Active Learning Seminars

Presented by Nigel Veal

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on how to use

Relative Clauses

What’s your name?

My name is Yen, which means small sea bird in Vietnamese.

My name is Yen, which is spelled Y-E-N like the currency of Japan.

Relative pronounsWe form relative clauses using these relative pronouns: which, who, whom, whose, that.

Which, who and that are used most often.

The relative adverbs where, when and why are sometimes used instead of a relative pronoun.

Defining relative clauses

1.The relative clause identifies the person or thing we are talking about. It provides essential information and can/cannot be left out.

2.Who or which can/cannot be replaced by that

3.If the relative pronoun refers to the object, it can/cannot be left out.

4.Commas are/are not needed

1.The relative clause identifies the person or thing we are talking about. It provides essential information and can/cannot be left out.

2.Who or which can/cannot be replaced by that

3.If the relative pronoun refers to the object, it can/cannot be left out.

4.Commas are/are not needed

1.The relative clause provides extra information and can/cannot be left out.

2. Who or which can/cannot be replaced by that.

3. The relative pronoun can/cannot be left out.

4.Commas are/are not required before and after the relative clause.

2. Who or which can/cannot be replaced by that.

1.The relative clause provides extra information and can/cannot be left out.

3. The relative pronoun can/cannot be left out.

4.Commas are/are not required before and after the relative clause.

Non-defining relative clauses

What is the difference in meaning between the two sentences?

1.My sister, who lives in Scotland, has three children.

2. My sister who lives in Scotland has three children.

A holiday in

Scotland

Forming Relative ClausesCombine the sentences using a relative clause. Use relative pronouns only where necessary.

1. We spent our holiday in Scotland last year. Scotland is in the north of Great Britain.

Last year, we …Last year, we spent our holiday in Scotland, which is in the north of Great Britain.

Forming Relative Clauses

People live in Scotland. They are called Scottish.

The people …The people who live in Scotland are called Scottish.

Forming Relative Clauses3. We first went to Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland.

We first …We first went to Edinburgh, which is the capital of Scotland.

4. Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh. He wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories.

Forming Relative Clauses

Arthur Conan Doyle …Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories, was born in Edinburgh.

5. Then we visited a lake. It is in the Highlands.

Forming Relative Clauses

The lake … The lake we visited is in the Highlands.

6. Loch Ness is 37km long. People know it for its friendly monster.

Forming Relative Clauses

Loch Ness … Loch Ness, which is known for its friendly monster, is 37km long.

7. Then we met an old man in a pub. He told us he had seen Nessie.

Forming Relative Clauses

An old man …An old man we met in a pub told us he had seen Nessie.

8. Then I picked up a newspaper. The newspaper contained an interesting article about Nessie

Forming Relative Clauses

Then I picked up …Then I picked up a newspaper which contained an interesting article about Nessie.

9. It reported that the mystery of Nessie has finally been solved. The mystery of Nessie has puzzled people for decades.

It reported that …

Forming Relative Clauses

It reported that the mystery of Nessie, which has puzzled people for decades, has finally been solved.

10. We stopped to listen to a highlander playing the bagpipes. The bagpipes are a traditional Scottish musical instrument.

We stopped …

Forming Relative Clauses

We stopped to listen to a highlander playing the bagpipes, which are a traditional Scottish musical instrument.

11. The next day, we climbed the highest mountain in Great Britain. It is called Ben Nevis.

The next day …

Forming Relative Clauses

The next day, we climbed the highest mountain in Great Britain, which is called Ben Nevis.

12. I sent you a postcard. It was written on the summit of Ben Nevis.

The postcard …

Forming Relative Clauses

The postcard I sent you was written on the summit of Ben Nevis.

Distinguishing between who and whom

This is the old man whom we met in a pub at Loch Ness.

This is the old man who told us he has seen the Loch Ness monster.

Using whose to introduce a relative clause

Whose is used for showing that someone or something belongs to or is connected with the person or thing that you have just mentioned.

Ex1: Help is needed for families whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane.

Ex2: This family is living in a house whose roof could collapse at any time.

