Relative clauses
Clauses that tell you more about a noun, the words that start them, and when they need commas.
The answer
A relative clause is a kind of subordinate clause that tells you more about a noun, usually starting with who, which, that, whose, where or when.
Examples
That’s the boy who lives next door.
The cake that Dad made was delicious.
My aunt, whose dog is huge, is visiting today.
This is the park where I learned to ride my bike.
The film we watched was scary.
The relative pronoun that has been left out: the film that we watched.
How to spot it
- It comes straight after the noun it tells you about.
- Look for who (people), which (things), that (people or things), whose (belonging), where (places) or when (times).
- The relative pronoun can be missing: the film we watched means the film that we watched.
The common mistake
Using which for people or who for things.
‘The man which lives there’ should be ‘The man who lives there’. Use who or that for people, and which or that for things.
When it is taught
- First met
- Year 5
- On the pupil word list
- Year 5, as “relative clause”
Year 5: relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that, or an omitted relative pronoun.
Try a question
Underline the relative clause.
The bike that Sam borrowed had a flat tyre.
Show the answer
Answer: that Sam borrowed
It tells you which bike, and that refers back to bike. The main clause is the bike had a flat tyre.
Related terms
More grammar terms
Questions parents ask
When does a relative clause need commas?
When it adds extra information that could be removed without changing which noun you mean: My dad, who is a nurse, works nights. No commas when it tells you which one: The boy who won is my cousin.
Can a relative clause describe a whole clause?
Yes. In ‘Tom broke the game, which annoyed Ali’, which refers back to the whole idea of Tom breaking the game.
Which year are relative clauses taught?
Year 5 in England, together with relative pronoun, modal verb and parenthesis.
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