Clauses: Relative clauses

Look at the highlighted clauses in these examples. What do they add to the meaning of the sentences?

• And then he ran down this alleyway so we ran as well, with the guys who were then chasing him. _{[S2A-050 #163]}
• And the school where I teach is at the general hospital in Northampton. _{[S1A-082 #9]}
• The 8-Series model and the engine which powered it were superbly detailed. _{[W2B-037 #28]}

Each clause comes after a noun and gives us more information relating to that noun.

These clauses are called relative clauses because they ‘relate back’ to a preceding noun (called the antecedent).

A relative clause is a special type of subordinate clause (a clause which only functions as part of a larger structure).

Let’s zoom in on our examples:

• the guys who were then chasing him
• the school where I teach
• the engine which powered it

These relative clauses tell us which guys are being talked about, which school, which engine. Notice that each one has a special relative word starting with wh-: who, where, which.

What about the relative clauses in these examples?

• I was in Narrow Wood, which is just near Box Hill, Dorking. _{[S1A-081 #60]}
• Last season, he was on loan to Swansea, for whom he played in the European Cup. _{[W2C-014 #28]}

These relative clauses don’t tell us ‘which Narrow Wood?’ or ‘which Swansea?’ – those questions don’t really make sense. However, they do give more information which relates to Narrow Wood and Swansea: Narrow Wood is just near Box Hill, Dorking; he played for Swansea in the European Cup.

Some relative clauses start instead with that:

• Those batteries that you gave me lasted an hour. _{[S1A-085 #132]}
• But you will also need to do exercise that strengthens bones. _{[W2B-022 #103]}

Often that can be left out:

• Those batteries that you gave me lasted an hour.
• Those batteries you gave me lasted an hour.

Here are some more examples where there is no special relative word (no that or wh-word):

• That’s not the guy you were talking to. _{[S1A-058 #11]}
• But was it in that little book you had yesterday? _{[S1A-053 #185]}
• Why is it that everybody I interview starts discussing the equipment? _{[S1A-007 #191]}

Relative clauses most often relate back to nouns. However, sometimes they relate back to a whole clause. What is  described as being a bit sad in this example?

• So we haven’t really got very far, which is a bit sad. _{[S1A-008 #9]}

What’s described as a bit sad here is the whole situation in which we haven’t got very far.

See if you can find the relative clauses inside these sentences: