RELATIVE CLAUSES
Exercise 1: Complete the sentences. Put in relative pronouns only if you have to. If the
sentence is correct without relative pronouns, write Ø. Also add commas where
necessary.
1. The man…............paid for the meal was a friend of Tom’s.
2. The meeting.................we had to attend went on for three hours.
3. My office,.................is on the second floor of the building, is very small.
4. Jane works for a company.................makes shoes.
6. This school is only for children… first language is not English.
7. Laura had a wooden box,.................she kept her photos in.
8. I don’t know the name of the woman to.................I spoke on the phone.
9. Towns................attract tourists are usually crowded in the summer.
10. Somewhere I’ve got a photo of the mountain ................we climbed
11. The sun,...............is one of millions of stars in the universe, provides us with heat and
light.
12. I thought I recognized the assistant…............served us.
13. Which is the European country..............economy is growing the fastest?
14. John,................speaks French and Italian, works as a tour guide.
15. The detective lost sight of the man…................he was following.
16. She told me her address,...................I wrote down on a piece of paper.
17. Sarah,................you met yesterday, works in advertising.
18. I’m afraid the numbers…................I chose didn’t win the prize.
19. Electronics is a subject about….....................I know very little.
20. Mark,........................car had broken down, was in very little.
Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with WHO, WHICH, WHOM or THAT.
1. The woman...........................................................lives next-door is Vietnamese.
2. The book............................................................you gave me is very good.
3. Do you know the boys..........................................................are standing outside the hotel?
4. The police are looking for the thieves......................................got into my room yesterday.
5. The chocolate............................................................you like comes from Japan.
6. I have lost the ring................................................my husband gave me on my birthday.
7. A thief is someone..................................................breaks into a house and steals things.
8. Buses............................................................go to the restaurant run every half hour.
9. He can’t find the key...........................................................opens this cupboard.
10. I gave her a comic............................................................had many pictures.
11. My mom doesn't like the man......................................................my sister is going out with.
12. Did you see the beautiful dress...........................................................she wore yesterday?
13. The man............................................................my sister is going to marry is very rich.
14. This is the hotel...........................................................was robbed last night.
15. He wore a mask...........................................................made him look like Jerry.
Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks with WHO, WHICH or WHOSE.
1. I arrived with a friend..............................waited outside in the car.
2. The man...............................phone was ringing did not know what to do.
3. The car..............................the thieves escaped in was a BMW.
4. The woman..............................son was crying tried to calm him down.
5. The receptionist...............................works in the motel is very old.
6. The family..............................truck was stolen last week is very rich.
7. The man...............................is wearing a red shirt looks very funny.
8. A bus is a big car...............................carries lots of people.
9. The volunteers,..............................enthusiasm was obvious, finished the work quickly.
10. My students..............................like reading books are often good at mathematics.
11. The architects...............................designed the building received an award.
12. The boy...............................recited the poem is my son.
13. That is the bicycle...............................belongs to Lisa.
14. The girl...............................you saw at the restaurant is Jenny’s sister
15. This is the book...............................I like best.
Exercise 4: Choose the best answer.
1. My teacher gives her students everything.............................they want.
A. that B. who C. whom D. what
2. This is a bike...............................you want to buy.
A. that B. what C. who D. where
3. The place...............................we spent our vacation was really great.
A. what B. who C. where D. which
4. What was the name of the man..............................passport was stolen?
A. whose B. who C. which D. when
5. The sofa..............................I slept in was too soft.
A. whose B. which C. what D. who
6. My mom is the only person...............................understands me.
A. which B. that C. what D. whose
7. Why do you always disagree with everything...............................I say?
A. who B. which C. when D. that
8. This is an awful book. It is the worst...............................I have ever read.
A. who B. that C. what D. whom
9. The main room...............................we stayed was not clean.
A. who B. that C. where D. when
10. The last time...............................I saw him, he looked very handsome.
A. who B. that C. where D. when
11. What was the name of the woman..............................phone had broken down.
A. which B. who C. whom D. whose
12. I recently went back to the country..............................I was born.
A. what B. where C. who D. which
13. The reason...............................I phoned him was to invite him to a party.
A. what B. whose C. why D. which
14. I don’t agree with...............................you have just said.
A. what B. who C. when D. which
15. She told me her address..............................I wrote on a piece of paper.
A. what B. which C. when D. where
16. The dress didn’t fit her, so she took it back to the shop.............................she had
bought it.
