Noun phrases containing relative clauses

See the video about noun phrases

Relative Clauses

---

What are relative clauses?

A relative clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun or a noun phrase.
Example:

The man who is smoking is the murderer

The noun the man is modified by the relative clause who is smoking.
Relative clauses give essential information to define or identify the person or thing we are talking about.

How to use relative clauses

They are used to provide extra information. This information can either:

• define something (defining clause),
  Example:
  The girl who is standing there is a world champion in karate.
• or provide unnecessary, but interesting information (non-defining clause).
  Example:
  Michael Jackson, who was a famous singer, died of an overdose.

 Relative clauses can be introduced by:

1. A relative pronoun: who, whom, which, that, whose.
   
   Example: "The man who is standing there is a famous writer."
   
2. A relative adverb: where, why and when.
   
   Example: " The restaurant where I have dinner is nice."
   
3. None of them.
   
   Example: "The man I met is extremely wealthy"

Relative Pronouns

who - subject or object pronoun for people

They caught the lady who killed her baby.

which - subject or object pronoun

I read the book which is on the table.I visited the town which you told me about.

which - referring to a whole sentence

They were unsuccessful which is disappointing.

whom - used for object pronoun for people, especially in non-restrictive relative clauses (in restrictive relative clauses use who)

The boy whom you told me about got the best grades in mathematics.

 that - subject or object pronoun for people, animals and things in restrictive relative clauses (who or which are also possible)

I like the vase that is over there.

Exercise 1:  sentence using 'that' or 'who' and a relative clause
Exercise 2: use 'that' or no pronoun