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UNIT: 17
RELATIVE CLAUSE
Relative pronouns
We use relative pronouns in relative clauses.
We use relative clauses to give more information about something, without having to start a new
sentence.
That man over there is called Bill Gates. He stared Microsoft.
That man over there, who is called Bill Gates, started Microsoft.
Use
Example
Who for people
What’s the name of the man who created the Internet.
Which for things and animals
The experiment which worked was the last one.
Where for places
This is the town where Albert Einstein was born.
Whose to show possession
That’s the man whose sister discovered a new planet.
Watch out: - We can use who for animal when we give them a personality.
Our dog, who’s called Benji, is eight years old.
- When there is a relative pronoun, remember not to repeat the subject/ object.
What’s the name of the man who he created the World Wide Web?
This is the experiment which I’m doing it at the moment.
Non-defining relative clauses
Non-defining relative clauses give extra information. The sentence makes sense without the
relative clause.
That man over there, who is called Bill Gates, started Microsoft.
If we remove the relative clause, the sentence still makes sense.
That man over there started Microsoft.
Use
Example
Helpful hints
To give extra information
This program, which is totally
free, protects your computer
against viruses
We use commas with non-
defining relative clauses.
- Carl, whose sister is famous, is a
friend of mine.
Defining relative clauses
Defining relative clauses give very important information. If we remove a defining relative
clause, the sentence doesn’t make sense.
Imagine that there are lots of people in a room. Only one of them is wearing a blue shirt.
The person who is wearing the blue shirt started Microsoft.
If we remove the relative clause, we won’t know which person it is.
The person started Microsoft.
Use
Example
Helpful hints
To define who or what
we are talking about
This is the TV which works.
This is the TV which
doesn’t work
- We don’t use commas with defining
relative clauses.
- We can use that instead of who and
which.
Did you see the programme