Understanding Relative Clauses in English

What is the primary function of a relative clause?

• To introduce a new topic.

• To give more information about someone or something.

• To connect two unrelated ideas.

• To express a strong emotion.

Why are relative clauses useful in writing?

• They make sentences longer and more complex.

• They help to avoid repeating information.

• They always introduce new subjects.

• They are only used in formal writing.

In the sentence "The girl who found my lost wallet returned it to me," what does the relative clause "who found my lost wallet" refer to?

• The wallet

• The act of returning

• The girl

• The speaker

What is the main difference between a defining and a non-defining relative clause?

• Defining clauses use commas, non-defining do not.

• Non-defining clauses give necessary information, defining clauses give extra information.

• Defining clauses give necessary information, non-defining clauses give extra information.

• Defining clauses refer to people, non-defining clauses refer to things.

Which of the following sentences contains a non-defining relative clause?

• The students who still need to finish their test are in the library.

• My brother, who lives in China, is visiting for Christmas.

• The car that I bought is blue.

• The woman whose car was stolen reported it to the police.

How are non-defining relative clauses typically separated from the rest of the sentence?

• By semicolons

• By parentheses or commas

• By colons

• By dashes only

Which relative pronoun is used to refer to people?

• Which

• That

• Whose

• Who/Whom

What can a relative clause refer to besides a noun?

• An adjective

• A verb

• A whole sentence

• An adverb