Relative Clauses

Concept

A relative clause gives extra information about a noun. Defining clauses identify which person or thing we mean and take no commas. Non-defining clauses add extra information and are placed between commas; they never use that.

جملة الوصل تعطي معلومة عن الاسم؛ إذا كانت ضرورية للتحديد فلا فواصل، وإذا كانت إضافية فتوضع بين فاصلتين ولا تستخدم that.

Rules & forms

• who = people · which = things · that = people or things (defining only)

  • • The teacher who helped me is retiring.
  • • The book that I bought is useful.

• whose = possession · whom = object of a verb or after a preposition

  whose للملكية، وwhom للمفعول أو بعد حرف الجر.

  • • The student whose project won is here.
  • • The manager to whom I spoke was helpful.

• where = place · when = time

  • • This is the school where I studied.
  • • I remember the day when we met.

• Non-defining: extra information, commas, never that.

  الجملة غير المحددة توضع بين فاصلتين ولا تستخدم that.

  • • Riyadh, which is the capital, is growing fast.

• The relative pronoun can be omitted when it is the object of a defining clause.

  • • The film (that) we watched was excellent.

Common mistakes & STEP traps

• ❌ My father, that works in a hospital, is a doctor.

  ✅ My father, who works in a hospital, is a doctor.

  That is never used in non-defining clauses.

• ❌ The man which called you is waiting.

  ✅ The man who called you is waiting.

  Which is not used for people.

• ❌ The student who his book is lost came late.

  ✅ The student whose book is lost came late.

  Possession requires whose.

• ❌ The house where I live in is old.

  ✅ The house where I live is old.

  Where already contains the preposition.