100%(2)100% found this document useful (2 votes) 881 views10 pagesEnglish C1 - Relative Clauses
English C1 - Relative Clauses
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Relative clauses (1) — clauses with who/that/which
Look at this example sentence:
The woman [who lives next door] is. a doctor,
|_— relation clase —!
A clause is a part of a sentence. A relative clause tells us which person or thing (or what kind of
person or thing) the speaker means:
© The woman who lives next door... (‘who lives next door’ tells us which woman)
@ People who live in London... (Swho live in London’ tells us what kind of people)
We use who in a relative clause when we are talking about people (not things). We use who
instead of he/sheithey:
the woman — she lives next door ~is a doctor
‘The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
wwe know a lar of people ~ they live in London
We know a lot of people who live in Landon,
© Anarchitect is someone who designs buildings.
© What was the name of the man who lent you the money?
© Anyone who wants to do the exam must entec before next Friday.
You can alsa use that (instead of who}:
© ‘The man that lives next door is very friendly.
Bur sometimes you must use who (nos ‘chas’} for people ~ see Unit 94.
‘When we are talking about *hinigs, we use that or which (not ‘who') in a relative clause:
where is the cheese? = it was in the fridge
7
‘Where is the cheese { Bas | ‘was in the fridge?
@ Idon’s like stories that have unhappy endings. {or ...stories which have...)
@ Barhara works for a company that auakes washing machines, (or ...a company which
makes...)
© The machine that broke down has now been repaired. (or The machine which brake
down...)
That is more usval than which. But sometimes you must use which {not ‘thar'} - see Unit 94.
‘You cannot use what in sentences like these:
® Everything that happened was my fault, (of ‘Everything what happened...”)
the thing(s) that’:
© What happened was my fault. (= the thing that happened}
Remember that in relative clauses we use who/that/which instead of he/she/they/it. So we say:
@ Do you know the woman who lives next door? (aot *...the woman she lives next door’)
Relative clauses (215) +In this exercise you have to explain what some words nrean. Choose the right meaning from the
box and ther iwrite a sentence with who. Use a dictionary if necessary.
steals From a shop ‘bays something from a shop
designs-buikdines pays rent to live in a house or flat
helthe | Goora’t believe in God P#/*O*) ceaks into a house co weal things
is not brave 0 longer works and gets money érom the state
1 {an architect)... An arehitect [Link] [Link] buildings...
2 (a burglar) A burglar is someone
3 (a customer) .
4 (a shoplifter}
5 fa coward}
6 {an atheist)
7 {a pensioner)
8 fa tenaat)
Make one sentence from two. Use whotthat/which.
1 A gicl was injured in the accident. She is now in hospital.
The girl [Link]. [Link] the [Link] [Link] hospital...
2 Aman answered the = plem He told me you were away.
The man
5. Some people were arrested, They have now been released.
The
6 Abus goer ioe sion Keeunsesery balf hour.
Complete the sentences. Choose the most suitable ending from the box and make it into a
relative clause.
he invented the telephone
she runs away from home it gives you the meaning of wards
they are never on time itwon the race
they stole my car it can support life
they were on the wall it cannot be explained
Barbara works for a company , hag. makes
The book is about a girl
What was the name of the horse
The police have caught the mea
Alexander Bell was the man
What's happened to the pictures
A mystery is something
A dictionary is a book
I don’t like people...
It seems that Earth isthe only planet
achiness,
Sewunn koeCu
“Y4) Relative clauses (2) — clauses with or without
who/that/which
Look again ac these example sentences from Unit 912
© The woman[who]lives next door is a doctor. (or The woman that lives.
aes door, — who (= the woman) is the subject
© Where is the cheese | that] was in the fridge? (or ...the cheese which was...)
a was in the fridge, that {= the cheese) is the subject
‘You must use wholthav/which when it is the subject of the relative clause. You cannot say ‘The
woman lives next door is 2 doctor’ or ‘Where is the cheese was in the fridge?"
Sometimes whoithat/which is the object of the verb, For example:
© The woman[ who] I wanted to sce was away on holiday.
