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Leçon de grammaire

Relative Clauses: English Grammar Lesson

Learn how to identify people, things, places and times with relative clauses. Understand the meaning, follow the form, study clear examples and avoid common mistakes.

ClausesA29 min de lecture

Relative Clauses helps you communicate about adding identifying or descriptive information. Start with the meaning, notice the pattern, and then use it in complete sentences.

By the end of this lesson, you can

  • I can identify people, things, places and times with relative clauses.
  • Recognise and build the form: noun + who/which/that/whose/where/when + clause.
  • Use the pattern accurately in a meaningful sentence.

Meaning and use

Use Relative Clauses for adding identifying or descriptive information. Always read the whole situation before choosing the form: grammar expresses a meaning, not only a pattern.

Notice

The woman who lives next door is a pilot.

Use 'who' as the subject relative pronoun for a person.

Compare

This is the book that I mentioned.

Use 'that' or 'which' for a thing in a defining relative clause.

Use it

That's the café where we first met.

Use 'where' to refer to a place.

Build the form
noun + who/which/that/whose/where/when + clause

Keep this pattern visible while you study the examples. Then cover it and rebuild one example from memory.

Key rules to notice

These rules explain why the form is correct. Focus on the subject, auxiliary, verb form, word order and time or meaning clues.

  • Use 'who' as the subject relative pronoun for a person.
  • Use 'that' or 'which' for a thing in a defining relative clause.
  • Use 'where' to refer to a place.
  • Use 'whose' to express possession in a relative clause.
  • Use 'when' to refer to a time.

Common mistakes

Not:The woman which lives next door is a pilot.

Use:The woman who lives next door is a pilot.

Use 'who' as the subject relative pronoun for a person.

Not:This is the book who I mentioned.

Use:This is the book that I mentioned.

Use 'that' or 'which' for a thing in a defining relative clause.

Not:That's the café who we first met.

Use:That's the café where we first met.

Use 'where' to refer to a place.

Check before you practise

Complete each sentence mentally, then reveal the answer.

I met a student ____ father is a scientist.

whose

Use 'whose' to express possession in a relative clause.

Do you remember the day ____ we moved here?

when

Use 'when' to refer to a time.

The phone ____ she bought is already broken.

which

Use 'which' for a thing that receives the action in the relative clause.

Pratiquer ensuite
Practise Relative Clauses: Recognition
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