IELTS Relative Clause Usage Exercises

Relative Clauses

Relative clauses (also known as adjective clauses) add essential or extra information about a noun without starting a new sentence. They begin with relative pronouns like who, whom, whose, which, and that. In IELTS writing and speaking, using relative clauses effectively can demonstrate a wider range of grammar and help you achieve a higher band score.

Rule Explanation

Relative clauses are subordinate clauses that modify a noun or pronoun in the main clause. There are two main types:

1. Restrictive (Defining) Relative Clauses

   • Provide information essential to identify the noun.
   • Do not use commas to set off the clause.
   • "That" can replace "who/which" in most cases.
   • Examples:
     • "The students who study daily achieve better results." (Without this clause, we wouldn't know which students.)
     • "Books that contain pictures are more engaging for young readers."

2. Nonrestrictive (Non-defining) Relative Clauses

   • Add extra information that is not essential to the noun’s identity.
   • Always set off by commas.
   • Cannot use "that"; must use who, whom, which, or whose.
   • Examples:
     • "My sister, who lives in Canada, is visiting next month."
     • "The Eiffel Tower, which was completed in 1889, attracts millions of tourists."

Relative pronouns and their roles:

• Who: subject pronoun for people (e.g., "The teacher who explained the concept was patient.").
• Whom: object pronoun for people (formal) (e.g., "The student whom the teacher praised was delighted.").
• Which: subject or object pronoun for animals and things (e.g., "The book which won the award is a bestseller.").
• That: subject or object pronoun for people, animals, or things in restrictive clauses (e.g., "The device that I bought works well.").
• Whose: possessive pronoun for people, animals, or things (e.g., "The author whose book became a bestseller attended the fair.").

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Using commas with restrictive clauses: "Cars, that are expensive, are not always reliable." (Incorrect; no commas needed.)
• Using 'that' in nonrestrictive clauses: "My car that I bought last year, needs servicing." (Incorrect; should be 'which'.)
• Mixing up who vs whom: "The person who I saw" vs "The person whom I saw."

Example in context:
"Students who practice grammar regularly improve their writing skills significantly."
Here, "who practice grammar regularly" tells us which students.

Using relative clauses to combine ideas can improve your sentence variety. For instance, instead of writing "I have a friend. She works in finance.", you can write "I have a friend who works in finance." This demonstrates complex sentence formation in both writing and speaking.

Recognizing relative clauses is also useful in IELTS reading. Passages often contain embedded clauses; understanding their function helps with paraphrasing and answering detail questions.

Examples

• Correct: "The woman who called earlier left a message." ("Who" refers to a person and is the subject of the clause.)
• Correct: "I read the novel that won several awards." ("That" correctly introduces the defining clause about the novel.)
• Common mistake: "The cake that, she baked, was delicious." (Incorrect comma usage; no commas for restrictive clauses.)

Practice Question

Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:

1. The scientist ___ discovered the cure was honored at the ceremony.

A) whom
B) which
C) who
D) whose

Show Answer

Answer: C) who
Explanation: "Who" refers to people and serves as the subject of the relative clause "who discovered the cure."

Key Takeaways

• Use who/whom/which/that/whose correctly to add essential or extra information about a noun.
• Restrictive clauses (no commas) are essential; nonrestrictive clauses (commas) add parenthetical details.
• Practice relative clause usage with Lingo Copilot