English Second Language·Grammar & language usage · NSSCO 1.10
Relative clauses
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Two short sentences can be stitched into one smooth, grown-up sentence using a relative clause. In this gentle lesson we meet the joining words — who, whom, whose, which, that, where and when — learn when to use each, tell defining clauses (essential, no commas) apart from non-defining clauses (extra, with commas), and practise the big exam skill: joining two sentences into one. We also fix the mistakes learners lose marks on.
What you'll learn in this lesson
By the end you should be able to (NSSCO English Second Language 1.10):
- Explain what a relative clause is and identify the relative pronoun that joins it to a noun
- Choose the correct relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that, where, when) for a given noun
- Distinguish defining (restrictive) relative clauses from non-defining (non-restrictive) ones
- Punctuate relative clauses correctly — no commas for defining clauses, commas for non-defining clauses
- Join two short sentences into one longer sentence using a relative clause
- Recognise and correct common errors: using 'which' for people, doubling the subject, and misplaced commas
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