The Relative Clause

What are Relative Clauses?

These words add “something more” about the subject in the sentence. They are
also known as adjective clause. We can use relative clauses to join two English
sentences, or to give more information about something. As the name suggests,
Relative clauses give essential information to define or identify the person or thing
we are talking about.
A relative clause is a clause that usually modifies a noun or noun phrase and is
introduced by a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom, whose), a relative
adverb (where, when, why), or a zero relative. Also known as an adjective clause,
an adjectival clause, and a relative construction.
A relative clause is a postmodifier--that is, it follows the noun or noun phrase it
modifies.
A relative clause—also called an adjective or adjectival clause—will meet three
requirements.
 First, it will contain a subject and verb.
 Next, it will begin with a relative pronoun [who, whom, whose, that, or
which] or a relative adverb [when, where, or why].
 Finally, it will function as an adjective, answering the questions What kind?
How many? or Which one?
The relative clause will follow one of these two patterns:
 Relative Pronoun or Adverb + Subject + Verb
 Relative Pronoun as Subject + Verb

For example:
1. Can you return my book that I gave you last week?
2. Who is that man whose shoes are torn?
3. I want to stay in a town, which is very green.
4. Please pick up your clothes, which are scattered all over the house.
5. 2007 was the year when I graduated from college.
6. Do you know the girl who started in grade 5 last week?
Types of Relative Clauses

Who / that refer to people
Which / that refer to objects
Whose refers to possession
When refers to a moment in time
Where refers to a particular place
In non-defining sentences, the word
that cannot replace who or which.
They caught the man Who / that
spied for china.
I lost the map which / that she gave
me.
She complained to the man whose
dog bit her.
Christmas Day is a day when people
are happy.
We visited the house where our
father was born.
Mata Hari, who was a famous female
spy, was born in holland. Buckingham
Palace, which is in London,is a
favourite tourist site.

Defining Relative Clause

These clauses are very important for the clear understanding of the sentences.
That is without them the sentence would lack meaning. Defining relative clauses
or identifying relative clauses or restrictive relative clauses give detailed
information defining a general term or expression.

Example: Defining Relative Clause

The woman who is sitting on the bench is my neighbour.
In this sentence if we remove italicized clause "who is sitting on the bench" from
the sentence, the entire meaning of the sentence would be lost.
The book that I want to buy is not here.
In this sentence if we remove the clause that "I want to buy", the meaning of the
sentence changes.

Non Defining Relative Clause:

Unlike defining, non-defining relative clause are not so vital to the meaning of the
sentence. The meaning of the sentence stays the same whether we use the clause
or not. Non-defining relative clauses or non-identifying relative clauses or non-
restrictive relative clauses give additional information on something, but do not
define it. They only add interesting details to the sentence.

Example:
My son Ravi, who works in the IT industry, has gone to America.
In this sentence if we remove the italicized clause, who works in the IT industry
the meaning of the sentence is not altered. The relative clause "who works in the
IT industry" only add some information about the subject.
William Shakespeare, who wrote Seven Ages of Man, was born in UK.
Similarly, in this sentence we see that removing the clause does not change the
meaning of the sentence.

Point to note: Correct Punctuation is very important when we are using a relative
clause. When we are using the clause as non-defining, we should use a comma as
in above example. On the other hand, when it is used as a defining relative clause
we do not need the comma.

Relative Pronouns
In both defining and non-defining relative clauses we us the following relative
pronouns:
 Who = is for people: 'The person who lives next door is a doctor.'
 Whose = is used to show ownership/possession 'The woman whose son you
met.'
 Whom = object pronoun, although 'who' can be used in informal English. 'I
saw the man whom you saw at the party.'
 Which = is used for things: 'The car which you bought is cool.'
 That = Can be used informally instead of ‘who’ and ‘which’.

Relative Adverbs
Relative adverbs are used like relative pronouns:
 When = is used for a time. 'The time when I last saw you.'
 Where = is used for a place 'The place where I used to live.'
  Why = is used for a reason 'The reason why I am late.'
Reducing Relative Clauses
If the pronoun ("that", "who", "which") is the object of the verb, it can be omitted.
pIn defining relative clauses, when the pronouns 'that', 'who' and 'which' are the
objects of the verb they can be taken out and the meaning of the sentence stays
the same. Look:
'The man (that) I work with collects snakes.'
'The person (who) I spoke to knows you.'
'The shop (which) she likes has closed down.'

When the pronoun is the subject of the sentence it must be used:

'The shop which hired her has closed down.'