RELATIVE

X
CLAUSES
PLORE 12
Unit 1.3. English Online
Unit 3.5. Open Democracy
Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho
  How we talk to one another defines who we are.
 That’s the linguist whom I met at the conference
last week.
 He consciously changed his accent that was a bit
snobbish.
 American English, which has become the most
dominant form of English, is easier to pronounce
than British English.

Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho

  That’s the translating machine whose software is
being updated.
 Is that the Language Institute in which you
studied?
 If he wants to acquire the British accent, take him
to the dialogue coach (who) we’ve heard so much
about.

Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho

 Person Thing
Subject     THAT
WHO THAT WHIC
Object   H  
WHO(M THA WHICH THAT
Possessive    
)
WHOSE T WHOSE

RelativePronouns
Relative Pronounsconnect
connectaarelative
relative
clausetotoaamain
clause mainclause.
clause.
Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho
 Non-definingRelative
Non-defining RelativeClause
Clause

Robert, who worked as a translator, had lived

in New York for several years.
DefiningRelative
Defining RelativeClause
Clause

The teacher who taught me the English accent

has moved to another country overseas.
Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho
 AARELATIVE
RELATIVECLAUSE
CLAUSEgives
givesinformation
information
aboutthe
about theword(s)
word(s)ititrefers
refersto.
to.

ESSENTIAL EXTRA
Information Information
DEFINING RELATIVE

RELATIVE CLAUSE
DEFINING RELATIVE

RELATIVE CLAUSE
NON-DEFINING
NON-DEFINING
CLAUSE

Between
CLAUSE

No comma
commas

That can be
That cannot be
used or omitted
used.
if it is the object.

Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho

 Which is used:
Which is used:
• • totorefer
refertotoaawhole
wholeprevious
previoussentence,
sentence,and
and
needsaacomma
needs commabefore
beforeit.it.
• • Juan
Juannever
neveroffers
offerstototeach
teachme meSpanish,
Spanish,
whichannoys
which annoysme.me.

• • with
withaapreposition
preposition/ /particle.
particle.
• • IsIsthat
thatthe
theLanguage
LanguageInstitute which
Instituteininwhich
youstudied?
you studied?

Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho

 InInnon-defining
non-definingclauses,
clauses,determiners
determinerslike like
some,all,
some, all,neither,
neither,none,
none,(a)
(a)few,
few,(a)
(a)little,
little,
both,much,
both, much,mostmostand
andseveral
severalcan
canbebeused
used
with of whom (for people) and of which
with of whom (for people) and of which (for (for
things).
things).

Theannouncer
The announcermade
madeseveral
severalmistakes
mistakesininhis
his
speech,some
speech, someofofwhich
whichhad
hadtotodo
dowith
with
grammar.
grammar.
Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho
 Now Practise!

Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho

 Explain the difference in meaning
between each pair of sentences.
1.
a. We couldn’t understand the speeches, which
were badly written.
b. We couldn’t understand the speeches that
were badly written.
2.
c. The immigrants, who didn’t understand
English, were discriminated against.
d. The immigrants who didn’t understand English
were discriminated against.
Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho
 ANSWER KEY
1.
a. All the speeches were badly written, so we
couldn’t understand them.
b. Some of the speeches were badly written, so
we couldn’t understand just those ones.
2.
c. All the immigrants were discriminated against
because they didn’t understand English.
d. Only some immigrants (the ones who didn’t
understand English) were discriminated against.

Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho

 Combine the sentences to make one new
sentence, including a relative clause.
Make any necessary changes, and omit
the relative pronoun if possible.
1. The language conference was attended by over
two hundred delegates. Most of them took notes.
Thelanguage
The languageconference
conferencewas
wasattended
attendedbybyover
overtwo
two
hundred delegates, most of whom took notes.
hundred delegates, most of whom took notes.
2. They enjoy considerable freedom of expression.
This makes them open-minded.
Theyenjoy
They enjoyconsiderable
considerablefreedom
freedomofofexpression,
expression,
whichmakes
which makesthem
themopen-minded.
open-minded.
Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho
 3. Some videos appeared on YouTube. They sparked
violent protests in many English-speaking countries.
Somevideos
Some videosthat
that/ /which
whichsparked
sparkedviolent
violentprotests
protestsinin
manyEnglish-speaking
many English-speakingcountries
countriesappeared
appearedon on
YouTube.
YouTube.
4. The U.N. Secretary General warned against the
dangers of using anti-religious expression. His speech
was very assertive.
TheU.N.
The U.N.Secretary
SecretaryGeneral,
General,whose
whosespeech
speechwas wasvery
very
assertive,warned
assertive, warnedagainst
againstthe
thedangers
dangersofofusing
usinganti-
anti-
religiousexpression.
religious expression.
Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho
 5. The language expert called in my new colleagues.
I had met one or two of them already.
Thelanguage
The languageexpert
expertcalled
calledininmy
mynew
newcolleagues,
colleagues,
someofofwhom
some whomI had
I hadalready
alreadymet.
met.

6. Democracy is a political system. I respect it

enormously.
Democracyisisaapolitical
Democracy politicalsystem
system(which
(which/ /that)
that)I I
respectenormously.
respect enormously.

Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho

 Further Practice!
Relative Clauses Quiz 1
Relative Clauses Quiz 1

Relative Clauses Quiz 2

Relative Clauses Quiz 2

RELATIVE CLAUSES
XPLORE 12
Unit 1.3. English Online
Unit 3.5. Open Democracy

Teresa Pinto de Almeida ▪ Paula M. Araújo ▪ Telma Coelho