Relative Clauses

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1- Lets take a look to some grammar terminology:
Structures with a subject and a verb are called clauses.
(1) I met a man = a structure with subject and verb, it is a complete sentence. That is
to say, an independent clause, because it can stand by itself.
(2) He lives in Chicago = another independent clause: it is a complete sentence
which can stand by itself.
But if we say:
(3) who lives in Chicago = we have a dependent clause, it is NOT a complete
sentence. It cannot stand alone as a sentence, therefore, it must be connected to
an independent clause:
(4) I met a man who lives in Chicago= an independent clause + a
dependent clause= a complete sentence.

2- Adjectives and Relative Clauses
An adjective modifies a noun it describes or gives information about a noun. In the
same way, relative clauses also modify nouns. While adjectives usually come in front of
nouns, relative clauses follow them.
1. a) I met a kind man.
ADJ.

b) I met a man who is kind to everybody.
REL. CLAUSE

Relative Clauses

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3- Using who in relative clauses

(a) The man is friendly. He lives next to me.

who

who lives next to me

(b) The man who lives next to me is friendly.


In (a), He is a subject
pronoun. He refers to the
man. To make a relative
clause, change He to
who. Who is a subject
pronoun. Who refers to
the man.
In (b), a relative clause
immediately follows the
noun it modifies.
INCORRECT: The man is
friendly who lives next to
me.
Relative Clauses

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