Unit

53 Relative pronouns
A Defining and non-defining relative clauses begin with a relative pronoun, Reminder ➜ J1–J5
which can sometimes be omitted:
We went to a beach (which / that) Ali had recommended to us.
Here the relative pronoun refers to ‘a beach’, and the subject of the relative clause is ‘Ali’. Compare:
I know a man who / that ran in the New York Marathon last year.
where the relative pronoun refers to ‘a man’, and the subject of the relative clause is also ‘a man’.
In this case, the relative pronoun can’t be omitted.

B Relative pronouns are used to add information in defining relative clauses as follows:
adding information about things
subject which that
object which that no relative pronoun

adding information about people

subject who that
object who that no relative pronoun whom

When we add information about things, we can use that (or no relative pronoun) as object in
conversation and which in more formal contexts:
Decorating’s a job (that) I hate. (rather than ‘… which …’ in this informal context)
When we add information about people, we generally prefer that (or no relative pronoun) as object
in informal contexts rather than who or whom:
He’s the man (that) I met at Aisha’s party (rather than … who / whom I met …)
whom is very formal and rarely used in spoken English:
The boy whom Elena had shouted at smiled. (less formally that, no relative pronoun or who)
We use that as subject after: something and anything; words such as all, little, much, and none
used as pronouns; and noun phrases that include superlatives. Which is also used as subject after
something and anything, but less commonly:
These walls are all that remain of the city. (not … which remain of the city.)
Note that we can use that (or no relative pronoun) as object after something / anything; all, etc.;
and noun phrases with superlatives. For example:
She’s one of the kindest people (that) I know. (not … one of the kindest people who I know.)

C Relative pronouns are used to add information in non-defining relative clauses

as follows:
adding information about things adding information about people
subject which that subject who
object which that object who whom

Note that we must include a relative pronoun in a non-defining relative clause.

We can use who or whom as object, although whom is very formal:
Professor Johnson, who(m) I have long admired, is to visit the university next week.
When we add information about things, we can use which as subject or object. That is sometimes
used instead of which, but some people think this is incorrect:
The Master’s course, which I took in 2001, is no longer taught. (or … that I took …)

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 Unit
Exercises 53
53.1 Put brackets around the italicised relative pronoun if it can be omitted. A
1 We talked about the party which Natalia wants to organise for my birthday.
2 To get to Maxim’s house, take the main road that bypasses the village.
3 The paintings which Mr Flowers has in his house are worth around £100,000.
4 Let’s go through the main points that he made in his lecture.
5 He received a low mark for his essay, which was only one page long.
6 Mrs Yang, who is 42, has three children.
7 Dev is a friend who we stayed with in Australia.
8 In the shop window there’s a sign that says ‘10% off’.
9 The couple who live next to us have 16 grandchildren.
10 There was little that we could do to help her.

53.2 Rewrite these sentences including the information in brackets as relative clauses (defining or
non-defining). Give alternative relative pronouns if possible. (Use (–) to indicate ‘no relative
pronoun’.) B & C
1 Oliver said something. (I couldn’t hear it clearly) Oliver said something that / which /
– I couldn’t hear clearly.
2 Eva’s father has just come back from a skiing holiday. (he is over 80)
.
3 The problems faced by the company are being resolved. (I’ll look at these in detail in a moment)
.
4 She was greatly influenced by her father. (she adored him)
.
5 He pointed to the stairs. (they led down to the cellar)
.
6 These drugs have been withdrawn from sale. (they are used to treat stomach ulcers)
.
7 The singer had to cancel her concert. (she was recovering from flu)
.
8 The minister talked about the plans for tax reform. (he will reveal them next month)
.
9 I have two older sisters. (I love them very much)
.

53.3 If necessary, correct or make improvements to these sentences. If they are already correct,
write ✓. A–C
1 There’s something which I should tell you.
2 The doctor whom Ingrid went to see was very thorough.
3 Yesterday was the hottest day I can remember.
4 There isn’t much can go wrong with the machine.
5 Thieves whom stole paintings from Notford art gallery have been arrested in Paris.
6 It may be the most important decision which you will ever take.
7 The boy took the photograph was paid £100.
8 I heard many different accents in the room, but none which I could identify as Polish.
9 He just said anything which came into his head.
10 There’s this dream which I have every night about falling downstairs.

➜ Additional exercise 11 (page 247) 107

Unit
54 Other relative words: whose, when, whereby, etc.
A Clauses with whose Reminder ➜ J1–J5
We use a relative clause beginning with the relative pronoun whose + noun, particularly in written
English, when we talk about something belonging to or associated with a person, animal or plant:
Stevenson is an architect whose designs have won international praise.
Suzy was taking care of a dog whose ears were badly damaged in a fight with a cat.
We can use whose in both defining and non-defining relative clauses.
We generally avoid using whose to talk about something belonging to or associated with a thing:
I received a letter, and its poor spelling made me think it was written by a child. (more natural
than I received a letter, whose poor spelling made me think …)
However, we sometimes use whose when we talk about towns, countries, or organisations:
The film was made in Botswana, whose wildlife parks are larger than those in Kenya.
We need to learn from companies whose trading is healthier than our own.
In academic writing whose is used to talk about a wide variety of ‘belonging to’ relationships:
Students have to solve problems whose solutions require a knowledge of calculus.

B Clauses with when, whereby, where and why

We can begin relative and other clauses with when (referring to time), whereby (method or means;
used mainly in formal contexts), and where (location). In formal English in particular, a phrase with
preposition + which can often be used instead of these:
The camera records the time when the photo is taken. (or … the time at which …)
Do you know the date when we have to hand in the essay? (or … the date on / by which …)
We need to develop a system whereby workers and management can communicate more
effectively. (or … the system in / by which workers …)
This was the place where we first met. (or … the place at / in which we …)
In academic English, we can also use where to refer to features other than location, particularly after
words such as case, condition, example, situation, system:
Later in this chapter we will introduce cases where consumer complaints have resulted in
changes in the law. (or more formally … cases in which …)
We can also use a / the reason why or a / the reason that or just a / the reason:
I didn’t get a pay rise, but this wasn’t the reason why I left. (or … the reason (that) I left.)

C Clauses with who and what; whatever, whoever and whichever

Some clauses beginning with a wh-word are used like a noun phrase in a sentence. These are
sometimes called nominal relative clauses:
Can you give me a list of who’s been invited? (= the people who have been invited)
I didn’t know what I should do next. (= the thing that I should do next)
Note that we can’t use what in this way after a noun:
I managed to get all the books that you asked for. (not … all the books what you asked for.)
We use clauses beginning with whatever (= anything or it doesn’t matter what), whoever (= the
person / group who or any person / group who), or whichever (= one thing or person from a limited
number), to talk about things or people that are indefinite or unknown:
I’m sure I’ll enjoy eating whatever you cook.
Whoever wins will go on to play Barcelona in the final.
Whichever one of you broke the window will have to pay for it.

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 Unit
Exercises 54
54.1 Combine a sentence from (i) with a sentence from (ii) to make new sentences with whose. A
(i) (ii)
1 Dr Rowan has had to do all her own typing. a Its chairperson is Miss Jiu Kim.
2 The newspaper is owned by the Mears b Their diets contain high levels of protein.
group. c Their flowers are attractive to bees.
3 Parents are being asked to take part in the d Her secretary resigned two weeks ago.
survey. e Her first job was filling shelves in a
4 Children do better in examinations. supermarket.
5 My aunt is now CEO of a department store. f Their children are between four and six.
6 I enjoy growing plants.

1 + d Dr Rowan, whose secretary resigned two weeks ago, has had to do all her own
typing.

54.2 Define the words using whose (1–3) and in which (4–6). You may need to use a dictionary.
A&B
1 A lexicographer is a person whose job is to write dictionaries.
2 A widow is a woman .
3 An actuary is a person
.
4 A furnace is a container .
5 A gazebo is a small garden building .
6 Polo is
.

54.3 Complete these sentences using phrases from the box and when, whereby, where or why. B
the area an agreement a condition a method the moment the reason

1 Sunset is defined in astronomy as the whole of the sun’s disc

disappears below the horizon.
2 In 1951, China and the Soviet Union signed China provided
uranium ore in exchange for technical assistance.
3 The coastline is the land meets the sea or ocean.
4 The river is prone to sudden flooding which is there are no major
towns along its banks.
5 Freeze-drying is water is rapidly evaporated from frozen food in
order to preserve it.
6 Hypoglycaemia is the level of sugar in the blood drops suddenly.

