English as an Additional Language/Relative clauses
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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.