• 3-minute read
• 3rd May 2023

Grammar Tips: Relative Clauses

Relative clauses, also sometimes called adjective clauses, are phrases that add more information to the subject or object of a sentence. Sometimes this information is necessary to understand the sentence, and sometimes it’s just extra.

Understanding how relative clauses work is an important part of English grammar. Check out our guide on this topic below.

How do Relative Clauses Work?

Relative clauses connect ideas that could otherwise be separate sentences. For example:

Adding the relative clause, “that I need for a party,” to the first sentence allows us to connect the two ideas. The magic word to tie it all together, “that,” is a relative pronoun. To form your own relative clauses, make sure you keep the following in mind.

1. Is the Clause Restrictive or Non-Restrictive?

Does the clause add important information that’s needed for the context of the sentence? If so, it’s a restrictive clause, and it should use the pronoun “that” without commas. For example:

In this case, “the book that you’re looking for” adds relevant context to the sentence.

However, if the clause just adds extra, irrelevant information, then it’s non-restrictive. For a non-restrictive clause, you should use the pronoun “which” and precede it with a comma. For example:

The main point of this sentence is to say that the trip will be ruined if the weather’s bad. Adding “which is two weeks from now” provides additional information that’s not necessary to understand the sentence.

2. Does the Clause Refer to a Person or Object?

If the subject or object of the sentence is an inanimate thing, then “which” and “that” should be used, like in the earlier examples. However, if you’re talking about a person, you need to use “who”:

If the subject or object is possessive, you’ll use “whose” in all cases. For example:

Cutting the Relative Pronoun

Now that you’ve got the hang of forming relative clauses, let’s look at ways that you can make your sentences more concise. With restrictive clauses, you can cut out the relative pronoun if it refers to the object of the sentence. For example:

In this sentence, the object is the cat, and the subject is “you.”

However, you can’t always delete the pronoun if it refers to the subject of the sentence:

In this case, the subject of the sentence is the cat.

You can only delete the relative pronoun for a subject if “-ing” is added to the verb:

For non-restrictive clauses, on the other hand, the pronoun can only be deleted if it refers to the subject of the sentence and if the verb is a “to be” verb:

Conclusion

Relative clauses allow us to connect ideas and make our writing more interesting. We hope this quick guide has helped you to feel more confident when spotting and using them.

If you need more help with your writing, though, be sure to send it our way! Our editors will check your work for grammar, spelling, word choice, and so much more. Try it out for free today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does subject–verb agreement work in relative clauses?

The verb in the relative clause should agree with the subject of the sentence, or the noun that the relative clause is talking about:

How do you form a relative clause?

A relative clause has a relative pronoun, a verb, and any other elements needed for the context, such as the object of the verb.