Have you ever come across a sentence like “The boy who won the race is my cousin” and wondered why the word who is there? That little word who is part of something powerful called a relative clause—a special part of English that helps us connect ideas, give more information, and sound fluent.

In this easy and complete guide to relative clauses in English, you’ll learn how to use words like who, which, that, whose, where, and when to make your sentences more meaningful and interesting. These small but mighty words help describe people, animals, things, time, and places in a smart and natural way.

Whether you’re a beginner trying to build strong English sentences or an advanced learner aiming to polish your grammar, this guide is just what you need. From real-life examples to easy rules, practice exercises, and common mistakes, we’ll walk you through everything step-by-step in a simple and friendly way.

By the end of this blog, you’ll be confidently using who, which, that, and other relative pronouns to sound more like a native speaker.

🔹 Ready to take your English to the next level?
🔹 Want to speak and write more clearly and confidently?

Let’s dive in and explore the magic of relative clauses together!

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Common Expressions with Relative Clauses in Real Life

Relative clauses are everywhere in English! We use them when talking about people, things, places, time, and even ideas. Here are 10 everyday sentences that use relative clauses in a natural and simple way:

1. The girl who lives next door is my best friend.
2. This is the book that I told you about.
3. He’s the teacher who helped me pass the exam.
4. I have a dog that loves to play fetch.
5. The dress which she wore to the party was beautiful.
6. That’s the place where we first met.
7. I don’t like movies that are too scary.
8. She’s the singer whose voice I love.
9. I remember the day when we went to the beach.
10. This is the kind of weather that makes me happy.

These sentences show how relative clauses can help us give extra information or describe someone or something more clearly—without making a new sentence.

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When Do We Use Relative Clauses in English?

Relative clauses are used to add information about a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea) without starting a new sentence. They help make your sentences more detailed, clear, and connected.

Here are the most common situations when we use relative clauses:

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📌 1. To describe people

We use who or that to give more information about a person.

• Example: The student who studies hard will succeed.

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📌 2. To talk about things or animals

We use which or that to describe objects or animals.

• Example: I have a bike that goes really fast.

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📌 3. To show possession

We use whose to show something belongs to someone.

• Example: The boy whose dog ran away is crying.

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📌 4. To talk about places

We use where to talk about places.

• Example: That’s the park where we play football.

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📌 5. To refer to time

We use when to refer to time.

• Example: I remember the day when we met.

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📌 6. To give extra information

Sometimes, we just want to add extra facts.

• Example: My car, which is very old, still works great.
  (This type of clause is called a non-defining relative clause.)

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📌 7. To identify someone or something

We use relative clauses to tell exactly who or what we are talking about.

• Example: The man who called you is waiting.

By using relative clauses, you can join ideas, avoid repetition, and speak more naturally in English.

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Grammar Rules for Using Relative Clauses in English

Understanding how relative clauses work can make your English sound more natural and connected. Here are the essential grammar rules you need to follow when using who, which, that, whose, where, and when in sentences.

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🔤 1. Start with a Relative Pronoun

Relative clauses begin with a relative pronoun:

• Who – for people
• Which – for animals or things
• That – for people, animals, or things
• Whose – to show possession
• Where – for places
• When – for time

👉 Example: She’s the girl who won the prize.

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🧠 2. Types of Relative Clauses

✅ Defining Relative Clause

This tells us exactly who or what we’re talking about. No commas are used.

• The boy who is wearing a red cap is my brother.

👉 Without this clause, we wouldn’t know which boy we’re talking about.

✅ Non-defining Relative Clause

This adds extra information. Use commas before and after the clause.

• My brother, who is wearing a red cap, is very funny.

👉 The main sentence still makes sense without the clause.

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📝 3. Relative Pronouns Can Be the Subject or Object

📍As the subject:

• The teacher who teaches us is kind.

📍As the object:

• The movie that we watched was amazing.

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⚠️ 4. ‘That’ Is Not Used in Non-defining Clauses

• ❌ My car, that is red, is fast.
• ✅ My car, which is red, is fast.

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🔄 5. You Can Sometimes Omit the Relative Pronoun

If the relative pronoun is the object, it can be left out.

