: a city in the US where the movies are made
Duck: a domestic bird which can swim and fly

Example lists:

a policeman a parrot a pen a pear Poland a post-office a panda prehistory

a duck a doctor Denmark a door December a dream a daughter a dollar

Hollywood a helicopter a hand a hotel a holiday a hairdresser history a horse

Word lists taken from Grammar Practice Activities by P. Ur

Elaborating a story

Students add details to the story. You can take a well-known story or fairy tale as a basis, remove details from it and adapt it, if necessary. Students are given a text with blanks to fill in. Relative clauses containing details must fit into the gaps.

Procedure: Give each student a copy of the history with passes. Students work independently first. Then they check in pairs, comparing the answers and deciding which answer to agree on, what to write in the blank. Next, students test in groups of 4, then 8, etc., until the whole class comes up with a single story. The final draft is read to the class or posted to your class's Facebook group. Alternatively, stories are initially created in pairs or groups, and then they compete with each other.

Example of a story with omissions:

Once upon a time, there was a girl called Goldilocks, ………………………………………………………. She lived in a house, …………………………………………., with her mother, ……………………….

Story task taken from Grammar Practice Activities by P. Ur

Alternatively, students are simply given a set of key words and characters for the story, and they reconstruct the story themselves, without relying on the text.

Let's complain

A task that allows you not only to practice relative clauses, but also to let off steam. Students are given a rare opportunity to complain in class 🙂 They make a list of things, people, etc. that they would like to complain about and prepare to do so using relative clauses.

Procedure: As a whole class or in groups, students come up with ideas for things to complain about. Give time to prepare complaints. Then, in groups or pairs, students exchange their complaints.

Examples of complaints:

The book which we learn from is sometimes boring…
The neighborhood where I live is really dirty…

These phrases can be continued and developed. You can ask each other clarifying questions. Alternatively, you can prepare a complete complaint in minutes, with details and various relative clauses, and then tell it in front of the whole class and answer clarifying questions. It all depends on the size of the group.

Chain writing

Since relative clauses are more important in writing, this task is usually done in silence for the most part. Students write history in parts. They are given a topic, or a thematic first sentence, they write another sentence, wrap up the previous one and pass it to the person sitting on the right. The result is usually a funny and absurd story, since each subsequent author does not see the whole story, but only one sentence.

Procedure: Give everyone an A4 sheet, maybe in a wide line. Set a topic sentence. Everyone writes a sequel to it and passes it on. The next one writes a continuation to sentence No. 1, wraps it up and passes it on. The next participant sees only sentence No. 2, writes a continuation and wraps up sentence No. 2 so that the next one sees only sentence No. 3, etc. At the end of the lesson, the stories are collected and fully unfolded. Students read what happened. The best stories are read to the whole class. If there is no time, the stories are posted on the board or in the hallway for everyone to read during recess.

21 Questions

A variation of the famous guessing game. The only peculiarity of this type of task will be that instead of simple questions likeIs it black?students ask something likeIs it something which is black?

Procedure: Divide students into mini-groups (4-6 people). One student thinks of a word, the rest must guess it, but they only have 21 attempts. Based on the answers of the one who guessed the word (and the answers should only be yes or no), the rest draw a conclusion and guess the word. The one from the group who guessed first gets to guess next.

Testing time

Students are asked to create a test for their peers using relative clauses in the questions and/or answer options. This game requires an encyclopedia library or the Internet. Students research the dates, events, names, famous scientists, etc. that you give them (5 names per person) and make a quiz based on them. They start with the correct answer and come up with two more incorrect ones.

Procedure: At first, students work alone. Give everyone 5 names of what they need to come up with quiz questions about. When they are ready, they divide into pairs and ask each other questions. You can play in pairs, groups or as a whole class.

For example: The student must come up with questions about the 4th of July, Amazon, Super Bowl, New Year’s Eve, Einstein.

An example of a quiz task created by a student:

July 4th is the day that Americans drink and wear green.
July 4th is the day that Americans celebrate their independence.
July 4th is the day when Americans remember their deceased loved ones.

All tasks can be adapted to suit different levels, courses and ages. Additionally, if you are working with individual students, these activities can also be adapted for one-on-one work. With these tasks the topic becomes less boring and serious. In addition, most assignments provide an extra reason to have fun and get to know your students better 😉

How do you work with relative clauses? Which task did you enjoy the most?
Try our assignments with your students!

We are waiting for your stories and questions in the comments!

] 14.4. B. Determinative clauses

Subordinate clauses (Relaitve Clauses) perform the function of an adjective in a sentence, that is, they are definitions in a sentence.

Such subordinate clauses are connected to the main clause using pronouns who(m), whose, what, which, that and adverbs where, when And why.

1. Such offers may be restrictive or non-restrictive.

Restrictive a subordinate clause cannot be removed without clearly violating the meaning of the sentence:

This is the boy who broke the window this is the boy who broke the window.
This is the window that he broke This is the window he broke.

