RELATIVE CLAUSE

ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

By Maryam Mazaheri

DEFINITIONS

• Relative clause—also called an adjective or adjectival clause

• It contains a subject and verb.• It begins with a relative pronoun [who, whom, whose, that,

or which,…] .• It functions as an adjective, answering the questions What

kind? How many? or Which one?

• We use who and whom for people, and which for things.

• We use that for people or things.

• We use relative pronouns to introduce relative clauses, which tell us more about people and things.

Pronouns

Subject • I• you• he• she• it• we• you• they

Object • me• you• him• her• it• us• you• them

Relative • who• whom• which• whoever• Whomeve

r• Whicheve

r• When• Whose

Relative Clauses

Defining

gives detailed information

Necessary

information

“That”

Non-Defining

gives addition

al informationUnnecess

ary information

“Commas”

Relative pronoun

Object Subject

I met that Woman.

“ met “ is verb So

We met someone or something

Yes?Someone or something is the object

Yes?

As a result

Woman is the object

across the road.She lives

She is the subject

Yes ?

Now Watch out ! I met that woman.She lives across the road.

Yes?

She refers to ?

The Woman

I met that woman.She lives across the road.

We want to link these two sentences.

I met that woman she lives across the road.

Something weird ?

I met that woman she lives across the road.

She refers to?

Woman Subject

Logically we have to omit “she”.What is the role of “she” in the second sentence?

I met that woman who lives across

the road.She is replaced by “Who”

So The role of “who” is

subject.

Same situation for the “Object”

I met that woman.

My boss invited her to the party.

Link two sentences:

I met that woman my boss invited her to the party.

Her refers to the woman.

Logically we have to omit “her” and use“ who “ instead of “her”.

The role of “who” is Object.

Object pronoun

Relative pronoun

Object

Replaces object pronoun

sIt is

followed by a verb

Can be omitted

Subject Replace

s subject pronoun

s

Can NOT be

omittedIt is followed

by a noun or

pronoun

Relative pronouns functions

• Examples• Do you see the cat which is lying on the

roof?• (2nd sentence : It is lying on the roof. It

subject)

• He couldn’t read the book which I bought last week.

• (2nd sentence : I bought it last week. It Object)

• I was invited by the professor whom I met at the conference.

• (2nd sentence : I met him at the conference. • It subject)

• I don’t like the table that stands in the kitchen.

• (2nd sentence : It stands in the kitchen. It subject)

• She is the woman who my boss invited to the party last week.

• She is the woman whom my boss invited to the party last week.

( who is informal and whom is formal)

• I met the woman who lives across the road.• I met the woman whom lives across the road.( who is the subject and whom can NOT be the subject)

SO

Who and Whom

Who : informal / subject/objectWhom : formal / object

Relative pronouns as the object of a preposition

• She is the woman about whom I told you.• The music to which we listened was good.

• She is the woman that I told you about.• The music that we listened to was good.

• She is the woman I told you about.• The music we listened to was good.

• She is the woman who I told you about .• The music which we listened to was good.

NOTE : only which and whom are used after preposition.

Whose • I know the man.• His bicycle was stolen.• I know the man whose bicycle was stolen.

NOTE: whose can Not be omitted.

WhereThe building where he lives is very old.The building in which he lives is very old.The building which he lives in is very old.The building that he lives in is very old.The building he lives in is very old.

NOTE : preposition is NOT used with where.

When

• I will never forget the day when I met you.

• I will never forget the day on which I met you• .• I will never forget the day that I met you.

• I will never forget the day I met you.

NOTE: preposition is not used with when.

To be continued…