Relative clauses are a type of subordinate clause used to give more information about a noun in a sentence. They usually begin with a relative pronoun like who, which, that, whose, whom, or where/when
A relative clause modifies a noun:
- The boy who is playing is my brother.
–> “Who is playing” tells us more about the boy
Types of relative clauses
1. Defining (restrictive) relative clauses
These give essential information—without them, the sentence meaning is unclear.
- The book that I borrowed is interesting.
- Students who study hard succeed.
–> No commas are used.
2. Non-defining (non-restrictive) relative clauses
These give extra information—the sentence still makes sense without them.
- My car, which is very old, still works.
- Mr. Ali, who teaches math, is kind.
–> Commas are required.
Common relative pronouns
| Pronoun | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people (subject) | The girl who sings is happy. |
| whom | people (object) | The man whom I met was kind. |
| whose | possession | The boy whose bike was stolen cried. |
| which | things/animals | The dog which barked ran away. |
| that | people/things (informal) | The car that broke down is mine. |
| where | place | The house where I live is small. |
| when | time | The day when we met was special. |
Omitting the relative pronoun
Sometimes the pronoun can be dropped (especially that, who, which):
- The book (that) I read was great.
- The person (who) I called didn’t answer.
–> Only possible when the pronoun is the object, not the subject.
Examples in sentences
- She is the teacher who helped me.
- This is the place where we met.
- I like movies that make me laugh.
- My brother, who lives abroad, is visiting.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Correction |
|---|---|
| Using which for people | The man which called you → The man who called you |
| Forgetting commas in non-defining clauses | My car which is old still runs → My car, which is old, still runs |
| Using that in non-defining clauses | My bike, that I love, is stolen → My bike, which I love, is stolen |
| Double pronoun | The book that it is on the table → The book that is on the table |
