Logotipo da escola Sue’s Chat & That com microfone, nome em azul, rosa e amarelo e ilustração de professora apontando
Logotipo da escola Sue’s Chat & That com microfone, nome em azul, rosa e amarelo e ilustração de professora apontando

B1 - Relative Pronouns 25

Relative Pronouns Grammar

🔗Relative Pronouns and Relative Clauses

🎯Relative pronouns are words that connect two parts of a sentence. They introduce relative clauses, which give more information about a person, thing, place, or time.

💭Think of them like "link words" that help us avoid repeating nouns.

📋Common Relative Pronouns

Pronoun
Use / Meaning
who
refers to a person
which
refers to a thing or animal
that
refers to a person, thing, or animal (more informal)
whose
shows possession (person or thing)
where
refers to a place
when
refers to a time

⚖️Defining vs. Non-Defining Relative Clauses

1️⃣Defining Relative Clauses

Essential Information

🎯Gives essential information about the noun.

⛔We cannot remove this clause; it tells exactly which person or thing we mean.

Example:

"The boy who is wearing a red hat is my brother."
→ We need this information to know which boy.

2️⃣Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Extra Information

➕Gives extra information, not essential to identify the noun.

✂️We can remove this clause and the sentence still makes sense.

📝Always use commas to separate the clause.

Example:

"My brother, who is wearing a red hat, is very tall."
→ We already know who my brother is; the clause just adds extra information.

🇧🇷Important Notes for Brazilian Students

  • 🚫Do not translate word-for-word from Portuguese
    ❌ "The boy that his hat is red" → WRONG
    ✔ "The boy whose hat is red" → CORRECT
  • 👥Who vs. That
    "Who" → always people
    "That" → people, things, animals (informal)
    ❌ "The teacher which teaches English" → WRONG
    ✔ "The teacher who teaches English" → CORRECT
  • 📦Which vs. That (things/animals)
    "Which" → more formal, often in writing
    "That" → informal or spoken English
    ❌ "I bought the book who I liked" → WRONG
    ✔ "I bought the book that I liked" → CORRECT
  • 🏠Whose (possession)
    Shows ownership
    ❌ "The girl who her bag is red" → WRONG
    ✔ "The girl whose bag is red" → CORRECT
  • 📍Where (place) / When (time)
    ❌ "I remember the day who we met" → WRONG
    ✔ "I remember the day when we met" → CORRECT
    ❌ "The city who I was born" → WRONG
    ✔ "The city where I was born" → CORRECT

⚡Quick Examples

  • 👨‍🏫The man who is talking is my teacher.
  • 🐕I have a dog which loves to play.
  • 🏫This is the school that I went to as a child.
  • 👨‍⚕️My friend, whose father is a doctor, is very kind.
  • 🌳I visited the park where I used to play as a kid.
  • 📅1990 was the year when I was born.