Relative Clause - Ember's blog

Definition#

A type of dependent clause that provides extra information about a noun in the main clause.The noun that be modified is called antecedent.

Function#

They serve as an adjective to modify the noun. That’s why they are also called adjective clause.

Features#

Usually, they come after the noun they modify. Basic relative clauses begin with relative words which include relative pronouns and relative adverbs.

Leading words#

1. Relative Pronouns#

Pronoun	Used For	Example (Restrictive)	Example (Non-Restrictive)
Who	People (subject)	The woman who lives here is a doctor.	My sister, who lives in Paris, is visiting.
Whom	People (object) formal	The man whom I met was friendly.	The director, whom we admire, gave a speech.
Whose	People/Things (possession)	That’s the student whose book I found.	My boss, whose opinion I value, agreed.
Which	Things & Animals	The book which is on the table is mine.	This laptop, which I bought last year, is fast.
That	People, Things & Animals *(Only in Restrictive* clauses)**	The movie that we saw was great.	~~My car, that is red, is fast.~~ (Incorrect)

Key Point: “That” cannot be used to introduce a non-restrictive clause (the one with commas). Use “which” or “who” for those.

2. Relative Adverbs#

These replace a preposition + relative pronoun (like in which, on which, for which) and refer to a time, place, or reason.

Adverb	Refers To	Replaces	Example
When	Time	in/on/at which	I remember the day when we met. (the day on which we met)
Where	Place	in/at which	This is the house where I grew up. (the house in which I grew up)
Why	Reason	for which	Tell me the reason why you are late. (the reason for which you are late)

Usage Note: Relative adverbs are almost always used in restrictive clauses. They are less common in non-restrictive clauses, but possible (e.g., The concert, when it finally started, was amazing.).

Hints for choosing relative word#

**We choose the relative word based on the grammatical role it plays in the dependent clause.

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flowchart TD
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A[Start:Identify the antecedent noun in the main clause]
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B{What is the role of the relative word in the dependent clause}
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C("Replaces a subject,object,<br>or shows possession")
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D("Replaces information about time,place,<br>or reason")
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E[Use a relative pronoun]
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F[Use a relative adverb]
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G{Which relative pronoun}
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H{Which relative adverb}
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I[person]
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J[thing/animal]
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K[time]
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L[place]
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M[reason]
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O("subject:who<br>object:who/whom/that<br>possession:whose")
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P("subject:that/which<br>object:that/which<br>possession:whose")
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Q(when)
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R(where)
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S(why)
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A --> B
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B --> C
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B --> D
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C --> E
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D --> F
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E --> G
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F --> H
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G --> I
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G --> J
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I --> O
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J --> P
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H --> K
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H --> L
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H --> M
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K --> Q
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L --> R
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M --> S

Main types#

1.Restrictive relative clause#

Provides essential information about the noun.

2.Non-restrictive relative clause#

Provides non-essential information about the noun.

3.Reduced relative clauses#

Reduce: Remove the relative pronoun and linking verb.

Reduce if:

1.The relative clause uses a relative pronoun+progressive verb/passive form/adjective/prepositional phrase
2.The relative pronoun functions as the object of the clause.

Examples#

1.This marker,which is bought by my company,is red.
2.The computer that he bought online is fast.
3.The computer that he bought at a second-hand shop is slow.
4.The guy (who is) talking to the teacher is my roommate.
5.This is the book (that) you recomended.
6.Which of these drinks (that are on the table) is yours?
7.Did everyone who took the trip get sick?
8.This is the place (where) we first met.
9.Do you remember the time (when) we met on a family trip to Europe?

Tips of identifying relative clause#

1. punctuation: Restrictive relative clauses sometimes have commas around them.
2.A phrase that begins with a relative pronoun.
3.A phrase that follows a noun and gives extra information.
4.If we remove the relative clauses the whole sentence is still grammatically correct.