• The cake (that) she made was delicious.
  → ✅ The cake she made was delicious.

But if the relative pronoun is the subject, don’t omit it:

• The boy who called me was friendly. (✅)
• The boy called me was friendly. (❌)

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🧩 6. Word Order Remains Like a Normal Sentence

In relative clauses, the verb usually follows the subject.

• He is the man who fixes our car.
  → Not: He is the man who our car fixes.

These grammar rules will help you build clear and grammatically correct sentences using relative clauses. Practice using them in your writing and speaking to sound more natural and fluent.

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Things to Keep in Mind: Tricky Points and Exceptions in Relative Clauses

Even though relative clauses are easy to use once you get the hang of them, there are a few tricky points and exceptions that English learners should watch out for. Let’s look at the most common ones so you can avoid confusion and mistakes.

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⚠️ 1. Don’t Use ‘That’ in Non-Defining Clauses

Many learners make this mistake. You can’t use that when you’re just adding extra information with commas.

• ❌ My mother, that loves cooking, made pasta.
• ✅ My mother, who loves cooking, made pasta.

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✂️ 2. Omitting the Relative Pronoun – Only When It’s the Object

You can drop who, which, or that when they are the object, but not when they are the subject.

• ✅ The dress (that) she bought is beautiful.
• ❌ The girl (who) helped me is kind. (You must keep who here.)

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🔁 3. ‘That’ Can Replace ‘Who’ or ‘Which’ in Defining Clauses

This is especially common in spoken English.

• The man that lives next door is a doctor. (Instead of who)
• The phone that I lost was new. (Instead of which)

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📌 4. ‘Whose’ Can Be Used for People, Animals, and Things

Although it may seem like whose is only for people, it can also be used for things when showing possession.

• A company whose products are popular worldwide.
• A cat whose tail is fluffy.

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🔄 5. Prepositions Sometimes Come at the End

When using a preposition with a relative clause, you can move it to the end of the clause in informal English.

• This is the movie which I was talking about. (Correct)
• This is the movie about which I was talking. (Formal)

Both are correct, but the first is more common in everyday English.

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🚫 6. Avoid Double Subjects

Don’t repeat the subject after the relative pronoun.

• ❌ The girl who she is dancing is my sister.
• ✅ The girl who is dancing is my sister.

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🎯 7. Choose the Right Relative Pronoun

Some pronouns can only be used in certain situations. Here’s a quick reminder:

Relative Pronoun	Used For	Example
who	People	The boy who sings well
which	Animals/things	The book which I read
that	People/things	The phone that broke
whose	Possession	The man whose car was stolen
where	Places	The city where I was born
when	Time	The year when we moved

Things to Keep in Mind: Tricky Points and Exceptions in Relative Clauses

Even though relative clauses are easy to use once you get the hang of them, there are a few tricky points and exceptions that English learners should watch out for. Let’s look at the most common ones so you can avoid confusion and mistakes.

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⚠️ 1. Don’t Use ‘That’ in Non-Defining Clauses

Many learners make this mistake. You can’t use that when you’re just adding extra information with commas.

• ❌ My mother, that loves cooking, made pasta.
• ✅ My mother, who loves cooking, made pasta.

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✂️ 2. Omitting the Relative Pronoun – Only When It’s the Object

You can drop who, which, or that when they are the object, but not when they are the subject.

• ✅ The dress (that) she bought is beautiful.
• ❌ The girl (who) helped me is kind. (You must keep who here.)

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🔁 3. ‘That’ Can Replace ‘Who’ or ‘Which’ in Defining Clauses

This is especially common in spoken English.

• The man that lives next door is a doctor. (Instead of who)
• The phone that I lost was new. (Instead of which)

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📌 4. ‘Whose’ Can Be Used for People, Animals, and Things

Although it may seem like whose is only for people, it can also be used for things when showing possession.

• A company whose products are popular worldwide.
• A cat whose tail is fluffy.

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🔄 5. Prepositions Sometimes Come at the End

When using a preposition with a relative clause, you can move it to the end of the clause in informal English.

• This is the movie which I was talking about. (Correct)
• This is the movie about which I was talking. (Formal)

Both are correct, but the first is more common in everyday English.

