Relative clauses
Who, whose, which, and that
Video: Relative pronouns English grammar hosted by TeacherPhilEnglish (new tab). (Watching time: 4m:37secs)
Relating an idea to a previously mentioned idea
Using which, or where, or when as pronouns relating a thing (or circumstance), a place, or a time to another action or idea.
What are words like who, whom, whose, which, that doing in sentences. They are relative pronouns. They are pronouns that "relate" a noun (or another pronoun) to an action in the sentence. They are similar in function to these words: where, when, why which are relative adverbs.
Here are these words in subordinate clauses (they make their clauses subordinate):
...which I could see clearly...
...who continued to play the drums
...where I had just been standing only 30 seconds earlier.
A relative clause does not express a complete thought (it leaves us waiting for more information) and so it is dependent. How these clauses are incorporated into a sentence is achieved by the use of punctuation, and the form of punctuation will depend on whether they contain essential information (no commas) or non-essential information (needing commas).
The commas can change the meaning of the sentence, as you will see in the activity for this lesson.
Essential relative clauses
Often the relative clause holds information that is necessary for the logic of the sentence. This impacts on the punctuation of the sentence (i.e. it doesn't have commas).
An essential relative clause provides essential information to help the reader identify specifically the person or item being spoken about.
Note that there are no commas separating the relative clause from its person (or thing) in the sentence.
The tree fell at the spot where I had just been standing only 30 seconds earlier.
Non-essential relative clauses
Sometimes a relative clause is used to provide helpful extra information. If this information is removed, there is still a complete sentence remaining. Commas are used to distinguish this information from the rest of the sentence.
Non-essential relative clauses are signalled by placing a comma both before and after the clause.
My cat, who is a Birman, has a serious problem with furballs.
They are non-essential because when removed from the sentence, there is still a complete sentence remaining, with a complete idea. (That is why they are called non-essential.)
Sam, who continued to play the drums loudly and late into the night, annoyed his flatmates so much that eventually they kicked him out.
I have made many mistakes in my life, which I can see clearly now, but I wouldn't change a thing.
Relative clauses and prepositions
Differences in spoken informal English versus formal academic English when the relative clause is associated with a preposition.
Sometimes students have difficulty moving their preposition from the end of their sentence (common in spoken or informal English) and placing it adjacent to the relative pronoun as required for academic writing.
Informal: The person whom this call was intended for.
Formal: The person for whom this call was intended.
Informal: Are those the students whom you were arguing with?
Formal: Are those the students with whom you were arguing?
This difference can be seen in extended sentences as well. Look at the example below.
Informal: The habitat where the animals had first come from was completely destroyed.
Formal: The habitat from where the animals had first come was completely destroyed.
Instructions: Hover or tap the questions below to see the reason for the answers given in the quiz.
1. Identify the meaning for each sentence
i) The buns, which I bought, were burnt.
ii) The buns which I bought were burnt.
i) All the buns were burnt (and I was silly enough to buy some). ✔
ii) Only the buns which I bought were burnt. ✔
Why: The placement of the commas modifies the meaning. In the first sentence the information is non-essential (see the commas separating the clause). If you remove the non-essential information you are left with the sentence "The buns were burnt", which implies all the buns. In the second sentence the writer is only commenting on the buns which he bought.
2. How many daughters do I have?
My daughter, who lives in Scotland, sent me a kilt.
one ✔
Why: I only have one daughter, living in Scotland. (The information about Scotland is extra, non-essential information.)
If I said "My daughter who lives in Scotland sent me a kilt", I am only talking about the daughter I have in Scotland. Total number of daughters unknown.
3. Is this relative clause essential or non-essential?
That is the grammar point which I can never remember!
Essential ✔
Why: If you remove the relative clause "...which I can never remember!" you are left with a clause that doesn't make a lot of sense on its own *That is the grammar point [what?]*. Note: no commas in the sentence.
4. Make this sentence more formal
The people whom they were talking to have disappeared.
The people to whom they were talking have disappeared. ✔
Why: In informal or spoken English, you can end your sentence with a preposition, but in formal written English you want to put the preposition adjacent to the relative pronoun. Look at this pair of sentences: 'They gave him the retirement he had been dreaming about for years' vs 'They gave him the retirement about which he had been dreaming for years'.