Towanted 10 see[the woman]. Whe {=the woman) is the object
Lis the sebject
© Have you found the keys [that] you lost?
that (= the keys) is the object.
You lost | the ke:
you is the subject
‘When whoithavwhich is the object, you can leave it out. So you can say:
© The woman I wanted to see was away. or The woman who [ wanted to see...
© Have you found the keys you lost? or ...the keys that you lost?
© The dress Ann bought doesn't fit her very well. or The dress that Ann bought...
© Is there anything f ean do? or ...anything that I can do?
Note that we say:
the keys you lost (rot ‘the keys you last thent"} the dress Ann bought (noz ‘bought it)
Notice the position of prepositions (in/at/with etc.) in relative clauses:
do you know the woman? = '‘Tom is talking| to] her
Do you know the woman (who/that) Tom is talking | te] ?
the bed = 1 she last night - wasn't very comfortable
The bed (that/which} I slept [in] last night wasn't very comfortable.
© Are these the keys (that/which} you were looking for?
© The woman (who/that) he fell im love with left him after a few wocks.
© The man (whoithat) I was sitting next to on the plane ralked all the time.
In all these examples, you can leave out whoithat/which.
Note that we say:
the books you were looking for (not ‘the books you were looking for them"}
‘You cannot use what in sentences like hese:
© Everything (that} they said was truc, (not ‘Everything what they said.
© I gave her all the money {that) had, (nat ',..all the money what I had")
rhe thingls} that:
© Did you hear what they said? (= the things thar they said)EAERUIOES JZ
In some of these sentences you don't need who or that. If you don’t need these words, pest shem
in brackeds like this: (who) (that).
1 The woman who lives next door is a doctor. (‘who is necessary in this sentence}
2 Have you found the keys GhatJyou last. (im this sentence you don't need ‘that’)
3 The people who we met at the party were very friendly,
4 The people who work in the office are very friendly.
5 The people wha | ralked to were very friendly,
6 What have you done with the money that [ gave you?
? What happened to the money that was on the table? Did you take it?
8 [twas an awful film, It was the worst film that I've ever seen.
9 Trwas an awful experience. it was the worst thing that has ever happened to me.
Complete these sentences with a relative clause, Use the sentences int the box ta make your
relative classes.
vwe hired a car you're going tosee a film I invited some people to the party
Annis wearing adress youhsd todo some work Tom recommended a hotel to us
we wanted to visit a museum
| Have you found the keys .. you let?
2 [like the dress
3 The mescum
4 What's the name of the film
5 Some of the people
6 Have you finished the work ...
7 Theear.... Eats
3 We stayed ata hotel .
‘was shut when we got there,
A
«couldn't come,
?
_. broke down after a few miles,
Complete these sentences using a relative clause with a preposition.
we went toa party last night you can rely on George we were invited to a wedding
I work with a number of people I applied for a job you told me about a hotel
: Tsay you with a man
1 Are these the keys... you were looking for?
2 Unfortunately we couldn’t go to the wedding ....
3 Lenjoy my job, I like the people
4 What's the name of thar hotel
5 The party...
6 [didn’t get the jab
7 George is a good person ta know. He’ eo somebody.
8 Who was that maR ous
oe wd
_ wasn’t very enjoyable,
in the restaurant?
Pit in that or what. If the sentence is complete with or without that, write (that) ~ in brackets.
1 Egave her all the money (that). had.
2 They give their children everyebing ...... _.. they want.
3 Tell me. you want and I'll try to get it for you.
4. Why do you blame me for everything .. goes wrong?
5 [won't be able to da much but Pll do the best. useene Lean,
6 Lan only lend you ten pounds. H's all ..ssinnsaisaes EVE gots
7 Tdon't agree with... one YOU'VE just Sa
$ don’ teust him. I don's believe anything woes Me 688.
185cl
LF
Relative clauses (3) — whose/whom/where
‘Whose
‘We use whose in relative clauses inscead of his*hee/the’
‘ar had broken down
car had broken down.
‘we saw some peopl
‘We saw same peop!
