CEFR B1

    Relative Clauses

    Learn to use relative clauses with who, which, and that to give extra information about nouns. Practice making clear and descriptive sentences in everyday English conversations and writing.

    Learning Objectives

    Master the use of relative pronouns (who, which, that, where, when) to add information about nouns.
    Understand the key difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses and their punctuation rules.
    Learn when to omit relative pronouns and how to choose between "that" and "which" in different contexts.
    Use relative clauses naturally in speaking and writing to make your English more descriptive and fluent!

    Mastering Relative Clauses

    Relative clauses are used to give extra information about a noun without starting a new sentence. They help us describe people, things, places, and times more clearly and make our English sound more natural, fluent, and sophisticated.

    Common Relative Pronouns and Their Uses

    who – for people (subject)

    whom – for people (object, formal)

    whose – for possession

    which – for things and animals

    that – for people, things, animals

    where – for places

    when – for times

    Types of Relative Clauses

    1. Defining Relative Clauses (Essential Information)

    These clauses give essential information about the noun. Without them, the sentence would be unclear or incomplete. No commas are used.

    • • 'The woman who lives next door is a doctor.' (essential to identify which woman)
    • • 'The book that I'm reading is fascinating.' (specifies which book)
    • • 'The restaurant where we met has closed down.' (identifies which restaurant)

    2. Non-Defining Relative Clauses (Extra Information)

    These clauses add extra, non-essential information. The sentence still makes sense without them. They are separated by commas.

    • • 'My brother, who is a teacher, lives in London.' (extra information about brother)
    • • 'This smartphone, which I bought last month, has great features.' (additional detail)
    • • 'Paris, where I spent my honeymoon, is beautiful in spring.' (bonus information)

    3. Choosing Between 'That' and 'Which'

    In defining clauses, both 'that' and 'which' can be used for things, but 'that' is more common in everyday speech. In non-defining clauses, only 'which' is used.

    • • 'The car that/which I want is expensive.' (defining - both possible)
    • • 'My car, which is a hybrid, is very efficient.' (non-defining - only 'which')
    • • 'The movie that we saw was amazing.' (defining - 'that' preferred in speech)

    Relative Pronouns in Detail

    Who vs. Whom

    Use 'who' when the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause. Use 'whom' when it's the object (more formal).

    • • 'The woman who called you is my boss.' (subject - she called)
    • • 'The woman whom you called is my boss.' (object - you called her)
    • • 'The person who/that helped me was very kind.' (informal: 'who' is common)

    Where and When

    Use 'where' for places and 'when' for times to make your clauses more specific and natural.

    • • 'This is the hotel where we stayed last summer.' (place)
    • • 'I remember the day when we first met.' (time)
    • • 'The reason why I called is to invite you.' (reason - informal)

    Whose (Possession)

    Use 'whose' to show possession or relationship, for both people and things.

    • • 'That's the man whose car was stolen.' (possession)
    • • 'I have a friend whose father is a famous actor.' (relationship)
    • • 'The company, whose profits have increased, is expanding.' (possession for things)

    Omitting Relative Pronouns

    In defining clauses, you can omit the relative pronoun when it is the object of the clause.

    • • 'The book (that) I'm reading is interesting.' (object - can be omitted)
    • • 'The person (who) you met is my cousin.' (object - can be omitted)
    • • 'The woman who lives there is French.' (subject - cannot be omitted)

    Common Mistakes to Avoid

    ❌ Wrong: Using 'which' for people - 'The person which called you is waiting.'

    ✓ Correct: 'The person who called you is waiting.' (use 'who' for people)

    ❌ Wrong: Using 'that' in non-defining clauses - 'My sister, that lives abroad, is visiting.'

    ✓ Correct: 'My sister, who lives abroad, is visiting.' (use 'who' in non-defining clauses)

    ❌ Wrong: Missing commas in non-defining clauses - 'London which is the capital is crowded.'

    ✓ Correct: 'London, which is the capital, is crowded.' (commas required)

    ❌ Wrong: Using wrong preposition - 'The office where I work at is nearby.'

    ✓ Correct: 'The office where I work is nearby.' OR 'The office that I work at is nearby.'

    Learning Tips

    • Ask yourself: "Is this information essential to understand which one?" If yes, it's defining (no commas)
    • Remember the comma rule: no commas for defining clauses, commas for non-defining clauses
    • Use "that" for defining clauses in spoken English - it sounds more natural
    • Practice omitting the pronoun when it's the object: "The book (that) I read"
    • Use "where" for places and "when" for times to be more specific
    • Read English texts and notice how relative clauses are used in context
    • Practice combining two simple sentences into one using relative clauses to improve fluency

    Speaking Practice:

    To practice your pronunciation, listen to the native speaker audio first. Then 'Record' yourself repeating what you heard, then use the 'Playback' button to compare your pronunciation with the native speaker. If you want to record yourself again, simply click 'Delete'!

    ✓ The woman who lives next door is a doctor and she often works night shifts at the local hospital. (defining clause with 'who')

    ✓ I recently bought a new laptop which has an excellent battery life and a very fast processor. (defining clause with 'which')

    ✓ That's the restaurant where we celebrated my brother's birthday last month with all our family. (defining clause with 'where')

    ✓ My oldest sister, who works as a software engineer in Berlin, is coming to visit us next weekend. (non-defining clause with commas)

    ✓ The book that I'm currently reading is a mystery novel that was recommended by my English teacher. (defining clause with 'that')

    Your exercises are loading!

    Your exercises are loading!

    Your exercises are loading!

    Continue Your Learning Journey

    Keep building your English skills with these carefully selected next steps

    Help Other People Just Like You Improve Their English!

    Share Free Daily English With Them Today!