Relative Clauses

Target Structure:

who / which / that / where / when / whose

Goal:

Use relative clauses to connect ideas and add extra information about a person, place, thing, or time — without starting a new sentence.

1. Warm-Up (3 min)

🗣️ Discuss:

1. What’s a person you admire? Why?

2. What’s a place you love visiting?

3. What’s a film or song that you’ll never forget?

💬 Sample answers:

I admire people who never give up.
I love cities that are near the sea.

🎯 Focus: They’re already using relative clauses naturally — linking ideas with who/that.

2. Presentation (8 min)

A. What Is a Relative Clause?

A relative clause gives more information about a noun.

💬 Example:

The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
→ “who lives next door” gives extra information about the woman.

B. Relative Pronouns

Relative PronounRefers toExamplewhopeopleThe man who called is my boss.whichthings / animalsThe book which I read was amazing.thatpeople, things (informal)The dog that barked all night is gone.whosepossessionThe student whose phone rang was embarrassed.whereplaceThe restaurant where we met was lovely.whentimeThe day when we met was unforgettable.

C. Defining vs. Non-Defining Clauses

✅ Defining (essential) → no commas

The man who fixed my car is my neighbour.

✅ Non-defining (extra info) → commas

My car, which I bought last year, is very reliable.

💬 Tip: We can’t use that in non-defining clauses.

D. When You Can Omit the Pronoun

If the pronoun is the object, you can drop it.

The movie (that) I watched was great.
→ “that” can be omitted because it’s not the subject of the clause.

But not here:

❌ The man lives next door.
✅ The man who lives next door is kind.
(You can’t omit “who” because it’s the subject.)

3. Controlled Practice (6 min)

Complete the sentences using the correct relative pronoun:
(who / which / that / whose / where / when)

1. The man ______ helped me was very kind.

2. This is the restaurant ______ we had dinner yesterday.

3. The phone ______ belongs to Lisa is on the table.

4. I met a woman ______ speaks four languages.

5. 2008 was the year ______ I moved to Spain.

6. I don’t like people ______ are rude.

7. That’s the company ______ produces electric cars.

8. The house ______ I was born is now a museum.

✅ Answers + Explanations

1. who → for people (subject).

2. where → place.

3. whose → possession.

4. who → person (subject).

5. when → time.

6. who → people (general).

7. that → thing/company (informal, defining clause).

8. where → place of birth.

💬 Common error: Don’t use “that” with commas — it’s only for defining clauses.

4. Interactive Practice (5 min)

Join the sentences using relative clauses.

1. I met a girl. She lives in my building.

2. This is the book. You recommended it.

3. That’s the teacher. His lessons are always fun.

4. I’ll never forget the day. I graduated on that day.

5. The café is closed. We usually have breakfast there.

💬 Sample answers:

1. I met a girl who lives in my building.

2. This is the book that you recommended.

3. That’s the teacher whose lessons are always fun.

4. I’ll never forget the day when I graduated.

5. The café where we usually have breakfast is closed.

🎯 Focus: Identify the noun being described → choose the correct pronoun.

5. Engaging Discussion Questions (4 min)

🗣️ Answer using relative clauses.

1. Who is someone you admire who inspires you?

2. What’s a place where you feel relaxed?

3. What’s something that you bought recently?

4. Do you know anyone whose job is very interesting?

5. What’s a song or movie that reminds you of your childhood?

6. What’s a time in your life when you were really happy?

💬 Encourage full-sentence answers:

I admire people who help others without expecting anything.
There’s a café where I go to study every weekend.

6. Extra Discussion (3–4 min)

💬 Deeper prompts:

1. Why do you think relative clauses make speech sound more fluent?

2. Can you combine two sentences from your own life using a relative clause?

3. What’s a person whose influence changed you most?

4. Do you think technology affects the way we connect with people who live far away?

7. Wrap-Up & Review (2 min)

🎯 Quick Recap:

TypeExampleUsewhoThe woman who lives next doorPeoplewhichThe car which I boughtThingsthatThe food that I orderedInformal; people or thingswhoseThe man whose car broke downPossessionwhereThe city where I was bornPlacewhenThe day when we metTime

💬 Mini Challenge:
Say three sentences about your life using different relative clauses.

I have a friend who works in Japan.
I live in a town where people love festivals.
I’ll never forget the year when I started my business.