Defining relative clauses

Defining relative clauses

By justine acar

​Join the sentences using who or which.

• Do you know a shop? It sells good ​coffee.

• Do you know a shop which sells good coffee?​

• ​I know somebody. She can help you with your homework.

• ​I know somebody who can help you with your homework.

​

​

Open Ended

I want some plates. They can go in the microwave.

Open Ended

I was at school with the man. He's driving that taxi.

Open Ended

I'd like to speak to the person. He/she knows about computers.

Open Ended

She's friendly with a boy. He lives next door.

Open Ended

The police haven't found the man. He stole my car.

Open Ended

We've got some lightbulbs. They last for years.

Open Ended

This is the switch. It turns on the radio.

Open Ended

There's some cheese in the fridge. It smells terrible.

Subject or Object?

​If who or which are the object, we can omit them.

​

​

Ar​e who and which the subject or object ​in these sentences?

1. That's the woman who lives next door.​

2. ​He had a simple idea which changed the world.

3. ​I've lost that beautiful ring which Bill gave me.

4. ​It's a book which everybody talks about and nobody reads.

5. ​That's the man who I wanted to see.

Subject or Object?

​If who or which are the object, we can omit them.

​

​

Ar​e who and which the subject or object ​in these sentences?

6. An orphan is a child who hasn't got any parents.

7. He ​always tells me things which I already know.

8. ​They never thanked me for the money which I sent them.

9. ​I once met a man who could speak ten languages.

10. ​My brother married a girl who he met on holiday.

​Now make each pair of sentences into one sentence without using who or which.

​For example:

You asked me to get you a paper. Here's the paper.​

​

​

​Here's the paper you asked me to get you.

Open Ended

You recommended a film. We went to see the film.

Open Ended

My sister bought a new car last month. The car has broken down four times already.

Open Ended

You didn't recognize an actor on television last night. The actor was Tom Cruise.

Open Ended

My father had an operation for his heart problem. The operation was very successful.

Open Ended

Mark wrote a story while we were on holiday. The story won a competition.

Open Ended

My daughter brings friends home. Some of the friends are very nice.

Open Ended

I borrowed a book from you last week. The book was very interesting.