Grammar Practice Relative Clauses

1. Complete the passage with suitable relative pronouns.

Students in South Korea, 1. are under great pressure to succeed, have found an original way to face
their problems at school. They contact an online employment agency 2. , for a fee, will provide them
with a parent to solve their problems. These parents will contact teachers, or even go to the school
3.
they can meet them. The real parents, 4. often dont even know their children
are in trouble, may not be involved at all. In recent years, these websites, 5. popularity has grown
from year to year, have started offering substitute sons, daughters, boyfriends and even fiances. The people playing
these parts are ordinary people 6. want to make some extra money, 7. many
Koreans are prepared to pay, since they dont want to disappoint or trouble their families.
2. Combine the sentences using a relative clause. Make any necessary changes.
1. Alice didnt recognise the man. He called out her name.
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2. Have you met Jules? Youll be staying with him next week.
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3. They visited the old cathedral. It was very impressive.
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4. In the forest, we found a cottage. An old farmer lives there.
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5. Im waiting for next Tuesday. Ill get my exam results then.
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6. This is the book. I read about it on the Internet.
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1. This film is about a small boy. He wants to change the world.
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2. I met my sisters new boyfriend. Hes an actor.
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3. Owen deserves a medal for bravery. He rescued us from the fire.
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4. Reitmans is my favourite shop. I buy all my clothes there.
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5. Were going camping in August. Everyone will be on holiday then.
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6. Have you met my new neighbour? She has got three dogs.
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3. Write sentences with relative clauses using the words provided. Make any necessary changes.
1. we / go / water-skiing / on the lake / Jons uncle / have / a summer home / .
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2. Stephenie Meyer / vampire books / all the rage / a housewife / .
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3. the film / we / watch / last night / very frightening / .
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4. Jill / my best friend / best athlete / in school / .
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5. you / remember / the time / it / snow here / ?
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Grammar Practice Relative Clauses

4. Rewrite the sentences in formal English.
1. The official I spoke with was not very helpful.
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2. The evidence the police are searching for may not exist.
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3. My friend, who I have corresponded with for many years, has died suddenly.
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4. The gadget which you asked me about is sold in the shop on the corner.
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5. The building my cousin worked in collapsed during the earthquake.
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6. The team you played against in the competition won all its matches last year.
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1. This new project sounds exciting. We are going to take part in it.
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2. My neighbour is very reliable. I gave my key to her.
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3. Mary has just met Kate. Mary is going to share a room with her at university.
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4. The chair collapsed. I was sitting on it.
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5. Complete the sentences with a suitable relative clause. Do not change the original meaning
of the sentences.
1. I remember buying our first puppy.
I remember the time ................................................................................................................ .
2. Stan is excited because his fathers got a job in Rome.
Stan, ....................................................................................................................... , is excited.
3. London is my favourite city because I went to school there.
I went to school ....................................................................................................................... .
4. My sister lives in a town, but it was once a small village.
The town ................................................................................................................................. .

Grammar Practice Relative Clauses

ANSWER KEY
1. 1. who
2. which / that
3. where

4. who
5. whose

6. who / that
7. which

2. 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Alice didnt recognise the man who / that called out her name.
Have you met Jules who youll be staying with next week?
They visited the old cathedral, which was very impressive.
In the forest, we found a cottage where an old farmer lives.
Im waiting for next Tuesday, when Ill get my exam results.
This is the book that / which I read about on the Internet.
This film is about a small boy who / that wants to change the world.
I met my sisters new boyfriend, who is an actor.
Owen, who rescued us from the fire, deserves a medal for bravery.
Reitmans, where I buy all my clothes, is my favourite shop. / My favourite shop is Reitmans, where I buy all my
clothes.
5. Were going camping in August, when everyone will be on holiday.
6. Have you met my new neighbour who has got three dogs?

3. Possible Answers:

1. We are going water-skiing on the lake where Jons uncle has a summer home.
2. Stephenie Meyer, whose vampire books are all the rage, is a housewife.
3. The film which / that we watched last night was very frightening.

4. Jill, who is my best friend, is the best athlete in school. /

Jill, who is the best athlete in school, is my best friend.
5. Do you remember the time when it snowed here?
4. 1.
2.
3.
4.

The official with whom I spoke was not very helpful.

The evidence for which the police are searching may not exist.
My friend, with whom I have corresponded for many years, has died suddenly.
The gadget about which you asked me is sold in the shop on the corner.

5. The building in which my cousin worked collapsed during the earthquake.

6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. 1.
2.
3.
4.

The team against which you played in the competition won all its matches last year.
This new project, in which we are going to take part, sounds exciting.
My neighbour, to whom I gave my key, is very reliable.
Mary has just met Kate, with whom she is going to share a room at university.
The chair on which I was sitting collapsed.
when we bought our first puppy
whose fathers got a job in Rome
in London, which is my favourite city
where my sister lives was once a small village