Non-restrictive the subordinate clause provides additional information and, if removed, the sentence will remain meaningful (such sentences are separated by commas):

This boy, who lives in the next street, broke a window in the school yesterday this boy, who lives on the next street, broke a window at school yesterday.
This window which was broken by a boy yesterday, will have to be repaired, you will have to replace this window, which some boy broke yesterday.

● A defining clause always comes after the word it defines and usually immediately after it.

I put the books in the cupboard which you bought yesterday

In some cases, when the meaning is obvious, this rule may be violated:

George was the only boy at school that I really liked.

2. A attributive clause can define an animate or inanimate noun:

The boy whose work I showed you is the cleverest boy in the school
The house whose windows are broken is unoccupied

3. The relative pronoun, with the help of which the main and subordinate clauses are connected, can be in a subordinate clause:

a) subject to :
That is the man. He hit me. This is that person. He has hit me.
That is the man who hit me. This is the man who hit me.

b) addition :
That is the man, I saw him I saw him.
That is the man whom I saw. This is the man I saw.

c) indirect object with preposition :
That is the man. I spoke to him. This is that person. I spoke to him.
That is the man to whom I spoke. This is the person I spoke to.

d) definition :
That is the man. His car crashed. This is that person. His car crashed.
That is the man whose car crashed. This is the man whose car crashed.

Thus, the following table can be compiled

A1. Restrictive clause, defines an animate noun :

a)
There is the driver who
There is the driver that overtook us five minutes ago.

b)
Where is the man whom I saw this morning?
Where is the man who I saw this morning?
Where is the man that I saw this morning?
Where is the man I saw this morning?

c)
Is that the man to whom you handed your application form?
Is that the man whom you gave your tickets to?
Is that the man who you gave your tickets to?
Is that the man that you gave your tickets to?
Is that the man you gave your tickets to?

d)
That is the boy whose father is an astronaut.

A2. Restrictive clause, defines an inanimate noun .

a)
There is the car which overtook us five minutes ago.
There is the car that overtook us five minutes ago.

b)
Where is the book which I bought this morning?
Where is the book that I bought this morning?
Where is the book I bought this morning?

c)
Is that the address to which did you send the telegram?
Is that the address which you sent the telegram to?
Is that the address that you sent the telegram to?
Is that the address you sent the telegram to?

d)
He mentioned a book whose title I can't remember now.
He mentioned a book the title of which I can't remember now.

B1. Non-restrictive subordinate clause, animate noun is determined .

a)
The driver, who was very young, had only just got his license.

b)
The driver, who(m) I had never seen before, insisted that he knew me.

c)
Sergeant Brown to whom I showed my license, was very polite.
Sergeant Brown who(m) I showed my license to, was very polite.

d)
The injured pedestrian, whose leg had been broken, was carried away on a stretcher.

B2. Non-restrictive subordinate clause, defines an inanimate noun .

a)
They soon repaired the car, which had not been badly damaged.

b)
The front bumper which the other car had twisted a little, was soon put straight.

c)
Martin's garage to which the car had been taken, was not far away.
Martin's garage which the car had been taken to, was not far away.

d)
This book, whose author is a woman of eighty, is very amusing.
This book, of which the author is a woman of eighty, is very amusing.
This book, the author of which is a woman of eighty, is very amusing.

● Whom is usually used in a literary style. In colloquial speech we usually say who. Whom must be used after prepositions, but such phrases are also not used in colloquial speech.
However, in expressions such as “Who beat whom” it is necessary to use whom to avoid repetition.

In conversational style, as a rule, constructions are used in which the preposition is at the end of the sentence:

This is the book about which I was telling you (literary).
This is the book I was telling you about.
This is the book I told you about.

These photographs at which you"ve been looking were taken by my sister (literary).
These photographs you"ve been looking at were taken by my sister.
These photos you are looking at were taken by my sister.

Is this the pan in which you make omelets? (literary).
Is this the pan you make your omelets in.
Do you fry eggs in this pan?

● That, but not which used

1. If the subordinate clause defines an indefinite pronoun:

All that remains can be divided between you
Everything(that) you see here can be divided between you everything you see can be divided between you.

2. If the subordinate clause modifies a superlative adjective or words such as first, last and next:

Which was the fastest steamship that crossed the Atlantic? What was the fastest ship to cross the Atlantic?
Which was the first steamship that crossed the Atlantic? Which ship was the first to cross the Atlantic?

● In literary language, a phrase with a preposition is used of:

I can lend you several books. Five of them are very good. I can lend you some books. Five of them are very good.

I can lend you several books, five of which are very good.
I can lend you several books, of which five are very good.
I can lend you several books, five of which are very good.

I can lend you two books. I can recommend both of them I can recommend two of them.

I can lend you two, both of which I can recommend.
I can lend you two books, of which I can recommend both.
I can lend you two books, both of which I can recommend.

● The pronoun can be omitted after the phrases there is/there are:

There's somebody at the door (who) wants to see you
There was a man (who) called to see you this morning.

Determinative subordinate clauses can also indicate place, time and manner of action . In this case, the adverbs where, when and why are often used:

When specifying, pronouns may be used that And which:

I shall never forget the day ( that) George first came I will never forget the day George first came here.