Compilation of relative clauses exercises

COMPILATION OF RELATIVE CLAUSES EXERCISES: KEY
1. Complete using the most suitable relative pronoun:
1 An aeroplane is a machine __which/that___________ flies. 
2. The people ___who/that__________ work in the house are very friendly. 
3. A salesman is a man ____ who/that _________ works in a shop. 
4. They live in the house ___whose________ windows are broken. 
5. My wife's mother, _whom/who/that ______ I haven't seen for several years, speaks too much. 
6. I don't like the town ___ where __________ you work. 
7. He is the only American ___ who/that __________ has swum..... 
8. My wife, __ who ________ lives in New York, has just written me a letter. 
9. The girl ___ who/that __________ lives next door is very boring. 
10. This is the lady __ whose ___________ husband died last year.
11. Jack Adams, ____ who _______ was the man Janice had spoken to on the phone, sat in his seat.
12. The plane in ____ which _________ he was travelling was about to land in Zurich, Switzerland.
13. The woman ____ who/that _________ was sitting next to him had just fastened her seat-belt.
14. She looked for a moment at Jack, _____ who ________ was staring out of the window.
15. There was something about him ____ which/that _________ reminded her of another man she had once known.
16. His face, ____ which _________ was turned away from her at the moment, looked exhausted.
17. The woman, __ who___________ was a well-known actress, had hardly spoken to Jack during the trip.
18. Jack was staring at the city below ____ which/that_________ stretched for miles and miles, as far as the eye could see.
19. ______Which _______ book will you buy ? 
20. Is this the umbrella ____ which/that _________ you lost ? 
21. The man __ who/that ___________ is sitting by the door takes a break. 
22. He reminds me of someone ____ whom/who/that _________ I used to know. 
23. The children played in the snow __ which/that ___________ had fallen during the night. 
24. He is the doctor __whom/ who/that ___________ I will see this afternoon. 
25. John is the boy ____ whose _________ father is a painter. 
25. She is the girl ___whom/who/that__________ I saw at the party last night. 
26. The student ___ who/that __________ lent you his book, speaks Italian. 
27. The boy to ___whom__________ you spoke is my cousin. 
27. Marco Polo was a young traveller ____ whose _________ father was a rich man. 
28. This is the painting ____ which/that _________ Mr. Cool showed us last week. 
29. The gloves ___ which/that __________ I lost at school yesterday were not my best ones. 
30. The doctor ___whom/who/that__________ she visited is famous. 
31. The flowers ___ which/that __________ my boyfriend gave me have died. 
32. She doesn't know the person __ whom/who/that ___________ they mentioned. 
33. The magazine __ which/that ___________ you lent me is interesting. 
34. The man ___ who/that __________ is resting is very tired. 
35. The boy __ who/that ___________ sat next to you is my friend. 
36. We are using books __ which/that ___________ were printed last year.
37. Aesop was a Greek writer __ who/that ___________ wrote fables.
38 The fable ___ which/that __________ I liked the most is the one about the monkey and the fly.
39 The Crown Hotel is a hotel ______ which/that _______ is famous for its ghosts.
40. Soho is an area in London __which___________ a lot of people went to live in the 19th century.
41. Cuba is an island ___ whose __________ population has its roots in many places.
42 Neil Armstrong is the man __ who/that __________ first stood on the moon.
43. Yes, she is the woman ___ whom/who/that __________ I talked to about you the other day.
44. Everyone notices the man __ who/that ___________ wears elegant clothes.
45. She is Samantha, __whom/who___________ I am always thinking about .
46. I live in an old house near the lake __where________ birds fly down when the spring comes.
47. Is there anybody there ____ whose _________ name is Smith ?
48. It's the shop ___ which/that __________ I went in yesterday.
49. Is he the man __ whose ___________ sister was on a TV quiz show ?
50. They met these people ___ whom/who/that __________ I was listening to in my office yesterday.
51. Why don't you tell me the day ___when__________ you want to arrive.
2. Put a relative pronoun into each gap. At the same time, decide whether the relative pronoun can be omitted by writing it between brackets.