We use whose mastly for people:
A widow is a woman whose husband is dead. (her bushand is dead)
© What's the name of the man whose car you horrewed? {you borrowed his car}
® A few days ago I met someone whose brother 1 went to school with. (I went to school
with histher brother}
Compare who and whose:
© Imet a man who knows you. (he knows you}
© Tmet a man whose sister knows you. (bis sister knows you)
Whom
‘Whom is possible instead of who when it is the object of the verb in the relative clause (like the
sentenees in Unit 92B}:
© The woman whom I wanted to see was away on holiday. {L wanted to see her}
You can also use whom with a preposition (to whom / from whom / with whot ete; }:
© ‘The woman with whom he fell in love left him after a few weeks. (he fell in love with her}
Bot we do nar often use whom. In spaken Eaglish we usually prefer whe or that, ot noching (see
Unit 92}, So we usually sayz
© The man Isaw.... or The man whorthat I save...
© The woman he fell in love with... or ‘The woman whovthat he fell in love with...
For whom see also Units 94-95,
Where
You can use where in a relative clause to talk about a place:
there] — wasn't very clean
The hotel [where] we stayed wasn’t very clean
® Lrecently went back to the town where I was born, (or ...the town I was bora in.
or ...the town that | was born in,)
® [would like to live in a country where there is plenty af sunshine
something happens or
that something happens
© Do you still remember the day (that) we first met?
The last time (that) I saw her, she looked very well.
* Thaven’t seen them since the year (thar) they got married.
We say: the day / the year / the tine {etc.)
something happens or
thatvhy something happens
© The reason I'm phoning you is to invite you toa parcy.
(or The reason that I'm phoning... / The reason why I'm phoning...)
Wesey: the reasonYou met these people at 4 part
My mother wrices
detective stories,
|
‘My ambition is 10 We've just )| © ‘My parents used wo
limb Everest, got married Ta work ina circus
Later you tell a friend about the people yor met, Complete the sentences using who... of
whose... .
1 [ met somebody ...whose mother writes detective storie
2 Tmet aman cn
3 [mera woman
4 [met somebody:
5 I mete couple
I met somebody ..
Complete the sentences. Use ibe sentences in ibe box to make relative clauses with where.
Tecan buy some postcards there Livasboen-there
Ann bought a dress there we can have a really good meal there
John is staying there we had the car repaired there
1 Trecently went back to the town . where Iya barn.
2 Do you know a restaurant.
3 Isthere a shop near here ..,
4 Loan't remember the name of the garage
5 Do you know the name of the hore...
6 Ann bought dress which didn't ft her, so she took it back to the shop..
Complete cach sentence using wholwhom/whose/where,
1 What's the name of rhe man ..wheee,. car you borrowed?
2 Acemerery is a place .. vou people are buried,
3A pacifist is a person - believes that all wars are wrong,
4 An orphan isa child... parents are dead.
5 The place. . we spent our holidays was really beautiful.
6 This school is only for children... first language is not English,
7 Tdon’t know the name af the woman to... spoke on the phone.
Use your tem ideas to complete these sentences. They are like the ones it Sections D and E.
first metyou.,
1 P'll always remember the day,
2 Til never forget the time
3. The reason
4 Unfortunately | wasn’t ac home the evening
5 The reason . «
& 909 wad the yet ic najiidiinrncne ynbsialinounernaiiieStesiidaemoncterlnbaecia oie
137Cine
LLM) Relative clauses (4) - ‘extra information’ clauses (1)
t
"There are two types of relative clause. In these examples, the relative clauses ace uaderlined,
‘Compare:
Type T ‘Type 2
® The woman who lives next door is a © My brother Jim, who lives in London, is
doctor. a doctor.
® Barbara works for a company that makes
washing machines.
© We stayed ac the hotel (that) Aun
scecommended co us.
In these examples, the relative clause tells
you which person or thing (ar what kind of
person or thing) the speaker means:
“The woman who fives next door teils us
which woman,
“A company that makes washing machines’
tells us that kind of company.