54.4 If the italicised word is correct, write ✓. If not, suggest another word. C
1 I think whatever was responsible for damaging the trees should be fined or sent to prison.
2 Do they really understand that they are doing?
3 I don’t envy whoever buys that house. It’s in a terrible condition.
4 Now that I no longer have to wear a school uniform, I’ll be able to wear which I want.
5 I think the government should improve the health service, whichever the cost.
6 It’s a question that I’ve been asking for many years.
7 The clock makes a noise what keeps me awake at night.
8 I’m sure that Rashid will do well at university, which one he goes to.
➜ Additional exercise 11 (page 247) 109
Unit
55 Prepositions in relative clauses
A In formal styles noun + of which is often preferred to – Reminder ➜ J1–J5
whose + noun:
A huge amount of oil was spilled, the effects of which are still being felt. (or … whose effects
are still being felt.)
that / which … of in relative clauses:
The school of which she is head is closing. (less formally The school (that / which) she is head
of is closing.)
After both we can use of which and of whose, but not usually which or whose:
Lotta was able to switch between German and
Also after: all, each, many, most,
Russian, both of which she spoke fluently.
neither, none, part, some, a number
(not … both which she spoke fluently.)
(one, two, etc.; the first, the second,
etc.; half, a third, etc.), and superlatives
(the best, the biggest, etc.)

B In formal, mainly written, English whose can come after a preposition in a relative clause. Putting the
preposition at the end of the clause is more natural in informal and spoken English:
I now turn to Freud, from whose work the following quotation is taken. (less formally …
Freud, whose work the following quotation is taken from.)

C When a preposition is needed with the relative pronouns which and whom we usually put it before
the relative pronoun in formal styles:
The rate at which a material heats up depends on its chemical composition.
There are 80 teachers in the Physics Department, among whom are 24 professors.
After a preposition we usually use whom rather than who in formal styles:
Is it right that politicians should make important decisions without consulting the public to
whom they are accountable? (rather than … the public to who they are accountable.)
and we don’t use that or no relative pronoun:
The valley in which the town lies is heavily polluted. (not The valley in that the town lies is
heavily polluted.; not The valley in the town lies is heavily polluted.)
In less formal English we usually put the preposition later in the relative clause:
The office that Juan took us to was filled with books. (rather than The office to which Juan
took us …)
and we prefer who (or that) rather than whom (see also Unit 26A):
The playground wasn’t used by the children who it was built for.

D If the verb in the relative clause is a two-word verb (e.g. come across, fill in, look after, take on) we
don’t usually put the preposition before the relative pronoun:
The Roman coins, which a local farmer came across in a field, are now on display in the
National Museum. (not … coins, across which the local farmer came, are …)
With three-word verbs, we only put the preposition before the relative pronoun in a very formal or
literary style, and many people avoid this pattern:
She is one of the few people to whom I look up. (or less formally … who I look up to.)

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 Unit
Exercises 55
55.1 Rewrite these sentences so that they are more appropriate for formal written English. Use
preposition + which or preposition + whose, as appropriate. A & B
1 Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, which he was awarded the Nobel Prize for, had a major
influence on the lives of people in the 20th century. Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, for
which he was awarded the Nobel Prize, had a major influence on the lives of
people in the 20th century.
2 He was the uncle of Anne Boleyn, whose execution in 1536 he lost power after.
3 It is her unmarried name which she is better known by.
4 Mr Wang, whose land the road will be built across, is unhappy about the plans.
5 The election result, which there can be no doubt about, is a great disappointment.
6 The building which Marcus emerged from was little more than a ruin.
7 It is a medieval palace, whose tower the king hid in during the civil war.
8 I am grateful to Aarav Basu, whose book on the history of the bicycle this information comes
from.

55.2 Complete the sentences using the endings from the box and which or whom after an
appropriate preposition. C
the furniture is to be delivered. she was divorced in 2005. he had shown his novel.
I had great respect. it was named. the printer was supplied.
most world trade was conducted. you should be aware.

1 My Maths teacher, Mr Kato, was someone for whom I had great respect.
2 Until 1914 the pound sterling was the currency
.
3 They have changed the date
.
4 Pasteurisation was discovered by the French chemist Louis Pasteur,
.
5 He was persuaded to stay in England by Charles Dickens,
.
6 There are a number of safety procedures
.
7 Details are in the instruction manual
.
8 Ms Park was left the money by her former husband,
.

55.3 Rewrite the sentences from 55.2 in a less formal way, putting the preposition at the end of the
relative clause. A
1 My Maths teacher, Mr Kato, was someone who / that / – I had great respect for.

55.4 If necessary, suggest corrections or improvements to these sentences or write ✓ if they are
already correct. A, C & D
1 The house into which the thieves broke is owned by Caleb Cruz.
2 The school has been given 20 laptops, half of which are brand new.
3 JKL Motorbikes sells six different models, the first which they started making in 1985.
4 The party, to which I’ve been looking forward all week, is at Maxine’s house.
5 The water that she fell into was freezing cold.
6 I have heard her on the violin and clarinet, both which she plays extremely well.
7 The film was made at Tulloch Castle, part which dates back to 1466.
8 The college is home to 30 students from Nepal, almost all of who are studying economics.

➜ Additional exercise 11 (page 247) 111