مدونة التربية و التعليم في الجزائر – دروس، فروض، نتائج امتحانات مدونة التربية والتعليم في الجزائر | تحضير الدروس، فروض واختبارات، نتائج البكالوريا وBEM، مسابقات التوظيف، والتوجيه المدرسي للطلاب وأولياء الأمور.
Relative Clauses in English
Relative clauses are clauses that give extra information about a noun or pronoun. They are introduced by relative pronouns: who (people), which (things/animals), that (people/things), whose (possession), whom (object pronoun – formal), where (places), when (times), why (reasons). There are two types: defining and non-defining relative clauses.
Defining Relative Clauses
Give essential information needed to identify the person or thing. No commas used.
- Who (people as subject): “The woman who lives next door is a doctor.”
- Which (things as subject/object): “The book which I bought is interesting.” “The car which is parked outside is mine.”
- That (people/things): can replace who or which in defining clauses. “The man that called is my brother.” “The house that I bought is old.”
- Whose (possession): “The student whose bag was stolen is upset.”
- Whom (object – formal): “The person whom I met was kind.”
- Where (places): “The city where I was born is small.”
- When (times): “The day when we met was sunny.”
Non-defining Relative Clauses
Give extra information that is not essential. The sentence is clear without it. Commas are used. “That” cannot be used in non-defining clauses.
- “My father, who is 60 years old, still works hard.”
- “Paris, which is the capital of France, is beautiful.”
- “My best friend, whose brother is a singer, lives in London.”
Omitting the Relative Pronoun
In defining relative clauses, when the pronoun is the object of the clause, it can be omitted.
- “The book (which/that) I read was excellent.” (object → can omit)
- “The woman who lives next door is kind.” (subject → cannot omit)
| Pronoun | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Who | People (subject) | The man who called |
| Which | Things (subject/object) | The car which I bought |
| That | People or things | The book that I read |
| Whose | Possession | The girl whose bag was lost |
| Where | Places | The town where I live |
For more grammar, see Passive Voice and Relative Clauses and Conditionals.
Exercises
- Join the sentences using a relative pronoun: “I know a woman. She speaks five languages.” “I bought a book. It is very interesting.”
- Define or Non-defining? Add commas where needed. “My brother who lives in Paris is a doctor.” “The car that I bought is blue.”
- Can the pronoun be omitted? “The film (that) we saw was boring.” “The woman (who) called you is my aunt.”
📍 دروس مشابهة:
- English — Linking Words: And, But, Or, So, Because, Although — 3rd Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum
- English — Grammar: Relative Pronouns (who, which, that) — 3rd Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum
- English — Demonstratives: This, That, These, Those — 3rd Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum