Relative sentences

Relative Clauses

A Complete the sentences with who or which.
1 The policeman ............................... gave us directions was very helpful.
2 The advice ............................... you gave me was useful.
3 Where is the bus ............................... goes to town?
4 Do you know the people ............................... live in the new house?
5 Do you remember the name of the book ............................... Mary told us about?
6 Here’s the boy ............................... broke your window.

B Choose the correct answer.
1 This is the house where / that Jack built for his family.
2 That is the river that / where they caught the poisoned fish.
3 This is the camera that / whose I borrowed from George.
4 That is the man which / whose car is parked in our drive.
5 Football is a game which / where people play all over the world.
6 Have you seen the place which / where the accident happened?

C Match A to B to make sentences.1 A biography is a book ..... a whose paintings are very famous.
2 A vegetarian is someone ..... b which is about someone’s life.
3 A museum is a place ..... c that tells us the temperature of a person or place.
4 Vincent Van Gogh was a painter ..... d who doesn’t eat meat.
5 A thermometer is an instrument ..... e whose CDs are sold all over the world.
6 Crete is a mountainous island ..... f where exhibitions are held.
7 Madonna is a singer ..... g whose ancient civilization is of great interest.
8 The Tower of London was a prison ..... h where many people were held and later killed.

D Complete the sentences using relative pronouns.
Titanic is one of my favourite films. It is about a young man named Jack
Dawson, 1 ............................... was on the ship Titanic when it sank. In
the film, Jack is sailing to America, 2 ............................... he plans to start
a new life. On the ship he meets Rose, 3 ............................... is very
beautiful. She is unhappy because her mother wants her to marry a man
4 ............................... she doesn’t love. Jack and Rose fall in love. In the
middle of the ocean, the ship hits an iceberg 5 ............................... makes
a hole in its side. Jack and Rose fight for their lives as the ship begins to
sink. Jack died, but Rose survives.

Relative Clauses – Answers
A 1 who 4 who
2 which 5 which
3 which 6 who
B 1 that 4 whose
2 where 5 which
3 that 6 where
C 1 b 5 c
2 d 6 g
3 f 7 e
4 a 8 h
D 1 who 4 who / that
2 where 5 which / that
3 who

Defining and non-defining relative clauses

Non-defining relative clauses

Use We use non-defining relative clauses to give extra information about the person or thing in the main clause. The extra information is not essential. Robbie Williams’ Millennium, which is one of his most successful singles, was released in 1999. Form In non-defining relative clauses we put a comma before and after the main clause. We use the relative pronouns who, which, whose, where and when in non-defining relative clauses. The relative pronoun cannot be omitted. Mark Smith, who lives next door to us, plays in a rock band.

1   Combine the sentences. Use who, which, whose, where or when.

Ivan is very good-looking. (He’s Helen’s brother.)

Ivan, who is Helen’s brother, is very good-looking.

1   The book is about a murder on the Nile.

     (It was written by Agatha Christie.)

     …………………………………………………

2   The diamond necklace has been found by the police. (It was stolen last week.)

     …………………………………………………

3   Steven Spielberg lives in Hollywood. (He is a famous film director.)

     …………………………………………………

4   My friend Isabel wants to do media studies.

     (Her father is a TV presenter.)

     …………………………………………………

5   The new club plays great music. (Jamie works there.)

     …………………………………………………

6   My holiday in Ibiza was wonderful. (I first met Jenny then.)

     …………………………………………………

7   The new band is very good. (It was formed last year.)

     …………………………………………………

Defining relative clauses

Use We use defining relative clauses to give essential information about the person or thing in the main clause. It tells us which person or thing we are talking about. This is the CD which everyone is talking about. Form There are no commas in defining relative clauses. We can replace who or which with that in defining relative clauses. She’s the woman that works with my mother. This is the book that I told you about. Who, which, that and when can be omitted when they are the object of the verb in the second clause, e.g. There’s the man that the police have been looking for. Whose and where can’t be omitted.

2   Combine the sentences. Use who, which, that, where or when.

     That’s the school. I used to go to it.

     That’s the school that I used to go to.

1   There’s the girl. I was telling you

     about her.  

     …………………………………………………

2      That was the day. They got married then.  

     …………………………………………………

3   She’s the girl. Her brother plays in the football team.  

     …………………………………………………

4   That’s the café. I meet my friends there.

     …………………………………………………

5   This is the film. I’ve been waiting to see it

     for ages.

     …………………………………………………

6   Have you met the girl? She’s going out

     with Ted.

     …………………………………………………

7   These are the trainers. I bought them yesterday.

     …………………………………………………