1. The books, __which_______ I’d ordered over the internet, took nearly three weeks to arrive.
2. The books __(which/that)___________ I’d ordered from a bookshop arrived the following week.
3. My parents, ___who_________ were born in the north of England, moved to London to find work.
4. The man __who/that_________ lives upstairs is always playing music when I’m trying to get to sleep.
5. The building ____(which/that)_________ I live in was built in the 1920s.
6. The building ___where_________ I live was built in the 1920s. 
7. The car’s making a noise again, __which______means we’ll have to get someone to look at it.
8. The employee to __whom________you refer is no longer working for this company.
9. Do you remember the name of the man ___whose_________ car you crashed into?
10. The hotel ___where_______ we stayed was very good for the price.
3. Choose one of the following relative pronouns who, which or whose:
1) I talked to the girl ......whose..............car had broken down in front of the shop
2) Mr. Richards, ............ who.......................is a taxi driver, lives on the corner.
3) We often visit our aunt in Norwich ........which..............is in East Anglia
4) This is the girl .......... who........................comes from Spain.
5) That's Peter, the boy ....... who........................ has just arrived at the airport.
6) Thank you very much for your e-mail ..... which...............was very interesting.
7) The man, ............ whose..................father is a professor, forgot his umbrella.
8) The children, ......... who...........shouted in the street, are not from our school.
9) The car, ............ whose..........................driver is a young man, is from Ireland.
10) What did you do with the money ....... which.................your mother lent you?
11)She is the woman .......... who.................................won the lottery.
12)They are the people ............. who..............................live in the village. 
13)Vegetarians are people ................... who.........................don’t eat meat. 
14)This is the place ..... which...................................I told you about. 
15) This is the restaurant ................ which..............................I like.
16)The man ................... who..........................................spoke is my father.
17)The car.......... which...................... he bought last Thursday was very cheap.
18)Tom ................ who...........................is my brother won the match.
19)The waiter ............. who......................we gave the tip was very pleased.
20)That's the man............. whose..................... house was destroyed by a tornado.
21)The man over there ........... whose.........................face is dirty saved the child.
22)The chair on .......... which......................I was sitting broke down.
23)The pupils.......... who......................... he was speaking to were very noisy.
24)........... Who...........................are you speaking to? (This who is a question word not a relative)
25) The man ............. who.....................you saw yesterday is my uncle.
26) The cupboard ....... which..................we bought last Saturday was expensive.
27) This is the bike .......... which..........................I told about you last Sunday.
28)My friend ....... who.................I have been waiting for two hours hasn't returned.
4. Complete these sentences with the correct relative pronoun.
1. Brigitte Bardot is a French actress who/that has protested against the slaughter of seals.
2. The fox is an animal .which/that.. can be seen in many British cities.
3. Kate is the girl .whose. father bought a baby crocodile.
4. The office .where.. I work is a branch of the RSPCA. (The office in which I work...is also possible)
5. Charlie is the hamster .which/that. is fatter than all the rest.
6. Mr Forrester is the butcher .who/that.. had his shop window smashed by ALF members.
5. Circle the relative pronouns you could omit in these sentences.
1. The girl that we were talking to loves snakes.
2. Is that the woman who threw acid at the horses?
3. The book which I bought yesterday is about training dogs.
4. My friend Simon is the boy whose mother is a professor of zoology.
5. Do you know the people who made so much noise at the party last night?
6. Have you seen the bag where I keep my football kit?
6. Join each pair of sentences with a defining relative clause. Omit the pronoun where possible. (-)
1. This is the book. I found the information in it. 
This is the book which/that/- I found the information in.
This is the book where I found the information
2. I didn’t recognise Susan. I talked to her.
I talked to Susan, whom I didn’t recognize.
 I didn’t recognise Susan, whom I I talk to
3. She hasn’t given me back my book. She borrowed it from me last week.
She hasn’t given me back the book she borrowed from me last week.
4. Have you seen the biscuits? They were on the top shelf.
Have you seen the biscuits which/that were on the top shelf?
5. A woman gave me the application form. She told me how to fill it out.
The woman who/that gave me the application form told me how to fill it out.
6. The novel is about a child. Her parents die in the jungle.
The novel is about a child whose parents die in the jungle
7. Charles Chaplin was a famous comedian. He directed well-known films.
Charles Chaplin, who was a famous comedian, directed well-known films
8. You are going to meet a girl tomorrow. She is intelligent and pretty, too.
Tomorrow you are going to meet a girl who is intelligent and pretty, too
9. - I bought a new CD. Its songs are by different country music singers.
