Relative Clauses
Form and use relative clauses beginning with relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why) to add detail, qualify nouns, and create complex sentences
What a learner can do afterwards
- Combine a main clause with a relative clause using 'who' or 'which' to add information about a noun, e.g. 'The dog, which had a red collar, barked loudly'
- Choose the correct relative pronoun (who for people, which for things, where for places, when for times) and identify the noun it refers back to
- Recognise that a relative clause beginning with 'that' can often replace 'who' or 'which' in defining clauses, e.g. 'The book that I read' vs 'The book which I read'
1 · Read
You already know a subordinate clause can add extra detail to a sentence. A relative clause is one special kind. It sits right after a noun and describes it, using words like who, which, that, where, or when.
Look at this sentence: 'The dog, which had a red collar, barked loudly.' The part 'which had a red collar' is the relative clause. It describes the dog, telling you more about it without starting a new sentence.
How do you pick the right word? Use who for people, which for things, where for places, and when for times. Each word points back to the noun it describes.
Two more words can start a relative clause. Whose shows that something belongs to the noun: 'The boy whose dog ran away looked everywhere.' Take care not to mix whose with who's, which means who is. The word why can follow the word reason: 'That is the reason why I called.'
Commas matter too. If the clause only adds extra detail you could take away, wrap it in commas: 'My bike, which is bright blue, has a bell.' If the clause tells you exactly which one, like 'The bike that has a bell is mine,' it needs no commas.
In many sentences, 'that' can swap in for 'who' or 'which' without changing the meaning. 'The book that I read' means the same as 'The book which I read'.
A relative clause describes a noun using who, which, that, whose, where, when, or why, right after that noun. Wrap it in commas when it only adds extra detail.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
24 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.