Relative Clause Lesson

How many kinds of relative clauses do you know?

• 3

• 1

• 2

• 4

Relative clauses can be divided in:

• coordinated and defining

• defining and non-defining

• non-defining and subordinated

• coordinated and subordinated

The most important elements in the relative clauses are:

• the antecedent and the verb

• the verb and the relative pronoun

• the following word and the relative pronoun

• the antecedent and the relative pronoun

Defining relative clauses

• give essential information

• ask questions

• give additional information

• haven't got a relative pronoun

Non-defining relative clauses

• provide us with essential information

• have two relative pronouns

• haven't got a relative pronoun

• give additional and non-essential information

which is used to substitute

• people

• things

• places

• time

whose is used to express

• belonging

• possession

• people

• reasons

whom is used to express the:

• belonging

• possession

• addressee

• people

when is used to substitute

• place

• time

• things

• people

Non-defining relative clauses have the following punctuation mark:

• -(dash)

• . (full stop)

• ! (exclamation mark)

• , (comma)