ESL Grammar: RELATIVE CLAUSES (1) – Introduction (that/which/who)

This ESL grammar lesson introduces the concept of relative clauses with “that / which / who.” Students then practice combining sentences using relative clauses.

ESL Grammar: What are Relative Clauses?

Relative clauses are dependent clauses that modify a noun or a pronoun. They usually begin with a relative pronoun such as “that,” “which,” or “who” and provide essential or non-essential information about the noun they follow.

Relative Pronouns: That, Which, Who

1. That:
   • Used for both people and things in defining relative clauses (essential information).
   • Example: The book that you lent me was fascinating.
2. Which:
   • Used for things in non-defining relative clauses (non-essential information) and defining relative clauses.
   • Example: The car, which is red, belongs to my neighbor.
3. Who:
   • Used for people in both defining and non-defining relative clauses.
   • Example: The teacher who lives next door is very friendly.

The English grammar lesson below introduces relative clauses with “that/which/who” in clear and simple language that is easy for ESL learners to understand. Our series of ESL grammar lessons on subjects and verbs introduce these concepts and reinforce them through helpful and instructive exercises.

This lesson is available for free download, and you can download many more English grammar lessons focusing on advanced aspects of English grammar (past continuous tense, present perfect tense, present perfect continuous tense, passive voice, embedded questions, relative clauses) in our comprehensive, intermediate- to advanced-level ESL grammar textbook Great, Great Grammar! (Book 3: Tenses and More!).