In these relative clauses exercises, you’ll practise using who, whom, whose, that, and which through sentence rewriting and statement evaluation tasks. You can also download a PDF worksheet for free. The answers to the exercises are included on this page.
1. Relative pronouns
Complete each sentence with the correct relative pronoun.
1. The man lives next door is a doctor.
The man who lives next door is a doctor.
2. This is the book won the award.
This is the book that won the award.
3. That’s the girl brother plays for Chelsea.
That’s the girl whose brother plays for Chelsea.
4. The movie I watched last night made me cry.
The movie that I watched last night made me cry.
5. I know someone can help you.
I know someone who can help you.
6. I like the girl sitting next to you .
I like the girl who was sitting next to you.
7. That’s the idea I’ve been looking for.
That’s the idea that I’ve been looking for.
8. He’s the writer books have changed my life.
He’s the writer whose books have changed my life.
9. This is the song reminds me of you.
This is the song that reminds me of you.
10. The painting is hanging on the wall in my bedroom was made by my father.
The painting that is hanging on the wall in my bedroom was made by my father.
2. Combining sentences using a relative clause
Use a relative clause to combine the sentences into one.
1. I met the girl. She had an accident yesterday.
I met the girl who had an accident yesterday.
2. That’s the car. It knocked a man down yesterday.
That’s the car that knocked a man down yesterday. Remember that the relative pronoun 'that' introduces is a restrictive clause (essential information).
3. The boy is my neighbour. He won the race.
The boy who won the race is my neighbour.
4. I am going to have an 11-hour flight tomorrow. This is going to be stressful.
I am going to have an 11-hour flight tomorrow, which is going to be stressful. We cannot use 'that' here since this is a non-restrictive clause.
5. Some students have low grades. They should talk to me.
Option 1: Students whose grades are low should talk to me. Option 2: Students that have low grades should talk to me. Option 3: Students who have low grades should talk to me.
6. She’s wearing a blue skirt. I really like it.
She’s wearing a blue skirt, which I really like.
7. My wife speaks spanish fluently. She wants to move to Granada.
My wife, who speaks spanish fluently, wants to move to Granada.
8. I have a friend. My friend wants to meet you.
I have a friend who wants to meet you.
9. He is the man. He saved my life.
He is the man who saved my life.
10. This is the key. It fits the locker.
This is the key that fits the locker.
3. True or False
Decide if the statements below are True or False based on the rules for using relative clauses.
1. A relative clause can stand alone as a full sentence.
2. “Who” is used for people and can be the subject of a relative clause.
3. “Which” can only be used in non-restrictive clauses.
4. “That” can be used in both restrictive and non-restrictive clauses.
5. “Whose” shows possession and can refer to people or things.
6. “Where” is a relative pronoun used to refer to a place.
7. Commas are always used with restrictive relative clauses.
8. “The dog that bit me has rabies.” is a correct restrictive clause.
9. “The man whom I spoke with was helpful.” is more formal than “The man with whom I spoke was very helpful.”
10. “The house that I bought last year already needs a repair.” is a restrictive clause.
11. It is grammatically correct to say “All team members that criticised the CEO had been sacked.”
Relative clause worksheet
The relative clause worksheet below contains 8 sentence-rewriting questions using who, whom, whose, that, and which.
- She worked for a man who used to be a model.
- They hired a lawyer whom everyone respected.
- I spoke to the girl whom you met at the party.
- I have a colleague whose ideas are always brilliant.
- My sister, who was born in 2000, is now a doctor.
- My laptop, which I bought last year, has broken already.
- My boss whom everyone thought was a good man killed his wife.
- The book that I bought yesterday is wonderful.
