ENGLISH LESSON : RELATIVE CLAUSES

 

ENGLISH LESSON : 

GRAMMAR 

DEMYSTIFYING RELATIVE CLAUSES

 

Relative clauses are used to add extra information to a sentence. There are two types of relative clauses: defining (restrictive) and non-defining (non-restrictive) clauses. In this lesson, we will dive deep into the structure and use of relative clauses, and practice how to combine sentences using relative pronouns.

 

Explanation: Relative clauses provide additional information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence. They are introduced by relative pronouns like who, whom, whose, which, and that.

 

Defining Relative Clauses: These are essential to the meaning of the sentence. They help to define the noun and cannot be removed without changing the sentence's meaning.

Non-defining Relative Clauses: These add extra information about a noun that is already identified, and they are usually set off by commas. If removed, they would not alter the basic meaning of the sentence.

EXAMPLES OF RELATIVE PRONOUNS:

 

Relative Pronoun	Use	Example Sentence
who	For people	The boy who broke the window is at the door
whom	For possession	The girl whom I saw was her sister
which	For animals and things	That's the man whose car was towed
that	For people and things	The house that she bought is on the

 

Note: 'That' cannot be used in non-defining relative clauses or after prepositions.

 

Let's move on to exercises to better understand relative clauses.

 

EXERCISE 1: Identifying Relative Clauses Identify the relative clauses in the following sentences and determine whether they are defining or non-defining:

 

The book that I borrowed from you is excellent.

My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting.

The artist who painted this picture is famous.

EXERCISE 2: Combining Sentences Using Relative Pronouns Combine the following pairs of sentences using a relative pronoun:

 

I met a woman. Her son went to the same school as mine.

There's the car. I told you about this car.

We visited a museum. The museum had a lot of ancient Egyptian artifacts.

EXERCISE 3: Creating Relative Clauses Write a defining or non-defining relative clause to add information to the following sentences:

 

I have a friend _______________.

The phone _______________ was very expensive.

She has three children, _______________.

EXERCISE 4: Removing Non-defining Relative Clauses Remove the non-defining relative clauses from the following sentences:

 

My coat, which I bought last year, is already out of fashion.

The café, where we used to meet, has been closed.

EXERCISE 5: Choosing the Correct Relative Pronoun Choose the correct relative pronoun for the following sentences and insert commas where necessary:

 

The man ___ daughter is in my class works at the bank.

She held out the photograph ___ was taken in 2005.

That's the cat ___ I saw on our roof last night.

Relative clauses facilitate the provision of additional information and a better description in a succinct and elegant manner. Knowing when and how to use these clauses can greatly enhance one's writing and spoken abilities in English. By practicing the exercises, you will become more comfortable in recognizing and using relative clauses effectively.