English as an Additional Language/Relative clauses
Relative clauses are used to expand sentences and provide extra information.
- I live with my mother.
- I live with my mother, who's very strict.
The second sentence is a relative clause. It uses a relative pronoun (who) to provide extra information about the object of the sentence (mother). In English you have a choice of relative pronouns to use. The following section lists the most common relative pronouns.
Who (or that)
[edit | edit source]Who is used to refer to people.
Which (or that)
[edit | edit source]Which is used to refer to object (including animals).
Where
[edit | edit source]Where is used to refer to places.
Whose
[edit | edit source]Who is used with people when you are referring to an object which is owned / possessed by that person.
When
[edit | edit source]When is used to refer to times and occasions.