C-1ENGLISH. RELATIVES.

1. Put in the relatives and the commas that are missing from the following. Give
alternatives where possible.
1. Our neighbours include Sir James and Lady Blenkinsop ________ live at Blenkinsop

Hall ________ stands in grounds ________ are open to the public in summer.

2. Last Saturday we went to the Blenkinsops’ party ________ I met Denis Chambers

________ I decided I did not like much.

3. Willie ________ works for that firm of architects ________ I was telling you about
the other day was there too.
4. It was also at the Blenkinsops’ party ________ I was introduced to Sheila ________
I had heard a lot about but had never met before.

5. I told her that ________ I had heard about her was nearly all good ________ was
true.
6. Sheila is one of the very few teachers _______ I know ________ can control their

classes without ever raising their voices ________ is an ability ________ children
appreciate highly.

7. The blond fellow ________ you saw her talking to was Ken ________ I must have
mentioned before in connection with our athletic club.

8. Incidentally, our athletic club ________ present premises are being taken over by the

local council are looking for someone like the Blenkinsops ________ might have
some ground to spare for a running track.

9. At the stroke of midnight Toby Blenkinsop ________ can always be relied on at

parties to do something bizarre rode a bicycle down the main staircase, a feat

________ drew loud applause.

10. It was one of those rare occasions ________ Toby’s exuberance did not result in

any damage ________ must have pleased his parents.

11. The time ________ I shall never forget was ________ Toby hung from a

chandelier the chain of ________ parted company with the ceiling, precipitating

Toby onto a table ________ broke beneath him.

12. All ________ happened this time was that he tore his trousers ________ was
hardly ________ you could call a calamity.
2.Complete the following passage, using the correct relative adverb where
necessary. Also put in commas where necessary.

Bath owes its name to the fact that it grew up around the Roman baths __________
were among the largest in the Roman Empire. The city __________ now has a
population of over 80,000 people still has centres __________ treat people with
rheumatic diseases with the mineral waters __________ first attracted the Romans to the
spot.
The main attraction of Bath today, however, is its architecture much of __________
dates from the eighteenth century __________ it became a fashionable centre for
aristocratic visitors __________ overeating and drinking caused them to suffer from
gout. John Wood the Elder designed the Circus __________ was begun in 1754 and
John Wood the Younger was responsible for Royal Crescent __________ faces a sloping
lawn __________ runs down towards a park. The Pump Room __________ is
mentioned in the novels of Jane Austen __________ lived in Bath at the beginning of
the nineteenth century is also worth a visit.
Bath is one of the most beautiful places __________ I have visited in England and is
certainly a city __________ visitors from abroad are welcome.

3. Compare these sentences:

He blamed me for his mistakes, which was unfair.
It was unfair of him to blame me for his mistakes.

Change the sentence form one construction to the

other.

1. It was unkind of her to take the child’s toys away from him.

_________________________________________________________

2. He made a fuss about nothing, which was stupid.

_________________________________________________________

3. He rings me up in the middle of the night, which is extremely annoying.

_________________________________________________________

4. It was foolish of them not to take your advice.

_________________________________________________________

5. They didn’t invite her to dinner, which was hurtful.

_________________________________________________________
4. Punctuate the following letter to a magazine with commas ONLY when they are
necessary.

Dear Sir,
My father who works in an office in London says the country is going to the
dogs. I think he means that there are too many places like the greyhound stadium
that is near our house where my Uncle Bert goes every Wednesday. My mother
who is a teacher says ‘going to the dogs’ is just an expression which means that it
is a phrase people use when they cannot think of the precise words. She says my
father means there are too many people in the country like my Uncle Bert who
doesn’t go to work. My sister Jenny who reads your column every day says you
are the sort of person that can solve my problem because she has read letters from
people whose questions you answered. Do you think my father means there are too
many people who go to the greyhound races or there are too many people who don’t
work? My Uncle Bert fits into both categories.

(Paul Murray, aged 10)

5. Put in the relative pronouns and the commas that are missing. When the relative
pronoun is not necessary write “X”, otherwise it will be considered wrong.

Marilyn ............. several people at the party asked about is now in the States doing

business for the little firm ............. she is the head of. I myself am going abroad, too.

The first country of my itinerary is India ............... High Commission in London has

given me a list of those people ............... would be most interested in my line of

business ............... will be very helpful for me. I feel very happy because India is

............... I have always wanted to go.

Prepositional relative clauses

Compare these sentences:

The room where/in which my grandfather was born is kept as a museum.

This room, where/in which my grandfather was born, is kept as a museum.

In prepositional clauses of this kind, whether they are defining (first example) or non-
defining (second example), the preposition with which can be used as an alternative to
where. However, note that it would be possible in the first case to write:
The room my grandfather was born in is kept as a museum.
This is less formal in style.
Note, on the other hand, that we cannot substitute a prepositional clause for the relative
adverb where when a specific place is mentioned by name:
This system has been tried out in Spain, where it has already achieved
 considerable success.
Next week I am going to Cheshire, where my cousin lives.

