As explained in English 125, a relative clause (or adjective clause) is a dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun. These clauses are connected to the rest of the sentence by a relative pronoun like who, which, or that.
- We need to find a solution that takes everyone's needs into account.
- Do you know anyone who has a large truck?
- My mother has a picture of him which was taken when he was a child.
Relative clauses can also occur in the middle of a sentence. These kinds of clauses are called embedded clauses.
- The woman who runs the store called you yesterday to ask if you’d like an interview.
- Can you bring the pizza that your father has just taken out of the oven to the table?
Relative Pronouns as Subjects and Objects
In relative clauses, the relative pronoun serves either as the subject or object of the clause.
As subjects
- The company which makes this soap is going out of business.
(The relative pronoun 'which' refers to 'the company' and is the subject of the verb 'make'.) - Children who go to this school usually walk because they live in the neighbourhood.
(The relative pronoun 'who' refers to 'children' and is the subject of the verb 'go'.) - The animals that live in this river would suffer greatly if it became more polluted.
(The relative pronoun 'that' refers to 'the animals' and is the subject of the verb 'live'.)
As objects
- Do you know the language that she is speaking?
(The relative pronoun 'that' refers to 'the language' and is the object of the verb 'speak'.) - The stadium which the city built for the World Cup is no longer being regularly used.
(The relative pronoun 'which' refers to 'the stadium' and is the object of the verb 'build'.) - All of the people whom I met at the party last night were so interesting.
(The relative pronoun 'whom' refers to 'all of the people' and is the object of the verb 'met'.)
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