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Which relative pronoun is NOT possible to refer to a person?
Which
Justification: Which is not used to refer to people.
I’ll never forget the day ___ I first spoke in public.
when
Justification: When is used to refer to time (day).
The manager, ___ decision surprised everyone, resigned.
Whose expresses possession. The clause is non-defining, so commas are needed.
The hotel ___ we stayed last summer, ___ was near the beach, has closed.
Answer:
The hotel where / in which we stayed last summer, which was near the beach, has closed.
Justification:
The first clause is defining (identifies the hotel).
The second clause is non-defining, so which must be used.
The movie ___ we watched last night was based on a true story.
(-) that / which
Justification: It refers to an object (movie).
The woman ___ son won the prize is a famous scientist.
whose
Justification: Whose is used to show possession (the son belongs to the woman).
This is the only place ___ I feel completely calm.
where / in which
Justification: It refers to a place (place).
The conference, ___ was cancelled last minute, had hundreds of attendees.
The conference, which was cancelled last minute, had hundreds of attendees.
Justification:
This is a non-defining clause, so “that” is not allowed and commas are required.
The scientist, ___ research changed modern medicine, received the award.
Answer:
The scientist, whose research changed modern medicine, received the award.
Justification:
Whose shows possession. The clause is non-defining, so commas are required.
Why is this sentence grammatically incorrect?
The author, that wrote the novel, won three awards.
The sentence is incorrect because “that” cannot be used in non-defining relative clauses.
The café ___ we met last year has closed.
where / in which
Justification: It refers to a place (café).
Choose the correct sentence and explain why:
a) The report, that was published last week, caused a lot of controversy.
b) The report, which was published last week, caused a lot of controversy.
Non-defining relative clauses must be separated by commas and cannot use “that”.
Only which is correct for things in non-defining clauses.
What is the difference in meaning between:
“My brother who lives in Spain is a doctor” and
“My brother, who lives in Spain, is a doctor”?
Without commas: The information is essential more than one brother.
With commas: The information is extra only one brother.
What happens if you remove commas from a non-defining relative clause?
The meaning changes or the sentence becomes incorrect.
Justification: Commas are mandatory in non-defining clauses.
Non-defining relative clauses can be removed because the information they contain is __________.
Answer: non-essential / extra / supplementary
When can “that” replace “who” or “which”?
In defining relative clauses.
Justification: That is used when the information is essential and the style is informal.
The book ___ you lent me, ___ I finished yesterday, was fascinating.
The book that you lent me, which I finished yesterday, was fascinating.
Justification:
The first clause is defining (identifies the book), so that or which are possible.
The second clause is non-defining, so it must use which and commas.
The day ___ we met ___ I will never forget.
The day when we met that I will never forget.
Justification:
When refers to time.
That introduces a defining clause and can be omitted.
In which sentence can the relative pronoun be omitted?
When the relative pronoun is the object.
Justification: In defining clauses, object pronouns can be omitted.
Which sentence becomes incorrect if the relative clause is removed?
a) My car, which I bought last year, is electric.
b) The students, who arrived late, were punished.
c) Mr Smith, who is our principal, will speak next.
d) Paris, which is the capital of France, attracts millions of tourists.
Correct answer: b
Because without the clause, “The students were punished” loses the intended reference.
Why can’t “that” be used in non-defining relative clauses?
Justification: Non-defining clauses require who or which and commas.
The teacher ___ you were talking to is my advisor.
who / that
Justification: It refers to a person (teacher).
What relative word would you use to talk about time?
When
Justification: It is used to refer to time.
What happens to the meaning of a sentence if the extra information in a non-defining relative clause is removed?
The main meaning of the sentence stays the same.
Justification:
Non-defining relative clauses give extra, non-essential information.
If this information is removed, the sentence is still complete and grammatically correct, and its core meaning does not change.
Which sentence implies that all the people mentioned share the same characteristic?
a) The employees who arrived late were warned.
b) The employees, who arrived late, were warned.
Answer: b
Justification:
The commas indicate a non-defining clause, implying all the employees arrived late.