RELATIVE CLAUSE

Relative Pronouns
Relative
pronoun

Use

Example

subject or object pronoun for people

I told you about the woman who

lives next door.

which

subject or object pronoun for animals and things

Do you see the cat which is lying on

the roof?

which

referring to a whole sentence

He couldnt read which surprised

me.

whose

possession for people animals and things

Do you know the boy whose mother

is a nurse?

whom

object pronoun for people

I was invited by the professor whom

I met at the conference.

who

that

subject or object pronoun for people, animals

and things in defining relative clauses (who or
which are also possible)

I dont like the table that stands in

the kitchen.

Relative Adverbs
A relative adverb can be used instead of a relative pronoun plus preposition. This often makes
the sentence easier to understand.
This is the shop in which I bought my bike.
This is the shop where I bought my bike.
Relative
Meaning
Use
Example
adverb
when
in/on which refers to a time expression
the day when we met him
where

in/at which

refers to a place

the place where we met him

why

for which

refers to a reason

the reason why we met him

EXERCISES
I. Rewrite these following sentences:
1. The man was late. (Julie invited the man)
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. The doctor was sick. (I wanted to see the doctor)
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. There must be some reason. (Peter cried for that reason)
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. The accountant was arrested. (The accountant works for my fathers company)
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. I wrote to the friend. (You met the friend last week)
_____________________________________________________________________________
6. The drawer cant be fixed. (The mobile phone is put in that drawer)
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. John made a copy of the photo. (I took the photo)
_____________________________________________________________________________
8. I know the house. (Aaron lives in that house)
_____________________________________________________________________________
9. I met a girl. (The girl was a doctor)
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. I never forget the day. (I met Jane on that day)
_____________________________________________________________________________
11. We called a doctor. (The doctor works at a hospital in London)
_____________________________________________________________________________
12. We like the actor. (The actor was in a famous film)
_____________________________________________________________________________
13. Do you know the shop? (I buy my laptop at that shop)
_____________________________________________________________________________
14. I went to the restaurant. (I read about the restaurant in the newspaper)
_____________________________________________________________________________
15. She bought a car. (Her sister liked the car)
_____________________________________________________________________________
16. I often buy cheese. (The cheese is imported from Paris)
_____________________________________________________________________________
17. The hairdresser was very good. (The hairdresser has red hair)
2

_____________________________________________________________________________
18. The child is playing in the garden. (We see the child often)
_____________________________________________________________________________
19. The nurse is in the office. (The nurse treated my grandmother)
_____________________________________________________________________________
20. The garage has just been built. (The car is in the garage.)
_____________________________________________________________________________
II. Chose the best answer:
1. This is the place _________ I met my wife.
A. what
B. where
C. which

D. that

2. Simon is the man _________ Mary loves.

A. who
B. which
C. whom

D. A&C

3. My wife, _________ is a doctor, works at Community Hospital.

A. who
B. which
C. whom
D. that
4. Only one of the people _________ work in the company is qualified.
A. what
B. which
C. who
D. where
5. She is the one _________ I told you about.
A. what
B. which
C. whose

D. who

6. Those _________ had studied hard passed their exams.

A. what
B. which
C. who

D. whose

7. The magazine _________ you lent me is interesting.

A. what
B. which
C. whom

D. whose

8. The man _________ is resting is very tired.

A. what
B. which
C. whom

D. who

9. The boy _________ sat next to you is my friend.

A. who
B. which
C. whom

D. whose

10. We are using books _________ were printed last year.

A. what
B. who
C. which

D. whose

11. The painting _________ Ms. Wallace bought was very expensive.
A. whom
B. whose
C. which
D. where
12. The homeless people _____ story appeared in the paper last week have now found a place to
live.
A. who
B. whom
C. that
D. whose
13. __________ is your favorite sport, swimming or running.
A. What
B. Which
C. Whom

D. Whose

14. Were the Wright brothers the ones __________built the first aeroplane?
A. which
B. whom
C. whose
D. that
15. I dont like stories________ have unhappy endings.
A. where
B. which
C. they
3

D. who

16. The periodic table contains all the elements, ________ has a particular atomic weight and
atomic number.
A. which of each B. each of which
C. which each
D. each
17. Ansel Adams was a landscape photographer ________ photographs of the western United
States show nature on a grand scale.
A. whose
B. of whom
C. of his
D. his
18. Jan didnt check she had enough petrol before she left, ________ was careless of her.
A. what
B. it
C. that
D. which
19. This is a town ________ many people live.
A. in which
B. which
C. at which

D. on which

20. She, ________ is your sister, lives far away.

A. which
B. who
C. whom

D. she

21. I see some girls ________ are pretty.

A. whom
B. which

D. they

C. who

22. Give back the money ________ you took.

A. it
B. who
C. whom

D. which

23. He was killed by a man ________ friends we know.

A. whose
B. which
C. whom

D. that

24. He spoke to the messengers with ________ you were leaving.

A. which
B. whom
C. whose
D. that
25. We captured a town ________ is in Spain.
A. whom
B. where
C. which

D. it

26. The farmers ________ we saw were in the field.

A. whose
B. which
C. they

D. whom

27. The women ________ I gave the money were glad.

A. to whom
B. to that
C. for whom

D. for that

28. I know a boy ________ name is John.

A. who
B. whose
C. whom

D. that

29. The man ________ you sent to the general has reported the victory.
A. whose
B. which
C. whom
D. he
30. I saw those slaves ________ had been led to the city.
A. whose
B. which
C. whom

D. who

31. The people ________ courage you praised are now citizens.
A. whose
B. which
C. whom
D. that
32. You folks ________ live in farmhouses do not like the life of the city.
A. whose
B. who
C. they
D. which
33. Those towns ________ you were looking at in Gaul are small.
A. who

B. where

C. which

D. whose