Relative Clauses
English · Grammar & Punctuation · procedural
Form and use relative clauses beginning with relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why) to add detail, qualify nouns, and create complex sentences
What mastery looks like
- Combine a main clause with a relative clause using 'who' or 'which' to add information about a noun, e.g. 'The dog, which had a red collar, barked loudly'
- Choose the correct relative pronoun (who for people, which for things, where for places, when for times) and identify the noun it refers back to
- Recognise that a relative clause beginning with 'that' can often replace 'who' or 'which' in defining clauses, e.g. 'The book that I read' vs 'The book which I read'
Check your understanding
When Relative Clauses writes to add detail about a noun — like describing a friend "who loves football" or a place "where we always go on holiday" — do they build that into the same sentence using a relative clause?
Prerequisites
Required first
Helpful