RELATIVE CLAUSES:

WHO/ WHICH/ THAT

Melissa Tobn Correa
Sara Jimnez Monsalve
Julieth Taborda Oquendo
DEFININING RELATIVE CLAUSES

As the name suggests, these clauses give essential
information to define or identify the person or thing
we are talking about. Obviously, this is only
necessary if there is more than one person or thing
involved.

Example:
Dogs that like cats are very unusual.
The three most common relative pronouns are
who, which, and that.

The choice of pronoun depends upon the noun the
clause refers to and on what type of relative clause
is used.

Note: The relative pronoun is the subject of the
clause. We do not repeat the subject.

Example: The woman who [she] lives across the
road
STRUCTURE
Maintaining correct and consistent sentence structure in
sentences with relative clauses is particularly tricky for
several reasons.
Since a relative clause always follows the noun it modifies,
it can appear almost anywhere in a sentence that a noun
can appear--in the subject, in the object, or in a
prepositional phrase.

- People who have young children dont have much time
for themselves.
- My parents, who live in Minneapolis, come to visit
twice a year.
DEFINING AND NO-DEFINING RELATIVE
CLAUSES
DEFINING: Essential information. The sentence wont
be complete without them.
Example: A seaman is someone who works on a ship.

NO DEFINING: Extra information. The principal
sentence keeps the meaning if we omit them. They go
between commas.
Example: Jim, who we met yesterday, is very nice.

WHO
Refers to a person or people.
May be used with a clause that makes a noun
specific.
May be used with a clause that adds information.

Examples:

- People who live in New York lead very busy
lives.


- My sister, who works for the company, leads a
very active life.

WHICH
Refers to a thing or concept.
Is most often used in clauses that add information.
Is sometimes used in a clause that makes a noun
specific ( usually when a speaker or writer wants to
sound more formal).
Examples:

- The Empire State Building, which used to be
the tallest building in the world, is still a
popular tourist attraction.

- The lessons which we have learned are no
more important than the lessons which we
have yet to learn.
THAT
Is used only in clauses that make a noun more
specific.
Most often refers to a thing or concept.
Is sometimes used to refer to a person or people,
(usually only in informal writing or in speaking).
Examples:

- The book that you gave me is lost.

- This is the restaurant that received
the excellent reviews in the
newspaper.



REFERENCES
http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/reading-writing/on-
line/relative_clauses.html
http://es.slideshare.net/lauragbayan/relative-clauses-
1227735
http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/relative_clau
ses_form.php
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/relative-
clauses
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-
grammar/clause-phrase-and-sentence/verb-
patterns/relative-clauses