RELATIVE CLAUSES

1. Look at the following sentences and divide them into defining and non-defining relative clauses:

Is that the woman who screams all night?
My house, which I bought last year, is the best in the neighbourhood.
The leaves sweeping across the street left a trail like footprints.
The house I bought last year is the best in the neighbourhood.
Even Todd, who always knew best, was at a loss for words.
This is the room in which Shakespeare was born.
The people he worked with thought he was wierd.
The motorists, who knew about the floods, took the A4.

2. Now try answering these questions.

What factors helped in your decision?
Can you draw up some simple rules based on the above?
What usually happens to prepositions in relative clauses?

3. Look at these two sentences.

He tore up the photo which upset me.
He tore up the photo, which upset me.

What is the difference in meaning?
Do they follow your rules?

4. Look at these four sentences.

The autumn leaves swirling across the road left messages in their wake.
The autumn leaves, swirling across the road, left messages in their wake.
The fans who wanted Stoichkov to play blamed Cruyff for the defeat.
The fans, who wanted Stoichkov to play, blamed Cruyff for the defeat.

Do they follow your rules?

5. Questions for teaching

How can we help students interpret sentences such as those above?
Can these examples help our students?
Does it help to use other terminology?