Relative Pronouns and Relative Clauses – 3rd Year Literary Stream – Algeria

Relative Pronouns and Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are used to give additional information about a noun or pronoun without starting a new sentence. They are introduced by relative pronouns. Mastering relative clauses is essential for producing complex and sophisticated English sentences.

Relative Pronouns

Who: refers to people (subject). The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
Whom: refers to people (object, formal). The man whom you met is my uncle.
Which: refers to animals and things. The book which is on the table is mine.
That: refers to people, animals, and things (informal). The car that I bought is red.
Whose: shows possession (people and things). The student whose phone rang was embarrassed.

Defining vs Non-defining Relative Clauses

Defining relative clauses are essential to identify the noun. Without them, the meaning is unclear. No commas. Examples: The students who study hard will succeed. (Only those who study hard). I like the dress that you bought yesterday.

Non-defining relative clauses add extra information. They are separated by commas and cannot use ‘that’. Examples: My mother, who is 60 years old, still works. (Extra info about my mother). Paris, which is the capital of France, is a beautiful city.

Omitting the Relative Pronoun

In defining relative clauses, the relative pronoun (who, which, that) can be omitted when it is the object of the clause. Examples: The film (that) I watched was great. (that is object – can be omitted). The woman (who) I met is kind. But: The woman who lives next door is kind. (who is subject – cannot be omitted).

Prepositions in Relative Clauses

In formal English, prepositions come before the relative pronoun. In informal English, they stay at the end. Examples: Formal: The person to whom you should speak is Mr. Smith. Informal: The person (who) you should speak to is Mr. Smith.

Reduced Relative Clauses

Relative clauses can be reduced to participial phrases: The man who is standing there is my brother. → The man standing there is my brother.
The book which was written by Camus is famous. → The book written by Camus is famous.

Exercises

1. Complete with the correct relative pronoun: The girl ___ won the competition is my cousin.
2. Combine the sentences: I bought a house. It was built in 1920.
3. Rewrite omitting the relative pronoun where possible: The book that you lent me was fascinating.

For more English lessons, check Tenses Review: Present, Past and Future and The Passive Voice: Formation and Use.

📍 دروس مشابهة

• English — Comparative and Superlative Adjectives — Grammar — 3rd Year Middle School — English Langua
• اللغة الإنجليزية – The Past Perfect: Sequence of Events – 3rd Year Secondary
• English – Passive Voice: Formation and Uses – 3rd Year Literary Stream – BAC
• English – Formal Letter Writing: Layout and Expressions – 3rd Year – Literary Stream