Common grammar mistakes

Mistake 1: Forgetting relative pronouns

Ex: There are many people do not agree with the government’s policy.Ex: There are many people who do not agree with the government’s policy.

Mistake 2: Joining two sentences with a comma instead of using a relative pronoun.

Ex: There are many aspects to this problem, one of them is money.Ex: There are many aspects to this problem, one of which is money.

Mistake 3: Forgetting that the relative pronoun replaces the object of the relative clause.

Ex: Pizza is the best food that I have ever tasted it before. Ex: Pizza is the best food that I have ever tasted.

Be carefulSometimes you can simplify a sentence by not using a relative clause!

Ex: Men who were still unemployed five months after leaving university numbered fewer than 500.

Fewer than 500 men were still unemployed five months after leaving university.

Underline the best alternative. 0 = no relative pronoun

1.The results 0/that/who were published were later called into question.

2.The statistics who/which/0 the government used were inaccurate.

3.The percentage of adults who/that/0 had two jobs halved the following year.

4.The amount of air pollution who/that/0 was recorded in Los Angeles decreased slightly during that period.

5.There was an increase of 5% in the number of visitors to Canada which/that/0 came from Germany.

Defining relative clauses

1.The results 0/that/who were published were later called into question.

2.The statistics who/which/0 the government used were inaccurate.

3.The percentage of adults who/that/0 had two jobs halved the following year.

4.The amount of air pollution who/that/0 was recorded in Los Angeles decreased slightly during that period.

5.There was an increase of 5% in the number of visitors to Canada which/that/0 came from Germany.

Non-defining relative clausesCombine the two sentences using a relative clause.

1.The computer virus has caused millions of pounds worth of damage. The computer virus is believed to have originated in Texas.

2. Oxford University took first place in the ‘Times Good University Guide 2002’. Oxford University is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.3. Nurses are vital to the health service. Nurses are not well paid in my country.

4. The Prime Minister has resigned. The Prime Minister has been in office for seven years.

5. Email has made communication much quicker. Email is widely available in the UK.

1.The computer virus, which is believed to have originated in Texas, has caused millions of pounds worth of damage.

2. Oxford University, which is the oldest university in the English-speaking world, took first place in the ‘Times Good University Guide 2002’.

3. Nurses, who are not well paid in my country, are vital to the health service.

4. The Prime Minister, who has been in office for seven years, has resigned.5. Email, which is widely available in the UK, has made communication much quicker.

Subject and object relative clausesThe relative pronoun can replace the subject or the object of the relative clause.

Subject: Chocolate contains a stimulant called theobromine which/that (it) is believed to make us more alert.

Object: Chocolate is something which/that/0 many people feel guilty about eating (it).

Participle clauses

With an active verb we use a present participle.

When the active verb is progressive we leave out the relative pronoun and the verb to be.

Active verb: The woman who is sitting next to the door has been looking at you. Do you know her?

With a passive verb we use a past participle and leave out the relative pronoun and the verb to be.

Passive verb: The article which was published in yesterday’s Times could be useful.

Relative clauses with a to-infinitiveLook at this structure with the to-infinitive.

New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote.(= the first country which gave women the vote)

Here are some more examples.The guest on our show is the youngest golfer to win the Open.

Emma Thompson is the most famous actress to appear on stage here.We can use a to-infinitive with these words: first, second, etc;

next and last; only; and superlatives, e.g. youngest, most famous.

Prepositions in relative clausesIn formal English, a preposition can be used at the beginning of the relative clause, before which or whom.

Ex1: Electronics is a subject about which I know very little.

Ex2: The people with whom he worked have all been arrested.

Ex3: They collected the sap from the sugar maple trees, from which maple syrup is produced.

Note: We cannot put a preposition before that or who.

Sentential relative clauses

This type of clause does not modify a noun but refers to the whole sentence.

Ex: He keeps bragging about his success, which really annoys me.

This old man drinks five glasses of Scotch whisky every night, which is enough to make anyone believe they have seen the Loch Ness monster!

Sherlock Holmes possessed amazing powers of deduction, a profound understanding of human nature and a rare ability to think outside the box – all of which helped to establish his reputation as the world’s greatest detective.

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