A relative clause is used to add information about a person or thing. It is usually introduced by a relative pronoun, such as who, whom, which, or that.
Here are some examples of relative clauses in action.
My cousin, who is a professional hockey player, invited me to his house for a party.
This is the car that Alice bought yesterday.
That is the woman that bought the red dress yesterday.
• Who and whom are used for people.
• Which is used for things
• That is used for people and things
There are two types of relative clause. One type of clause gives information to make it clear which person or thing is being discussed.
This is the sweater Mark bought.
The Denver Nuggets were the team that won the NBA Finals in 2023.
The second type of relative clause gives additional information about a person or thing.
My neighbor, who is from Chicago, often invites me to join him and his wife for dinner.
Jack showed me how to use the accounting program, which was very useful for my business.
My mom made me spaghetti and meatballs, which I had been waiting for all week.
Notice that the information in these clauses is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma.
Relative Clauses:
Worksheet 1
Here is a worksheet to practice relative clauses. Students will identify relative pronouns and relative clauses. Then they will form one sentence that uses a relative clause from two separate sentences. Lastly, students will write their own relative clauses. This worksheet is suitable for Grade 5, Grade 6, and Grade 7.