I bought a new CD whose songs are by different country music singers.
7. Join each pair of sentences with a non-defining relative clause.
1. Fur coats are very popular among wealthy women. They produce indignation among animal lovers.
Fur coats, which are very popular among wealthy women, produce indignation among animal lovers.
2. My English friends live in Leeds. They work for the RSPCA.
My English friends, who work for the RSPCA, live in Leeds
My English friends, who live in Leeds, work for the RSPCA
3. Harry is very fond of pets. He’s got a dog, a cat, two hamsters and three budgies.
Harry, who is very fond of pets, has got a dog, a cat, two hamsters and three budgies
4. My brother studied zoology. He works in a natural history museum.
My brother, who studied zoology, works in a natural history museum
5. The Tower of London is on the River Thames. It is one of the most famous buildings in Britain.
The Tower of London, which is on the River Thames, is one of the most famous buildings in Britain.
6. Fiesta was written by Ernest Hemingway. It is also called The Sun Also Rises.
Fiesta, which was written by Ernest Hemingway, is also called The Sun Also Rises
Fiesta, which is also called The Sun Also Rises, was written by Ernest Hemingway 
7. The new tunnel will be opened next month. It is the safest in Europe.
The new tunnel, which will be opened next month, is the safest in Europe
8. Michael is still asleep. He stayed up until 4 a.m. watching athletics.
Michael, who stayed up until 4 a.m. watching athletics, is still asleep
9. Tina gave a big party in her house. Her parents were away on business.
Tina, whose parents were away on business, gave a big party in her house
10. Doris Lessing was born in Persia. She wrote The Golden Notebook.
Doris Lessing, who was born in Persia, wrote The Golden Notebook
Doris Lessing, who wrote The Golden Notebook, was born in Persia
8. Circle the relative pronouns you could omit in these sentences.
1. The girl that we were talking to keeps a pet snake.
2. Is that the woman who threw stones at the farmers?
3. The book which I bought yesterday is about animals in danger of extinction.
4. My friend Sally is the girl whose mother teaches zoology at the university.
5. Do you remember the people who made so much noise in the street last night?
6. Have you seen the tin where I keep silkworms?
9. Join each pair of sentences with a defining relative clause. Omit the pronoun where Possible.
1. Last week I bought a book. It was written 300 years ago.
Last week I bought a book which/that was written 300 years ago.
2. This is the magazine. I found an article about how young gorillas learn in it.
3. I like people. Well, only if they are friendly and honest.
I like people who/that are friendly and honest
4. I didn’t know the girl. I talked to her at the bus stop.
I didn’t know the girl whom/who/that/ - I talked to at the bus stop
I didn’t know the girl to whom I talked at the bus stop
5. She hasn’t given me back my book. She borrowed it from me last month.
She hasn’t given me back the book which/that/ - she borrowed from me last month
6. Have you seen John’s mobile phone? He left it here on Saturday.
Have you seen John’s mobile phone, which he left it here on Saturday?
10. Join these sentences using a non-defining relative clause.
1. The bus was full of noisy school children. It broke down at the top of the hill.
The bus, which was full of noisy school children, broke down at the top of the hill.
2. His grandparents bought him a present. He wanted a silver mountain bike.
His grandparents bought him, who wanted a silver mountain bike, a present.
3. Her book was published last year. It became an instant best-seller.
Her book, which was published last year, became an instant best-seller.
4. A strange old lady lives next door. She is watching you again.
A strange old lady, who lives next door, is watching you again
5. The shoes were the first ones I tried on. I finally bought them.
 I finally bought the shoes which/that were the first ones I tried on
6. The dog barks all the time. Its owner is never home. 
The dog whose owner is never home barks all the time.
11. Combine the sentences using a relative clause. Use relative pronouns only where necessary. Note that you have to use commas in some of the sentences.
A holiday in Scotland
We spent our holiday in Scotland last year. Scotland is in the north of Great Britain.
Last year we ____ spent our holiday in Scotland, which is in the north of Great Britain
People live in Scotland. They are called Scots.
The people ____who live in Scotland are called Scots
We first went to Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland.
