Relative Clauses & Pronouns

• Are groups of words that give more information about a noun in a sentence.

• They work like adjectives, adding details about the noun.

• Relative clauses help join two sentences into one, making your writing shorter and more interesting.

Relative pronouns

• Are words used to start a relative clause.

• Relative pronouns go after the noun it’s connected to.

• They connect the relative clause to the main part of the sentence and help give more information about a noun.

1. That

When to use: Used for animals or things. Use with defining relative clauses.

Example: “This is the movie that I enjoyed.”

2. Whatever

When to use: Used to refer to anything or everything.

Example: “You can choose whatever you want.”

3. When

When to use: Used to refer to a time.

Example: “I remember the day when we first met.”

4. Where

When to use: Used to refer to a place.

Example: “This is the house where I grew up.”

5. Which

When to use: Used for animals or things. Use with non-defining relative clauses.

Example: “The book, which I borrowed from the library, was interesting.”

6. Whichever

When to use: Used to refer to any out of a number of choices.

Example: “Take whichever book you like.”

7. Who

When to use: Used for people.

Example: “She is the teacher who helped me.”

8. Whoever

When to use: Used to refer to any person, or someone unknown.

Example: “Whoever finds the wallet can keep the money.”

9. Whose

When to use: Shows possession and can be used for people, animals, or things.

Example: “The man whose car broke down called for help.”

10. Why

When to use: Used to refer to a reason.

Example: “The reason why she left early was unclear.”

Types of Relative Clauses

Defining Relative Clauses

• Provide essential information about the noun. Without this information, the sentence wouldn’t be complete or specific enough.

• Example: "The student who studies hard will succeed.”
  • (This identifies which student will succeed.)

Non-defining Relative Clauses

• Provide extra, non-essential information about the noun. These clauses are separated by commas.

• Example: "My brother, who lives in New York, is a doctor."
  • (This adds extra information about the brother, but it isn’t necessary to understand who he is.)