Relative pronouns

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Relative clauses

RELATIVE CLAUSES are clauses that give you extra information, usually relating to a NOUN.

RELATIVE CLAUSES are usually introduced by a RELATIVE PRONOUN relating back to the NOUN.

The robber who stole my money was wearing a blue hat.

Relative pronoun who 1

Relative pronoun who 2

Use who to introduce a relative clause that relates to a noun about a person, like this:

The robber who stole my money was wearing a blue hat.

who stole my money is a RELATIVE CLAUSE

The RELATIVE CLAUSE relates to a NOUN about a PERSON,

robber

Use the RELATIVE PRONOUN who to introduce the RELATIVE CLAUSE

More examples of relative clauses introduced by the relative pronoun who:

Relative pronoun who 3

Police are looking for two robbers, who stole money from a bank last night.

The robber who was holding the money bags ran more slowly.

The criminal who came up with the plan did not carry out the crime.

The plan, which they thought of quickly, was terrible.

Relative pronouns which, that 1

Relative pronouns which, that 2

Use which or that to introduce a relative clause that relates to a noun about something other than a person:

The plan, which they thought of quickly, was terrible.

which they thought of quickly is a RELATIVE CLAUSE

The RELATIVE CLAUSE relates to a NOUN about something

other than a person, plan

Use the RELATIVE PRONOUN which to introduce the RELATIVE CLAUSE

Relative pronouns which, that 3

Use which to introduce a relative clause relating to a noun that isn't a person, and where the relative clause isn't crucial to the meaning of the whole sentence, like this:

The bag, which was full of money, weighed the robber down.

which was full of money is a RELATIVE CLAUSE related to a NOUN that isn't a person, bag

The sentence would make sense without the RELATIVE CLAUSE

Use the RELATIVE PRONOUN which to introduce the RELATIVE CLAUSE

Relative pronouns which, that 4

Use that to introduce a relative clause relating to a noun that isn't a person, and where the relative clause is crucial to the meaning of the whole sentence, like this:

The bag that was in his left hand weighed the robber down.

that was in his left hand is a RELATIVE CLAUSE related to a NOUN that isn't a person, bag

The relative clause specifies a particular bag, and is an important part of the meaning of the sentence

Use the RELATIVE PRONOUN that to introduce the RELATIVE CLAUSE

More examples of relative clauses introduced by the relative pronouns which and that:

Relative pronouns which, that 5

The bags that they had left behind were worth more.

The mask, which he had bought online, hid his face.

Police recovered the money that the robbers had stolen last week.

The bank where the robbery had taken place was closed.

Relative pronoun where 1

Relative pronoun where 2

Use where to introduce a relative clause that relates to a noun about a place, like this:

The bank where the robbery had taken place was now closed.

where the robbery had taken place is a RELATIVE CLAUSE

The RELATIVE CLAUSE relates to a NOUN about a PLACE,

bank

Use the RELATIVE PRONOUN where to introduce the RELATIVE CLAUSE

More examples of relative clauses introduced by the relative pronoun where:

Relative pronoun where 3

Police found the building where the robbers hid the money.

The robbers ran through the streets, where crowds had gathered.

Police raided the house where the robbers lived.

Tell us more about the afternoon when the robbery happened.

Relative pronoun when 1

Relative pronoun when 2

Use when to introduce a relative clause that relates to a noun about time, like this:

Tell us more about the afternoon when the robbery happened.

when the robbery happened is a RELATIVE CLAUSE

The RELATIVE CLAUSE relates to a NOUN about TIME,

afternoon

Use the RELATIVE PRONOUN when to introduce the RELATIVE CLAUSE

More examples of relative clauses introduced by the relative pronoun when:

Relative pronoun when 3

It was raining during the evening when the robbery happened.

I will never forget the day when my money was stolen.

At the moment when I realised my money had gone, my heart sank.

The customers whose money had been stolen were upset.

Relative pronoun whose 1

Relative pronoun whose 2

Use whose to introduce a relative clause with something in it that belongs to the noun the clause relates to, like this:

The customers whose money had been stolen were upset.

whose money had been stolen is a RELATIVE CLAUSE

A NOUN in the RELATIVE CLAUSE,

money, BELONGS to the NOUN the

clause relates to, customers

Use the RELATIVE PRONOUN whose to introduce the RELATIVE CLAUSE

More examples of relative clauses introduced by the relative pronoun whose:

Relative pronoun whose 3

They caught the robbers, whose disguises were not very good.

They never caught the criminal whose idea the robbery was.

The moment he saw the robbers, he called the police.

No relative pronoun 1

No relative pronoun 2

Sometimes there is no relative pronoun to introduce a relative clause, if the meaning is clear without it, like this:

The moment he saw the robbers, he called the police.

he saw the robbers is a RELATIVE CLAUSE related to the

NOUN moment

The RELATIVE PRONOUN when could have been used to introduce the RELATIVE CLAUSE

The meaning is clear without it, so it has been missed out (omitted)

More examples of relative clauses with an omitted relative pronoun:

No relative pronoun 3

The money the robbers stole was worth a lot.

The bank manager was grateful for the work the police did.

Summary

RELATIVE CLAUSES are usually introduced by RELATIVE PRONOUNS.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS include WHO, WHICH, THAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHOSE.

Use WHO when the RELATIVE CLAUSE relates to a person.

Use WHICH or THAT when the RELATIVE CLAUSE relates to something other than a

person.

Use WHOSE when a NOUN in the RELATIVE CLAUSE belongs to the NOUN the clause relates to.

Use WHERE when the RELATIVE CLAUSE relates to a place.

Use WHEN when the RELATIVE CLAUSE relates to a time.

Sometimes, the RELATIVE PRONOUN is missed out (OMITTED).