We first _____ went to Edinburgh, which is the capital of Scotland
Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh. He wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Arthur Conan Doyle, ___who was born in Edinburgh, wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories
Then we visited a lake. It is in the Highlands.
The lake __which/that/- we visited is in the Highlands.
Loch Ness is 37 km long. People know it for its friendly monster.
Loch Ness, which people know for its friendly monster, is 37 km long.
There we met an old man. He told us that he had seen Nessie.
An old man who/that/- we met told us that he had seen Nessie
We then travelled to a mountain. The mountain is near the town of Fort William.
We then travelled to a mountain which/that is near the town of Fort William
The mountain is the highest mountain in Great Britain. It is called Ben Nevis.
The mountain, which is the highest mountain in Great Britain, is called Ben Nevis
I sent you a postcard. It was written on the summit of Ben Nevis.
The postcard which/that/- I sent you was written on the summit of Ben Nevis
12. Combine the sentences with relative clauses. (Decide whether to use commas or not.)
A monk is a man. The man has devoted his life to God.
A monk is a man who/that has devoted his life to God
I have one black cat. His name is Blacky.
I have one black cat whose name is Blacky
A herbivore is an animal. The animal feeds upon vegetation.
A herbivore is an animal which feeds upon vegetation
Carol plays the piano brilliantly. She is only 9 years old.
Carol, who is only 9 years old, plays the piano brilliantly
Sydney is the largest Australian city. It is not the capital of Australia.
Sydney, which is not the capital of Australia, is the largest Australian city
We ordered a book. It was very expensive.
We ordered a book which/that was very expensive
You are sitting on a bench. The paint on the bench is still wet.
The paint on the bench which/that/ - you are sitting on is still wet
The photographer could not develop the pictures. I had taken them in Australia.
The photographer could not develop the pictures which/that/ - I had taken in Australia
One of the bins smells awful. You haven’t emptied the bin for 3 weeks.
One of the bins which/that/ - you haven’t emptied for 3 weeks smells awful.
They are singing a song. I don’t know the song.
They are singing a song which/that/ - I don’t know
The city seems to be abandoned. It is usually crowded with people.
The city, which is usually crowded with people, seems to be abandoned
You made an offer. We cannot accept it.
We cannot accept the offer which/that/ - you made
A midwife is a woman. She assists other women in childbirth.
A woman who/that assists other women in childbirth is a midwife
Three youngsters were arrested by the police. They had committed criminal offences.
The police arrested three youngsters who/that had commited criminal offences
The World Wide Web has become an essential part of our lives. It was invented by Tim Berners-Lee.
Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, which has become an essential part of our lives
13. Relatives: defining, non-defining and connective: Combine the following pairs or groups of sentences by means of relative pronouns, making any necessary changes.
1. You sent me a present. Thank you very much for it. (Thank you very much for...)
Thank you very much for the present which/that/ - you sent me
2. She was dancing with a student. He had a slight limp. (two ways)
She was dancing with a student who/that had a slight limp
The student who/that/ - she was dancing with had a slight limp
3. I am looking after some children. They are terribly spoilt. (two ways)
 I am looking after some children who/that are terribly spoilt
The children which/that/ - I am looking after are terribly spoilt
4. The bed has no mattress. I sleep on this bed. (The bed I...)
The bed I sleep on has no matress
5. Romeo and Juliet were lovers. Their parents hated each other.
Romeo and Juliet were lovers whose parents hated each other
6. There wasn't any directory in the telephone box. I was phoning from this box.
There wasn't any directory in the telephone box from which I was phoning
There wasn't any directory in the telephone box which/that/ - I was phoning from.
7. This is Mrs. Jones. Her son won the championship last year.
This is Mrs. Jones, whose son won the championship last year.
8. I was sitting in a chair. It suddenly collapsed. (The chair...)
The chair which/that/ - I was sitting in suddenly collapsed.
9. Mr. Smith said he was too busy to speak to me. I had come especially to see him.
Mr. Smith, whom/who I had come especially to see, said he was too busy to speak to me.
10. The man was sitting at the desk. I had come to see this man.
I had come to see the man who/that was sitting at the desk.
11.I missed the train. I usually catch this train. And I had to travel on the next. This was a slow train. (Make into one sentence)
I missed the train which/that/ - I usually catch. And I had to trav