Relative Clauses Exercises
Do more with this exercise
Add information with a relative clause
A relative clause tells us which person, thing or place we mean. Use who for people, which for things and where for places. That can often replace who or which in a defining clause.
- People:
- The woman who teaches us is kind. You can often use that instead of who.
- Things:
- The book which I bought is useful. You can often use that instead of which.
- Places:
- This is the café where we met. Where means in/at which.
- Defining clauses:
- Do not add commas when the clause identifies the person or thing: The student who called is here.
- Word order:
- Keep normal statement order inside the clause: the man who lives next door, not the man who does he live next door.
Examples
The teacher who helped me is here.
who identifies a person
The film which we watched was funny.
which identifies a thing
This is the house where I grew up.
where identifies a place
The bag that I bought is blue.
that can identify a thing
The girl who sits near me speaks Spanish.
no comma in a defining clause
Audio uses a synthetic voice.
Practice exercises
Choose the relative word
Choose the word that correctly links the two parts of each sentence.
1.The woman ___ helped us is a doctor.
2.The phone ___ I bought yesterday is broken.
3.This is the café ___ we met.
4.The children ___ live upstairs play music.
5.The road ___ leads to the beach is closed.
6.The park ___ we play football is near school.
Complete the clause
Type *who*, *which*, *that* or *where*. Equivalent relative words are accepted when the grammar allows them.
Correct the relative clause
Replace the incorrect relative word with a correct one. Keep the rest of the sentence.
13.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
14.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
15.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
16.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
17.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
18.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
Who, which, that and where in defining relative clauses
Relative clauses add information that helps a listener identify a person, thing or place. If you say “the woman,” the listener may not know which woman. “The woman who helped us” gives the information needed. This kind of clause is defining, so it is usually written without commas.
Use who for people and which for things. In many defining clauses, that can replace either one. Use where when the earlier noun names the place in which something happens: “the house where I grew up.” Where does not replace which when the place itself is the subject of the next verb: “the house which fell down” is about the house doing the falling.
Inside the relative clause, use normal statement word order. Avoid adding an extra subject after who or which. Read the whole sentence after choosing a relative word to check that the person, thing or place has the role you expect.
Frequently asked questions
When do I use who in a relative clause?
Use who for a person: “The woman who lives here is a nurse.” In a defining clause, that can often replace who.
When do I use which or that?
Use which for a thing. In a defining clause without commas, that can often replace which: “The book that I bought is useful.”
What does where mean in a relative clause?
Where points to a place and means in or at which: “This is the café where we met.”
Do I need commas around every relative clause?
No. A defining clause tells us which person or thing you mean and has no commas. This lesson focuses on defining clauses.
Answer key
1. The woman ___ helped us is a doctor.
Answer: who
Woman is a person, so use who.
2. The phone ___ I bought yesterday is broken.
Answer: which
Phone is a thing, so use which.
3. This is the café ___ we met.
Answer: where
Café is a place and the meeting happened there, so use where.
4. The children ___ live upstairs play music.
Answer: who
Children are people, so use who.
5. The road ___ leads to the beach is closed.
Answer: which
Road is a thing, so use which.
6. The park ___ we play football is near school.
Answer: where
Where tells us the place in which we play.
7. The man ___ works here is my uncle.
Answer: who
For a person in a defining clause, who and that are both possible.
8. The dress ___ she bought is red.
Answer: which
For a thing in a defining clause, which and that are both possible.
9. This is the room ___ we study.
Answer: where
Where replaces in which for the place where we study.
10. The boy ___ won the race is ten.
Answer: who
The clause identifies a person, so who or that works.
11. The car ___ stopped outside is mine.
Answer: which
The clause identifies a thing, so which or that works.
12. I know a shop ___ you can buy cheap books.
Answer: where
Where introduces the place in which you can buy the books.
13. The girl which lives next door is friendly.
Answer: The girl who lives next door is friendly.
Girl is a person, so use who or that.
14. The book who I borrowed is on the table.
Answer: The book which I borrowed is on the table.
Book is a thing, so use which or that.
15. The park which we play football is large.
Answer: The park where we play football is large.
Where expresses the place in which we play football.
16. The bag where I bought is blue.
Answer: The bag which I bought is blue.
The bag is the thing I bought, not the place where I bought it.
17. The chef which made our meal is from Italy.
Answer: The chef who made our meal is from Italy.
Chef is a person, so use who or that.
18. That is the town who I grew up.
Answer: That is the town where I grew up.
Where identifies the place in which I grew up.