Relative Clauses – who, whose, where, which

Let’s take an intermediate level look at relative clauses.

In this lesson, we’ll explore how we use relative clauses in English to give more information about a person, place, or thing without starting a new sentence.

What is a relative clause?

A relative clause adds extra detail about a noun. It helps us identify which person or which thing the speaker is talking about. This makes our sentences clearer and more precise.

Ex. “The man who works in the bank is my brother”

Here, “who works in the bank” is the relative clause. It tells us exactly which man we mean.

When to use who, whose, where, and which

Who – for people

We use who to refer to a person. It comes after the noun and is followed by a verb.

Examples:

She’s the teacher who helped me pass my exam.
I met a woman who speaks five languages.

Whose – to show possession

Whose replaces his, her, its, or their in a sentence. It’s followed by a noun, and it shows that something belongs to someone.

Examples:

He’s the student whose phone rang in class.
I’ve got a friend whose dad is a pilot.

Where – for places

We use where to refer to a place. It tells us more about the location mentioned.

Examples:

This is the café where we met last summer.
Do you know a shop where I can buy fresh bread?

Which (or that) – for things

We use which to talk about things or animals. In everyday English, that can be used instead of which, especially in spoken language.

Examples:

I’ve read a book which explains this well.
This is the film that everyone’s talking about.

Tip: Relative clauses help make your English more fluent and natural. They’re especially useful in writing when you want to avoid short, choppy sentences and give more detail.

Try to practise by writing your own sentences using who, whose, where, and which!

Use the link below for more information on relative clauses!