“The hotel (that) Ann recommended cells
us which hotel
We do nor use-commas (,} with these clauses:
© We know a lot af people who live in
London, (that kird of people)
© Colin cold me about his mew job, which
he'senjoying very much.
© We stayed at the Grand Hotel, which
Ann ri
In these examples, the relative clauses da nor
tell you which persan or thing the speaker
means. We already know which thing or
person is meant: ‘My brother Jim’, ‘Colin's
new job’ and ‘the Grand Hocel’,
‘The relative clauses in these sentences give
us extra information about the person or
thing.
‘We use commas {,) in these clauses:
© My brother Jim, who lives in London, is
a doctor. (etna information about jim)
In both types of relative clause we use who for people and which for things. But:
Type t
You can use that:
Do you know anyone who/that speaks
French and Italian?
© Barbara works for a company which'chat
makes washing machines.
You can leave out that/whofwhich when it is
the abject {sce Unit 92}:
© We stayed at the horel (that/which) Ann
recommended.
® This morning I met somebody (thatiwho}
Thadn’t seen for ages.
We do not often use whom in this type of
clause (see Unit 938).
© “We met some people whose car had
broken down
© Whav's the name of the place where you
spent your holiday?
Type 2
‘You cannot use that:
© John, who {not ‘rhat") speaks French
and Italian, works asa tourist guide,
Colin cold me about his new job, which
(ot ‘that’) he’s enjoying vecy much.
You cannot leave out who or which:
© We stayed at the Grand Hotel, which
Ann recommended to us.
‘You can use whom {when it is the object}:
® This morning | met Diane, whom (or
who} I hadn't seen for ages.
In both types of relative clause you can use whose and where:
© Amy, whose car had broken down, was
in a very bad mood.
© Mrs Bond is going to spend a few weeks
in Sweden, where ber daughter LivesEXERCISES 94
Make one sentence from two. Use the sentence in brackets to make a relative clause (Type 2).
Sometimes the clause goes iti the middle of the sentence, sometimes at the end. You will need to
ase who(m)whoselwhichfwhere.
1 Ann is very friendly. (She lives next door.) ... Ann. who. Ives next doer, [Link] frlendly,,
2 We stayed at the Geand Hotel, (Ann recommended it to us.)
_ Ne iayed [Link], Grand Hotel, which Ann recommended to ue,,
3. We went to Sandca’s party. (We enjoyed it very much.)
‘We went to Sandra's party, .
4 Tene to see the doctor. (He told me to rest for a few days.)
© John is one of my closest friends tr Thave known him foe a very long time.}
Joha..
6 Sheila is away feom home a ‘let. Ieee job involves alot of travelling.)
7 ‘The new stadium will be apened next month, (It can hold 80,000 people.)
The... se
§ We often gu co visit our friends in Bristol. (Iris only 40 miles away.)
iy other lives there.)
Read the information and complete she sentences. Use a relative clause. Sometimes the clause
tells. ws which thing or person {Type 1); sometiaues it only gives us exira information (Type 2).
Use commas where necessary.
1 Theze’s a woman living next door. She's a doctor,
‘The woman wha lives next, door [Link]..
T've gor a brother called Jim. He lives in London. He’s « doctos.
My brother Jim .».whe.|[Link]. Londons |e a doctor,
‘There was a serike at the car factory. It lasted ten. days It is aow over.
‘The strike at the car factory... ttle
Iwas looking for a book this morning. I've found it now.
I've found
London was once the largest city in the world, but the population is now falling
The population of London ,
[A job was advertised, A lot of people applied for it. Few of them had the necessary
qualifications, Fewrof... e
Margaret has a son, She showed me a + photemagh of him. He's a pal iceman,
Margaret showed me... is
te
ES
we
a
~
In some of these seatences you can use which or that; in others, ouly which is possible, Cross
owe that if only which is possible. Alco, put commas (,) whore necessary.