In most sentences of this kind, where can be substituted for a prepositional clause:
The company of which (where) he is the manager (or the company he is a
manager of) made a big profit last year.
The XYZ company, of which (where) he is the manager, made a big profit last
year.

6. Replace the prepositional clauses with which in the following passages with clauses
using where, or with clauses which have the preposition at the end.
Indicate those sentences or clauses where the use of which is incorrect.

1. Last week, I went to Amsterdam, (1) at which there is a superb collection of

pictures by Van Gogh. The museum (2) in which the pictures are housed has a
lot of interesting information about the houses (3) in which he lived, the area (4)
in which he worked as a kind of worker priest, and the South of France, (5) in
which he died.
2. He found it difficult to find a publisher for his novel, (6) of which he was very
proud. The company (7) to which he sent it asked to see him, however. They
wanted to know if the places (8) about which he had written, and in particular
his native village, (9) in which most of his novels took place, were the only
topics (10) with which he could deal. ‘The point is,’ said the publisher, ‘that this
company, (11) of which I am the manager, is interested in the American market,
(12) in which books with an English background are so popular.
 C-1 RELATIVES. KEY TO EXCERCISES.
1. Put in the relatives and the commas that are missing from the following. Give alternatives where
possible.
1.Our neighbours ... Lady Blenkinsop, who ... Hall, which ... grounds that/which...
2. Last Saturday ... party, where ... Chambers, whom ...
3. Willie, who ... architects (that/which) I ... day, was ...
4. It was ... party that... Sheila, whom ...
5. I told her that what... good, which ...
6. Sheila ... teachers (whom/that) I know who/that... voices, which ... ability (that/which) children
7. The blond fellow (whom/that) you ... Ken, whom ...
8. Incidentally, our athletic club, whose ... council, are ... Blenkinsops who/that. . .
9. At the stroke ... Blenkinsop, who ... bizarre, rode ... staircase, a feat that/which...
10. It... occasions when ... damage, which
11. The time (that/which) I... was when ... chandelier(,) the chain of which ... table(,) that/which
12. All that... trousers, which was hardly what ...

2.Complete the following passage, using the correct relative adverb where necessary. Also put in
commas where necessary.
Bath owes its name to the fact that it grew up around the Roman baths, (1) which were among the largest
in the Roman Empire. The city, (2) which now has a population over 80,000 people, still has centres (3)
that/which treat people with rheumatic diseases with the mineral waters (4) that/which first attracted the
Romans to the spot.
The main attraction of Bath today, however, is its architecture, much of (5) which dates from the eighteenth
century, (6) when it became a fashionable centre for aristocratic visitors, (7) whose overeating and drinking
caused them to suffer from gout. John Wood the Elder designed the Circus, (8) which was begun in 1754,
and John Wood the Younger was responsible for Royal Crescent, (9) which faces a sloping lawn (10)
that/which runs down towards a park. The Pump Room, (11) which is mentioned in the novels of Jane
Austen, (12) who lived in Bath at the beginning of the nineteenth century, is also worth a visit. Bath is one
of the most beautiful places (13) I have visited in England and is certainly a city (14) where visitors from
abroad are always welcome.

3. Change the sentence form one construction to the other.

1 She took the child's toys away from him, which was unkind.
2 It was stupid of him to make a fuss about nothing.
3 It is extremely annoying of him to ring me up in the middle of the night.
4 They didn't take your advice, which was foolish of them.
5 It was hurtful of them not to invite her to dinner.

4. Punctuate the following letter to a magazine with commas ONLY when they are necessary.
Dear Sir,
My father, who works in an office in London, says the country is going to the dogs. I think he means that
there are too many places like the greyhound stadium that is near our house, where my Uncle Bert goes
every Wednesday. My mother, who is a teacher, says 'going to the dogs' is just an expression, which means
that it is a phrase people use when they cannot think of the precise words. She says my father means there
are too many people in the country like my Uncle Bert, who doesn't go to work. My sister Jenny, who reads
your column every day, says you are the sort of person that can solve my problem, because she has read
letters from people whose questions you answered. Do you think my father means there are too many people
who go to greyhound races, or there are too many people who don't work? My Uncle Bert fits into both
categories.
(Paul Murray, aged 10)

5. Put in the relative pronouns and the commas that are missing. When the relative pronoun
is not necessary write “X”, otherwise it will be considered wrong.

Marilyn, who/ whom several people at the party asked about, is now in the States doing business
for the little firm x she is the head of. I myself am going abroad, too. The first country of my
itinerary is India, whose High Commission in London has given me a list of those people
who/that would be most interested in my line of business, which will be very helpful for me. I
feel very happy because India is where I have always wanted to go.
6. Replace …
1 Amsterdam, where there is 2 where the pictures are housed 3 where he lived
4 where he worked 5 France, where he died. 6 novel, which he was very proud of.
7 company where he sent it 8 the places he had written about, and 9 village, where most
10 the only topics he could deal with. 11 this company, which I am the manager of, is
interested in 12 market, where books with