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A. Relative clauses Relative pronouns
Subjectcannot be ommited
Objectcan be Possessive – cannot ommited be ommited
FOR PEOPLE
who/ that
who(m)/that
whose
FOR THINGS
which/ that
Which/that
whose
We use relative pronouns: • after a noun, to make it clear which person or thing we are talking about: the house that Jack built the woman who discovered radium an eight-year-old boy who attempted to rob a sweet shop • to tell us more about a person or thing: My mother, who was born overseas, has always been a great traveller. Lord Thompson, who is 76, has just retired. We had fish and chips, which is my favourite meal.
But we do not use that as a subject in this kind of relative clause. We use whose as the possessive form of who: This is George, whose brother went to school with me. We sometimes use whom as the object of a verb or preposition:
Clauses 1
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This is George, whom you met at our house last year. This is George’s brother, with whom I went to school. But nowadays we normally use who: This is George, who you met at our house last year. This is George’s brother, who I went to school with. When whom or which have a preposition the preposition can come at the beginning of the clause... I had an uncle in Germany, from who[m] I inherited a bit of money. We bought a chainsaw, with which we cut up all the wood. … or at the end of the clause: I had an uncle in Germany who[m] I inherited a bit of money from. We bought a chainsaw, which we cut all the wood up with. We can use that at the beginning of the clause: I had an uncle in Germany that I inherited a bit of money from. We bought a chainsaw that we cut all the wood up with.
Source: http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/node/1295/
Note
Prepositions normally go after relative pronouns. In formal speech, prepositions can go before whom and which only (not before who/that/whose). The room (that/which) I slept in last night was very cozy. (usual) The room in which I slept last night was very soft. (normal)
Expressions of quantity (some of, many of, a few of , most of, half of, neither of, none of, a number of, etc.) can be followed by whom/which/whose.
The school has 300 students, most of whom are computer literate.
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Which sometimes refers to a whole sentence and cannot be omitted. The elevator was out of order and this was very inconvenient The elevator was out of order, which was very inconvenient.
Relative adverbs The relative adverbs where, when & why can be used to join sentences or clauses. They replace the more formal structure of preposition + which used to introduce a relative clause.
Formal structure: preposition + which
More common structure using a relative adverb
That's the restaurant in which we met for the first time.
That's the restaurant where we met for the first time.
That picture was taken in the park at which I used to play.
That picture was taken in the park where I used to play.
I remember the day on which we first met.
I remember the day when we first met.
There was a very hot summer the year in which he was born.
There was a very hot summer the year when he was born.
Tell me the reason for which you came home late.
Tell me (the reason) why you came home late.
Do you want to know the reason for which he is angry with Sally?
Do you want to know (the reason) why he is angry with Sally
Source: http://www.edufind.com/english-grammar/relative-adverbs/
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Note
That can be used instead of when. I’ll never forget the summer when/that we went to Nice.
In/on/at which can be used instead of when and where. Where can be omitted or substituted by that if the verb is followed by a preposition. We stayed at a rather cheap hotel The hotel where / at which we stayed was rather cheap
or
The hotel (that) we stayed at was rather cheap.
Defining and non-defining relative clauses Note
Defining relative clauses provide information which is essential to the meaning of the sentence. No commas are used. Students who cheat should be punished. Non-defining relative clauses provide additional information (not essential to the meaning of the sentence). They are put between commas. The relative pronouns cannot be omitted; neither can we use that instead of them. The doctor, who is the Head of the Department, will attend the reception.
Source:
Mitchel, H. Q. (2012). Grammar & Vocabulary Practice . EU: MM Publications .