A. where B. which C. what D. when
17. Do you know the girl..............................Tom is talking to?
A. whom B. what C. which D. whose
18. I gave her all the money...............................I had.
A. that B. what C. when D. whose
19. The party...............................we went to wasn’t very enjoyable.
A. who B. when C. that D. where
20. The stories..............................Tom tells are usually very funny.
A. when B. that C. where D. who
21. I met the woman...........................................................can speak 6 languages.
A. who B. whom C. which D. whom
22. Have you seen the money...............................was on the table?
A. who B. which C. where D. whom
23. Where is the picture...............................was on the wall?
A. when B. where C. which D. who
24 .I don’t like people..............................never stop talking.
A. who B. which C. whom D. whose
25. Why does she always wear clothes...............................are too small for her?
A. which B. who C. whose D. where
Exercise 5: Combine these pairs of sentences using relative pronouns.
1. The first boy has just moved. He is my cousin.
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2. I don’t remember the boy. You met him at the hotel yesterday.
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3. The only thing is how to go home. It makes me worried.
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4. The most beautiful girl studies in my class. We like her curly hair very much.
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5. She was Jenny. I met her at the concert yesterday.
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6. The children often go fishing on Mondays. They have much free time then.
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7. They are looking for the man and his dog. They have lost their way in the forest.
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8. The tree has lovely flowers. The tree stands near the gate of my house.
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9. My wife wants you to come to dinner. You were speaking to my wife.
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10. The last man has just returned from the farm. I want to talk to him at once.
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11. The students will be awarded the present. The students’ reports are very valuable.
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12. The book was a lovely story. I was reading it yesterday.
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13. The botanist will never forget the day. He found a strange plant on that day.
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14. Someone is phoning you. He looked for you three hours ago.
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15. The man works for my father’s company. The man’s daughter is fond of dancing.
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Exercise 6: Reduce these relative clauses below.
1. The man who is standing there is a clown.
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2. The envelope which lies on the table has no stamp on it.
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3. Benzene, which was discovered by Faraday, became the starting point in
the manufacture of many dyes, perfumes and explosives.
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4. My grandmother, who is old and sick, never goes out of the house.
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5. The students don't know how to do exercises which were given by the teacher yesterday.
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6. The diagrams which were made by young Faraday were sent to Sir Humphry Davy
at the end of 1812.
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7. The gentleman who lives next door to me is a well-known orator.
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8. All the astronauts who are orbiting the earth in space capsules are weightless.
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9. All students who don't hand in their papers will fail in the exam.
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10. I saw many houses that were destroyed by the storm.
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11. The street which leads to the school is very wide.
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12. The system which is used here is very successful.
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13. John, who teaches my son, is my neighbor.
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14. The road that joins the two villages is very narrow.
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15. Boys who attend this school have to wear uniforms.
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Exercise 7: Combine the sentences by using relative adverbs.
1. This is the place. The accident occurred there.
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2. 7:05 is the time. My plane arrives at that time.
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3. I’ll show you the second-hand bookshop. You can find valuable books in this shop.
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4. The reason is to invite you to my party. I’m phoning you for this reason.
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5. Mark likes to travel at night. The roads are quiet at that time.
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6. The Riverside Restaurant is very beautiful. Lonce had lunch with Henry in this
restaurant.
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7. She doesn’t want to speak to the cause. She divorced her husband for this cause.
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8. The days were the saddest ones. I lived far from home on those days.
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9. A café is a small restaurant. People can get a light meal there.
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10. You didn’t tell us the reason. We had to cut down our daily expenses for that reason.
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