Grammar: Defining relative clauses

Grammar: Defining relative clauses

Fill in the Blanks

Read the sentence. What noun does the underlined pronoun refer to?

They got together with a friend who also loves the ocean and surfing - Kevin Ahearn.

Fill in the Blanks

Read the sentence. What noun does the underlined pronoun refer to?

Bureo has set up a fishnet recycling programme that makes it easy to get rid of old nets.

Fill in the Blanks

Read the sentence. What noun does the underlined pronoun refer to?

Bureo has a factory in Chile which turns the old nets into plastic material to make skateboards.

Multiple Choice

Read the sentences again.

They got together with a friend who also loves the ocean and surfing - Kevin Ahearn.

Bureo has set up a fishnet recycling programme that makes it easy to get rid of old nets.

Bureo has a factory in Chile which turns the old nets into plastic material to make skateboards.

The pronouns that, who and which introduce more information about the nouns that come ... them.

• before

• after

Multiple Choice

They got together with a friend who also loves the ocean and surfing - Kevin Ahearn.

The pronoun who refer to

• people

• things

Multiple Choice

Bureo has set up a fishnet recycling programme that makes it easy to get rid of old nets.

Bureo has a factory in Chile which turns the old nets into plastic material to make skateboards.

The pronouns that and which usually refer to

• people

• things

Multiple Choice

They got together with a friend who also loves the ocean and surfing - Kevin Ahearn.

Bureo has set up a fishnet recycling programme that makes it easy to get rid of old nets.

Bureo has a factory in Chile which turns the old nets into plastic material to make skateboards.

The information that comes after the relative pronoun (who, that, which) is ... to the meaning of the sentence.

• important

• not important

Multiple Choice

Look at these two sentences. Can we leave out the pronoun when it is the subject or the object of the relative clause?

Bureo has set up a fishnet recycling programme that makes it easy to get rid of old nets.

Bureo has set up a fishnet recycling programme that many fishermen use.

• the subject of the relative clause

• the object of the relative clause

Defining relative clauses

• A defining relative clause gives information about the noun that comes directly before it and says exactly who or what the noun is.

• In defining relative clauses we use the relative pronouns who, that and which.

• The shop that sells second-hand furniture is near here.

• The person who sold me this shirt also made it.

• Advertisements which don't tell the truth are terrible.

Why defining relative clause?

• The relative clause can define the subject of the main clause

• The person who sold me this shirt also made it.

• The relative clause can also define the object of the main clause.

• I know the person who made this shirt.

• In all these sentences, the relative pronouns must be included because in each case it is the subject of the relative clause.

• (🚫 This is the shop sells beautiful lamps)

But...

• If the relative pronoun is the object of the verb in the relative clause, the relative pronoun can be left out.

• These are the new shoes that I told you about. = These are the new shoes I told you about.

What's the difference?

• who identifies people: The guy who runs the restaurant grows his own vegetables.

• which identifies things: I couldn't find a shop which sold the kind of clothes I like to buy.

• that identifies people and things. Using it this way is less formal: The artist that made this lamp lives in Madrid. The work that he does is really interesting.

Also...

• We can use defining relative clauses to join two sentences together.

• This is a table. It used to be a traffic sign.

• This is a table that used to be a traffic sign.

Open Ended

So far I need help to better understand...

Fill in the Blanks

Artijulos is an interesting home-furnishing shop (1) ... These are things (2) ... - for example a vase (3) ...

a. that used to be other things

b. that specializes in 'upcycled' products

c. that used to be a lightbulb

Example: 1b, 2

Fill in the Blanks

Asher Jay is a designer (1) ... She brings attention to global issues (2) ... including environmental and human-rights issues.

a. that need solutions

b. who creates art and advertising

Fill in the Blanks

Local First is an organization (1) ... to buy from businesses (2)... in the area where they're sold.

a. that make their products

b. that encourages consumers

Fill in the Blanks

Arthur Huang is an engineer (1)... When his company designed and built a store for Nike, he used materials (2)...

a. who believes in using recycled products

b. that were made from old bottles, cans and DVDs

Brain break

French artist Paulo Grangeon makes pandas out of recycled paper. He shows the pandas at famous landmarks around the world.

Recycling old clothes

• The next exercise focuses on whether the relative pronoun can be omitted or not.

• Remember: the relative pronoun can be omitted if it is the object of the relative clause: These are the new shoes (that) I told you about.

Multiple Choice

Can the relative pronoun be omitted?

What can you do with clothes which are too old or don't fit you any more?

• yes

• no

Multiple Choice

Can the relative pronoun be omitted?

If they're in good condition, why not give them to friends who might like them?

• yes

• no

Multiple Choice

Can the relative pronoun be omitted?

Put aside any clothes that you might wear again and look at them in a year.

• yes

• no

Multiple Choice

Can the relative pronoun be omitted?

Keep any in bright colours or with interesting patterns that you like and make them into other things, e.g. handbags or bed covers.

• yes

• no

Multiple Choice

Can the relative pronoun be omitted?

Give them to a charity which you like to help.

• yes

• no

Multiple Choice

Can the relative pronoun be omitted?

Put them in the recycling bins that the local government provides.

• yes

• no

What do you do with the clothes which are too old or don't fit you anymore?

Game time

• Think of a famous shop, a well-known organization and a popular singer.

• Write four sentences about each of them, using relative pronouns (e.g. This is a shop that sells furniture)

• Your sentences should start like this: This is a ... that/who...

Complete each sentence with who, that or which, or no pronoun if it can be omitted.

More than one answers can be selected.

Multiple Select

This is the shirt ... I made.

• who

• which

• that

• no pronoun

Multiple Select

Shopping isn't an activity ... interests me.

• who

• that

• which

• no pronoun

Multiple Select

I have a cousin ... always gives me her old clothes.

• who

• which

• that

• no pronoun

Multiple Select

This is the old leather jacket .... I bought from my friend.

• who

• which

• that

• no pronoun

Multiple Select

That's the shop ... we like because the clothes aren't expensive.

• who

• which

• that

• no pronoun

Multiple Select

She's the friend ... went shopping with me last week.

• who

• which

• that

• no pronoun

Poll

I'm feeling

• confused

• frustrated

• excited

• content

• worried