practice: relative sentences intermediate level

Relative Sentences Exercises

You sent me a present. Thank you very much for it.

Thank you very much for the present which you sent me.

Thank you very much for the present that you sent me.

Thank you very much for the present () you sent me.

She was dancing with a student. He had a slight limp.

She was dancing with a student who had a slight limp.

She was dancing with a student that had a slight limp.

I am looking after some children. They are terribly spoilt.

I am looking after some children who are terribly spoilt.

I am looking after some children that are terribly spoilt.

Romeo and Juliet were lovers. Their parents hated each other.

Romeo and Juliet, whose parents hated each other, were lovers.

This is Mrs Jones. Her son won the championship last year.

This is Mrs Jones, whose son won the championship last year.

Mr Smith said he was too busy to speak to me. I had come specially to see him.

Mr Smith, who I had come specially to see, said he was too busy to speak to me.

Mr Smith, whom I had come specially to see, said he was too busy to speak to me.

The man was sitting at the desk. I had come to see this man.

The man who I had come to see was sitting at the desk.

The man that I had come to see was sitting at the desk.

The man () I had come to see was sitting at the desk.

Andy’s girlfriend turned out to be an enemy spy. He trusted her absolutely.

Andy’s girlfriend, who he trusted absolutely, turned out to be an enemy spy.

Andy’s girlfriend, whom he trusted absolutely, turned out to be an enemy spy.

This is the story of a man. His wife suddenly loses her memory.

This is the story of a man whose wife suddenly loses her memory.

We'll have to get across the frontier. This will be difficult.

We'll have to get across the frontier, which will be difficult.

A man brought in a small girl. Her hand was bleeding.

A man brought in a small girl whose hand was bleeding.

The car crashed into a queue of people. Four of them were killed.

The car crashed into a queue of people, four of whom were killed.

The roads were crowded with refugees. Many of them were wounded.

The roads were crowded with refugees, many of whom were wounded.

I was waiting for a man. He didn't turn up.

I was waiting for a man who / that didn't turn up.

The Smiths were given rooms in the hotel. Their house had been destroyed in the explosion.

The Smiths, whose house had been destroyed in the explosion, were given rooms in the hotel.

He wanted to come at 2 a.m. This didn't suit me at all.

He wanted to come at 2 a.m. , which didn't suit me at all.

This is a story of a group of boys. Their plane crashed on an uninhabited island.

This is a story of a group of boys whose plane crashed on an uninhabited island.

He introduced me to his students. Most of them were from abroad.

He introduced me to his students, most of whom were from abroad.

He expected me to pay £2 for 12 eggs. Four of the eggs were broken.

He expected me to pay £2 for 12 eggs, four of which were broken.

They gave me four very bad tyres. One of them burst before I had driven four miles.

They gave me four very bad tyres, one of which burst before I had driven four miles.

One of the bad tyres which / that / () they gave me burst before I had driven four miles.

RELATIVE CLAUSES WITH PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions are words that link two words or phrases: the preceding word with the following word of phrase.

Examples: A man ¶ with - his family. A present ¶ from - my boyfriend. Food ¶ for - everybody.

With relative clauses, the preposition may be used in two ways:

1. after the verb

2. before the relative pronoun

1. When the preposition is used after the verb, you may use these relative pronouns:

This is lady who / whom / that / Ø I'm talking about. You're reading the book which / that / Ø I was looking for. I like the girl whose sister you were with at the party.

PEOPLE NON-PEOPLE

who whom that (only defining clauses) (Ø) (only defining clauses) whose

which that (only defining clauses) (Ø) (only defining clauses) whose

2. When the preposition is used before the relative pronoun, you may use these relative pronouns:

This is lady about whom I'm talking. You're reading the book for which I was looking. I like the girl with whose sister you were at the party.

PEOPLE NON-PEOPLE

whom whose

which whose

After a preposition, NEVER use a subject form (with who) NEVER use that (under that) NEVER omit a relative pronoun

She was dancing with a student. He had a slight limp.(2)

The student who she was dancing with had a slight limp.

The student that she was dancing with had a slight limp.

The student whom she was dancing with had a slight limp.

The student () she was dancing with had a slight limp.

She was dancing with a student. He had a slight limp.(3)

The student with whom she was dancing had a slight limp.

I was waiting for a man. He didn't turn up.(2)

The man who / whom / that / () I was waiting for didn't turn up.

The man for whom I was waiting didn't turn up.

The bed has no mattress. I sleep on this bed.

The bed which / that / () I sleep on has no mattress.

The bed on which I sleep has no mattress.

There wasn't any directory in the telephone box. I was phoning from this box.

There wasn't any directory in the telephone box from which I was phoning.

There wasn't any directory in the telephone box which / that / () I was phoning from.

I was sitting on a chair. It suddenly collapsed.

The chair on which I was sitting suddenly collapsed.

The chair which / that / () I was sitting on suddenly collapsed.

The firm is sending me to York. I work for this firm.

The firm which / that / () I work for is sending me to York.

The firm for which I work is sending me to York.

They tie up parcels with string. This is too weak.

The string which / that / () they tie up parcels with is too weak.

The string with which they tie up parcels is too weak.

She climbed to the top of the monument to see the wonderful view. She had been told about this view.

She climbed to the top of the monument to see the wonderful view which / that / () she had been told about.

She climbed to the top of the monument to see the wonderful view about which she had been told.

The bar was very noisy. I was telephoning from this bar.

The bar from which / where I was telephoning was very noisy.

The bar which / that / where / () I was telephoning from was very noisy.