Relative clauses give more information about a person, thing, place or time, using words like who, which, that, whose, where and when: The woman who lives next door is a doctor. Check the table, then try the exercises below. You’ll see why each answer is right.
| Pronoun | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people | The man who called you is here. |
| which | things, animals; a whole idea after a comma | The car which hit him was red. She passed, which surprised us. |
| that | people or things (defining clauses only) | The film that we saw was great. |
| whose | possession (his, her, its, their) | A friend whose brother is a pilot. |
| where / when / why | places, times, reasons | The town where I grew up. The day when we met. |
| whom | people as an object, especially after prepositions (formal) | The person to whom I spoke. |
Relative clauses exercises
Four sets of 20 questions: the main pronouns (A2–B1), non-defining clauses and leaving out the pronoun (B1–B2), formal structures like all of whom and reduced clauses (C1), and an At work set. Prefer to check everything at the end? Switch to Exam mode.
-
The woman lives next door is a doctor.
-
This is the book I told you about.
-
I have a friend brother plays for Real Madrid.
-
That’s the restaurant we had dinner last week.
-
The phone I bought last week is already broken.
-
Do you know the man is talking to Anna?
-
I remember the day we first met.
-
A dictionary is a book explains the meaning of words.
-
The town I grew up is very small.
-
He’s the teacher class I enjoyed most.
-
Is this the bus goes to the airport?
-
People work at night often feel tired.
-
The film we saw yesterday was boring.
-
I met a girl parents are from Brazil.
-
That’s the hotel we stayed last summer.
-
Do you know anyone can fix computers?
-
The cake my mum made was delicious.
-
Summer is the season most people go on holiday.
-
The keys were on the table have disappeared.
-
She’s the person helped me when I was lost.
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key. It’s free to use in class.
-
My brother, lives in Paris, is coming to visit.
-
The Eiffel Tower, was built in 1889, is in Paris.
-
This is the man I saw at the station.
-
In which sentence can you leave out “that”?
-
My car, I bought last year, has already broken down.
-
Tom, father is a pilot, has been to 40 countries.
-
She passed the exam, surprised everyone.
-
I don’t understand he’s saying.
-
The reason I called is to invite you to dinner.
-
The people we met on holiday were very friendly.
-
My grandmother, is 90, still drives.
-
Is there anything I can do to help?
-
I need is a good night’s sleep. (the thing that)
-
London, I lived for five years, is an expensive city.
-
The girl bag was stolen went to the police.
-
This is the best film I’ve ever seen.
-
He gave me a book, I haven’t read yet.
-
In which sentence must you use commas?
-
The house roof was damaged has been repaired.
-
Everything she said was true.
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key. It’s free to use in class.
-
The person to I spoke was very helpful.
-
This is the company for I worked for ten years.
-
The colleague with I share an office is very quiet.
-
He has three sisters, all of are doctors.
-
She bought two dresses, neither of fitted her.
-
The woman next to me on the plane was a famous actress.
-
Products (make) in Italy are usually expensive.
-
Anyone to join the club should contact Mark.
-
The decision, was made last week, surprised everyone.
-
The hotel at we stayed was excellent.
-
He didn’t call me, annoyed me.
-
That’s the moment at I realised I loved her.
-
The students, most of were tired, went home early.
-
Is that the reason for you left?
-
The man car was parked outside was arrested.
-
The issues in the report need urgent attention.
-
She’s the only person really understands me.
-
There were 30 people at the meeting, half of were from overseas.
-
surprised me most was his reaction.
-
The town I was born has changed a lot.
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key. It’s free to use in class.
-
The client called this morning wants a meeting.
-
The report you sent me has some mistakes.
-
We need someone speaks German.
-
Our CEO, founded the company in 2010, is retiring.
-
This is the office I work.
-
The supplier prices are lowest will win the contract.
-
The project, started in March, is behind schedule.
-
Is this the email you were talking about?
-
Monday is the day we have our team meeting.
-
We hired a designer work we really like.
-
The colleague with I share a desk is on holiday.
-
Sales fell by 10%, worried the board.
-
we need now is a clear plan. (the thing that)
-
Employees here for more than five years get extra holiday.
-
The documents by the lawyer are on your desk.
-
The candidates, two of have PhDs, will be interviewed tomorrow.
-
That’s the reason we changed suppliers.
-
The manager team won the award gave a speech.
-
Is there anything else I can help you with?
-
Our new office, is in the city centre, is much bigger.
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key. It’s free to use in class.
Defining vs non-defining clauses
A defining clause tells us which person or thing we mean, so the sentence doesn’t make sense without it: People who smoke damage their health. No commas, and that is fine.
A non-defining clause adds extra information about someone we’ve already identified: My mother, who is a teacher, speaks five languages. It needs commas, and you can’t use that or leave the pronoun out.
Common mistakes
- ❌ My brother, that lives in Paris, is coming. → ✅ My brother, who lives in Paris, is coming.
- ❌ The man who’s car was stolen… → ✅ The man whose car was stolen…
- ❌ The town which I grew up is small. → ✅ The town where I grew up / in which I grew up…
- ❌ The book that I read it was boring. → ✅ The book that I read was boring. (no extra it)
FAQ
When can I leave out the relative pronoun?
In defining clauses, when the pronoun is the object of the verb: The film (that) we watched was great. If it’s the subject, you need it: The man who called you is here. Quick test: if a new subject (we, I, she…) follows the pronoun, you can drop it.
Is “whom” still used?
Mostly in formal writing and directly after a preposition: the person to whom I spoke, three sisters, all of whom are doctors. In everyday English people say the person I spoke to or who I spoke to.
What is a reduced relative clause?
It’s a shorter form without the pronoun and be: the woman sitting next to me (= who was sitting), products made in Italy (= which are made). Use -ing for an active meaning and the past participle for a passive meaning.