CBSE Class 8 English Chapter 21 Relative Clauses

1. A Relative Clause describes a noun in the main clause. It is introduced by words like who, which, that, whose, whom, and where. It is, in fact, an Adjective clause. In the sentence — This is the boy who won the first prize tell us, ‘which boy’?

We use who to describe people and which and that to describe all nouns except people.

Examples:

1. This is the fort that Shah Jahan built.

(Here, that Shah Jahan’s built tells us more about the noun ‘fort’).

2. This is the book that you wanted.

(Which you wanted describes the noun book.)

3. Special Use of That: That can be used for whom also.

The boy who stood last in class is my nephew.

There are special cases where we have to use that.

1. We use that after Adjectives in the Superlative degree.

Examples:

He is the cruelest person that I have ever met.
This is the dullest book that I have ever read.

2. We use that after the words, all, any, anything, none, nothing, everything, etc.

Examples:

She disapproved of everything that I did.
I was sorry for all that I did to annoy her.

3. That is used when we refer to both a person and a thing.

The man and the car that were flashed on the TV screen revealed the identity of the culprit.

Exercise 1

Tick (V) the right word in the box to complete the

Question 1. He is neglecting the important work that was/which was given to him.
Answer: That was ✓

Question 2. The police are questioning the driver who was/that was driving the blue line bus involved in the accident.
Answer: Who was ✓

Question 3. This is the most complicated case/that I have been asked to solve.
Answer: That ✓

Question 4. The scooter, which/was found abandoned on the road, belonged to a noted criminal.
Answer: That was ✓

Question 5. He distrusts people/who flatter him.
Answer: Who ✓

Question 6. I was the boy who/instigated your son to steal.
Answer: Who ✓

Question 7. I am looking for a worker/whom I can depend on.
Answer: That ✓

Question 8. J.R.D. Tata was the most effective chairman that/we ever had.
Answer: That ✓

Question 9. This is the famous beach/that we visited last year.
Answer: That ✓

Question 10. The architect who/designed this building is now working in Dubai.
Answer: Who ✓

Examples:

She joined a new Company whose management was very incompetent
(Noun)

He gave the dog to Mr Smith, whose pet it was.
(Noun) (Noun)

Whose is used mostly for people, and it is used in place of his/her/theirs.
Who is the objective form of who? It is used in place of him/her/their; as, The man whom we asked for directions misguided us.
In spoken English, who is not used much; that is preferred; as, The man, whom we asked for directions, misguided us.
Whom can be used with a preposition: to whom or with whom; as, The boy with whom she went to the theatre left her alone on the road.
The boy to whom she lent her notes refused to return them.
In a relative clause where is used to talk about a place. It is used in place of there.

Examples:

The village where I was born is somewhere in Pakistan now.
I want to go to a hotel where we can get a good meal.

Exercise 2

Join the sentences under Column A with those under Column B, by changing B into a relative clause using whom, whose and where. One is done for you:—

At Manali, we stayed at a hotel where a golf course was right behind it.

They liked the commentator whose commentary was full of humour.

The boys were talking to the actor whom they had met earlier.

The public booed the man whose poor performance had brought disgrace to the country.

Can you tell us about a decent hotel where we can order a meal for ten people?

The old lady with thick glasses, whom we met at the museum, was a famous archaeologist.

He is the unfortunate artist whose entire work was destroyed by miscreants.

5. Defining and Non-defining Relative Clauses.

Study the following sentences carefully.

This is the boy whose parents were killed in a car accident.
I live in Ludhiana, which is famous for its woollen industry.

In the above two sentences, the relative clause tells us which person or thing, or what kind of person or thing, the speaker means.

“Whose parents were killed in an accident?” tells us “which boy?”
“Which is famous for its woollen industry,” tell us more about Ludhiana.
This kind of relative clause is called a defining clause.
We visited Bengaluru, which we liked very much.
I was embarrassed by my son, whose constant crying upset the party.

In the above two sentences, the relative clause does not identify the person or thing.

We already know which place (Bengaluru) or person (my son) is meant. This kind of relative clause is called a non-defining clause. It gives us extra information about a person or thing.

We use a comma (, ) with a non-defining clause and not with a defining clause.

Examples: (i) I met a lady who can speak five languages, (defining clause)

My mother, who can speak five languages, spoke in French at the meeting (non-defining clause)

In defining clauses, we can use that in place of who or which.

Examples:

This is the place / that Jack built.
This is the sportsman who / holds the world record in swimming.

3. But in non-defining clauses, we cannot use that.

Examples:

He borrowed my book, which he never returned.
This is my friend Amita, who loves to read novels.

4. In defining clauses, we can leave out who / which / that when it is the object.

Examples:

We want a person whom we can trust.
The house (which he recommended had no electricity.

(We can drop who / which in these sentences)

5. In a non-defining clause, we cannot leave out who / which.

Examples:

We recommended the Carlton Hotel, which served excellent food.
(We cannot write: We recommended the Carlton Hotel served excellent food.)
We tried Harish, whom we could trust.
We cannot write: We tried Harish, we could trust.

Exercise 3

Combine the following sentences into one by converting one of them into a relative clause. In some, you can leave out who/which/that. Put commas whenever it is a non-defining relative clause

Question 1. This was my decision. I regret it to this day
Answer: This was my decision, which I regret to this day.

Question 2. My daughter has completed one course of
antibiotics. It has not helped her at all.
Answer: My daughter has completed one course of antibiotics, which has not helped her at all.

Question 3. The police interrogated the servant. My daughter had identified him
Answer: The police interrogated the servant whom my daughter had identified.

Question 4. This is the diamond necklace. My wife wants it.
Answer: This is the diamond necklace (that my wife wants.

Question 5. Mr Gupta is our social science teacher. He can hold us spellbound with his stories
Answer: Mr Gupta, who can hold us spellbound with his stories, is our social science teacher.

Question 6. This is the pen. I lost it last week.
Answer: This is the pen (that I lost last week.

Question 7. The Beastly Tales is written by Vikram Seth. It is one of my favourite books.
Answer: The Beastly Tales, which is one of my favourite books, is written by Vikram Seth.

Question 8. She is the girl. I went to her house yesterday.
Answer: She is the girl (whom I went to her house yesterday.

Question 9. I talked to the Home Minister about their case. He promised to take serious action.
Answer: I talked to the Home Minister, who promised to take serious action about their case.

Question 10. I gave you a big loan last year. What have you done with it?
Answer: I gave you a big loan last year. What have you done with it?