1. Jane works for a company swith ian makes shoes. (both possible, #0 continas)
2 Colin told me about his new job , which / that he’s enjoying very much. {only which fs
possible: comma necessary}
3 My office which /that is on the second floor of the building is very small.
4 The office which /thar I'm using at the moment is very small.
5 She told me her address which ‘thar I wrote down on a piece of paper.
6 There are some words which/ that are very difficult to translate.
7 The sun which /that is one of millions of stats ia the universe provides us with heat and
Jighe. 189Relative clauses (5) — ‘extra information’ clauses (2)
Prepositions + whomiwhich
In ‘extra information’ clauses {sce Unit 94 - Type 2) you can use a preposition before whom for
people) and which (far chings), So you can say:
to whom / with whom / about which / for which etc.:
Mr Carter, to whom I spoke on the phone last night, is very interested in our plan.
@ Fortunately we had a map, without which we would have got lost.
In spoken English we often keep the preposition after the verb in the relative clause. When we do
this, we normally use who (nor whom) for people
® This is Mr Carter, who | was telling you about,
@ Yesterday we visited the City Muscum, which I'd never been to before.
All of / most of etc. + whom/which
Study these examples:
Mary has three brothers, All of them are married. (2 sentences)
—+ Mary has three brothers, all of whom are married, (1 sentence)
They asked me a lot of questions. I couldn't answer most of them. (2 sentences}
They asked me a lot of questions, most of which I couldn't answer. (1 sesstence)
Inthe same way you can say:
none of neither of f any of either of ‘ 3
some of / many of f much of / (a) few of tgahor (pecpie)
both of /half of /each of / one of / two of exc.) | * isl {things}
‘2 Tom ttied on three jackets, none of which fitted him.
4 Twwo men, neither of wham Thad ever seen hefore, came into my office
1s They've got three cars, two of which they never use.
‘Sue has ¢ lor of friend, many of whom che was at school with
Which (not what’)
Study this example:
fim passed his driving tesc.| [ This ] surprised everybody. (2 semtences)
surptised everybody. (1 sentence)
——— relative clawse —+
In this example, which = ‘the fact that he passed his driving test’, You must use which (ot
‘what’) in sentences like these:
@ Sheila conldn't come to the party, which was a pity. (Wor ‘...what was a pity")
# The weather was very good, which we hadn't expected. (noe ‘...whae we hadn't
expected")
For what, see also Units 91C and 921.EXERCISES 95
Make tieo sentences from one using a relative classe. Use the sentence in brackets to make the
relative clause.
1 Mr Carter is very interested in our plan. (I spoke to him om the phone last night.)
Mr Cartar, to whom | [Link] the phone last. nlabt, le very interested In our plan,
| 2 This isa photogcaph of our friends, (We went on holiday with chese {riends,)
‘This is a phorogeaph ......
3 The wedding roak place last Friday. (Only members of the! fei were invised to ith
The wedding ...... ea pteromen potent mpomemae
4 ‘Sheila finally arrived. {We had been waiting for her.)
5 We climbed to the top of the tower. (We had a beautiful view from there)
Write sentences with all of / most of etc, + whom/which,
1. Macy has three brothers, (All of her brothers are married.)
Mary hae three. brothers, all of whom are married)...
2. We were given a lot of information, (Most of the information was useless.)
‘We were given .
3 There were a lot of people at the party. (I had met only a few of these People before.)
4 Thave sent her two letters. (She ha. weceived neither of these letter 15, )
5 Ten people applied for the job. (None of these people w were suitable)
6 Kate has got two cars. (She hardly ever uses one eof them.)
7 Norman won £50;t00). (He gave half of this to his parents.)
c sisters are teachers.)
Join a sentence from Box A with a sentence from Box B to make a new sentence. Use whi
1 Shedeecukdwecemerccheparse A | | This was very nice of her. B
2 Jill isn’t on the phone, This means we can’t go away tomorrow.
3 Neil has passed his examinations This makes it difficult ro contact her.
4 Our flight was delayed, This makes ir difficult to sleep.
3 Ann offered ta let me stay in het house, :
6 The street I live in is very noisy at night. .
7 Our car has broken down, This meant we had te wait four hours at the
airport,
1 Shela coldat come othe pat, shone a
2 Silat.