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🚫 6. Avoid Double Subjects

Don’t repeat the subject after the relative pronoun.

• ❌ The girl who she is dancing is my sister.
• ✅ The girl who is dancing is my sister.

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🎯 7. Choose the Right Relative Pronoun

Some pronouns can only be used in certain situations. Here’s a quick reminder:

Relative Pronoun	Used For	Example
who	People	The boy who sings well
which	Animals/things	The book which I read
that	People/things	The phone that broke
whose	Possession	The man whose car was stolen
where	Places	The city where I was born
when	Time	The year when we moved

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By keeping these points in mind, you’ll avoid common errors and make your English sound more natural and fluent. These little rules can make a big difference in how clearly and correctly you speak and write!

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Common Mistakes with Relative Clauses (And How to Avoid Them)

Even advanced learners sometimes make small errors with relative clauses. These mistakes may not always stop communication, but they can make your English sound awkward or unclear. Here are some less obvious mistakes to watch out for—and how to fix them!

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❌ Mistake 1: Using the Wrong Tense in the Relative Clause

It’s easy to confuse tenses inside relative clauses. Make sure the tense matches what you want to say.

• ❌ The man who drives the bus yesterday was late.
• ✅ The man who drove the bus yesterday was late.

🛠️ Fix: Use past tense if you’re talking about the past.

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❌ Mistake 2: Forgetting to Use ‘Whose’ for Possession

Many learners use who + a possessive pronoun, which is incorrect.

• ❌ The boy who his phone is lost is crying.
• ✅ The boy whose phone is lost is crying.

🛠️ Fix: Use whose to show possession in relative clauses.

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❌ Mistake 3: Using ‘Which’ for People

Which is only used for animals and things—not for people.

• ❌ The girl which helped me is my cousin.
• ✅ The girl who helped me is my cousin.

🛠️ Fix: Use who or that when referring to people.

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❌ Mistake 4: Adding an Extra Verb Inside the Clause

Sometimes learners repeat a verb or add one where it’s not needed.

• ❌ This is the song that I listened it yesterday.
• ✅ This is the song that I listened to yesterday.

🛠️ Fix: Do not use both a verb and an object outside the relative clause if it already exists inside.

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❌ Mistake 5: Mixing Up ‘Where’ and ‘Which’

These two words can confuse learners when describing places.

• ❌ That’s the house which I live.
• ✅ That’s the house where I live.

🛠️ Fix: Use where when describing location or place, not which.

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❌ Mistake 6: Using ‘What’ Instead of a Relative Pronoun

Learners sometimes replace the correct relative pronoun with “what.”

• ❌ I don’t understand what he said that made her cry.
• ✅ I don’t understand what he said.
• ✅ I don’t understand the thing that he said.

🛠️ Fix: Use “what” only for “the thing that,” not in place of other relative pronouns.

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❌ Mistake 7: Creating Confusing or Unclear Sentences

Long relative clauses without punctuation or pauses can confuse readers.

• ❌ My friend who lives in London who I met last year is coming.
• ✅ My friend, who lives in London and who I met last year, is coming.

🛠️ Fix: If your sentence has too many details, break it into smaller parts or use commas clearly.

By avoiding these tricky mistakes, you’ll build stronger, more accurate sentences—and impress both in writing and speaking! 🎯

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20 Example Sentences Using Relative Clauses

Here are 20 clear and easy-to-understand sentences using relative clauses with words like who, which, that, whose, where, and when. These examples will show how we use relative clauses in everyday English. Try reading them out loud to get used to the natural rhythm!

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👧 Using “Who” – for people

1. The boy who won the race is my neighbor.
2. She is the doctor who helped my grandfather.
3. I met a teacher who speaks five languages.
4. The girl who sings in the choir is very talented.
5. He’s the student who always gets top marks.

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🐱 Using “Which” – for animals and things

6. This is the book which I told you about.
7. I saw a movie which made me cry.
8. The dog which lives next door barks a lot.
9. That’s the laptop which crashed yesterday.
10. I found a coin which is very rare.

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👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Using “That” – for people or things (in defining clauses)

11. She’s the girl that I saw at the party.
12. The car that we bought last year broke down.
13. I don’t like food that is too spicy.
14. He’s the friend that always supports me.
15. The phone that was on the table is missing.

