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what is relative clause. please help

Relative clauses are subordinate clauses that add information, define or identify the noun. They are also known as adjective clauses. Clauses starting with the relative pronouns 'who', 'that', 'which', 'whose', 'where', 'when' are relative clauses.

Here are some examples:

  • He is the man who was gave the speech yesterday.
  • This is the school where I studied.
  • She was searching for the book which was in her hand.
  • She offered a proposal which Nick did not accept.


 

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Defining relative clauses (also calledidentifying relative clausesorrestrictive relative clauses) give detailed information defining a general term or expression. Defining relative clauses are not put incommas.

Imagine, Tom is in a room with five girls. One girl is talking to Tom and you ask somebody whether he knows this girl. Here the relative clause defines which of the five girls you mean.

Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?

Defining relative clauses are often used indefinitions.

A seaman is someone who works on a ship.

Object pronouns in defining relative clauses can be dropped. (Sentences with a relative clause without the relative pronoun are calledContact Clauses.)

The boy(who/whom)we met yesterday is very nice.

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