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🔑 Using “Whose” – to show possession

16. The man whose bike was stolen is at the police station.
17. I know a girl whose mother is a famous chef.
18. The artist whose paintings we saw lives in Paris.

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🗺️ Using “Where” – for places

19. That’s the café where we had our first date.

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⏰ Using “When” – for time

20. I still remember the day when we first met.

These sentences show how relative clauses help add more information to your ideas without starting a new sentence. With practice, you’ll start using them naturally in conversations and writing!

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📝 Exercise: Fill in the Blanks with Relative Pronouns

👉 Fill in each blank with the correct relative pronoun:
who, which, that, whose, where, or when.
Some sentences may have more than one correct answer, but choose the one that fits best!

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1. The woman ______ lives next door is a doctor.
2. I found the wallet ______ you lost.
3. That’s the boy ______ dog ran into the street.
4. This is the cake ______ my mom baked yesterday.
5. The school ______ I studied English is very old.
6. The artist ______ painted this picture is very famous.
7. We visited the zoo ______ had many wild animals.
8. I remember the time ______ we used to play outside all day.
9. The house ______ roof was damaged needs repair.
10. The man ______ fixed our sink was very polite.
11. Do you know the girl ______ won the spelling contest?
12. He bought a phone ______ takes amazing pictures.
13. Is that the movie ______ you were talking about?
14. The baby ______ toy is broken is crying.
15. This is the place ______ I first met my best friend.
16. She has a brother ______ lives in Canada.
17. I know a student ______ can speak four languages.
18. The book ______ you gave me was really interesting.
19. The month ______ we traveled to Japan was cold.
20. That’s the teacher ______ class I enjoy the most.

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✅ Answers: Fill in the Blanks with Full Sentences

1. The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
2. I found the wallet that you lost.
3. That’s the boy whose dog ran into the street.
4. This is the cake that my mom baked yesterday.
5. The school where I studied English is very old.
6. The artist who painted this picture is very famous.
7. We visited the zoo which had many wild animals.
8. I remember the time when we used to play outside all day.
9. The house whose roof was damaged needs repair.
10. The man who fixed our sink was very polite.
11. Do you know the girl who won the spelling contest?
12. He bought a phone that takes amazing pictures.
13. Is that the movie that you were talking about?
14. The baby whose toy is broken is crying.
15. This is the place where I first met my best friend.
16. She has a brother who lives in Canada.
17. I know a student who can speak four languages.
18. The book that you gave me was really interesting.
19. The month when we traveled to Japan was cold.
20. That’s the teacher whose class I enjoy the most.

🎉 Great job! Practicing like this helps you get more confident using relative clauses naturally in real conversations and writing.

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Summary: Key Takeaways About Relative Clauses

• Relative clauses help provide more information about nouns (people, things, places, etc.) without starting a new sentence.
• Common relative pronouns: who, which, that, whose, where, and when.
• Who is used for people (e.g., The person who helped me is kind).
• Which is used for things and animals (e.g., The book which you gave me is interesting).
• That can be used for people and things in defining clauses (e.g., The man that I met yesterday is a teacher).
• Whose shows possession (e.g., The girl whose dog is lost is sad).
• Where refers to places (e.g., The park where we play is big).
• When refers to time (e.g., The day when we met was special).
• Defining relative clauses provide necessary information, without commas (e.g., The car that I bought is new).
• Non-defining relative clauses add extra information and are set off with commas (e.g., My brother, who is very tall, plays basketball).
• Remember to avoid double subjects and use the right tense when constructing relative clauses.

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Conclusion: Mastering Relative Clauses in English

Understanding and using relative clauses is a powerful way to improve your English skills. By mastering who, which, that, whose, where, and when, you’ll be able to add detail and depth to your sentences, making your speech and writing sound more natural and professional.

With the knowledge of how and when to use relative clauses, you’ll be able to connect ideas smoothly and share more information in a single sentence. Whether you’re writing essays, having casual conversations, or giving presentations, relative clauses will help you sound more fluent and confident.

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Thank you for reading, and remember: practice makes perfect! Keep using relative clauses, and you’ll notice your English improving every day!