Zdania względne (Relative Clauses)

Relative Clauses — Complete Guide

Relative clauses add information about a noun. They begin with a relative pronoun (who, which, that, whose, where, when).

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Relative Pronouns:

| Pronoun | Use | Example |
|---------|-----|---------|
| who | people (subject/object) | The woman who called you is my sister. |
| which | things/animals | The book which I read was great. |
| that | people or things (informal) | The man that lives next door is a doctor. |
| whose | possession (people/things) | The girl whose father is a teacher... |
| where | places | The city where I was born... |
| when | times | The day when we met... |
| whom | people (formal, as object) | The man whom I met... |

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1. Defining Relative Clauses

Purpose: Identify WHICH person/thing we are talking about. Without the clause, the sentence is unclear.

Rules:

• NO commas
• That can replace who/which
• The relative pronoun can be OMITTED when it is the OBJECT of the clause

Examples:

• The man who/that lives next door is friendly. (who = subject → cannot omit)
• The book (which/that) I bought yesterday is interesting. (which = object → can omit)
• The woman (whom/that) you met is my boss. (whom = object → can omit)
• That's the restaurant where we had dinner.
• The student whose essay won the prize is from Warsaw.

Subject vs. Object — how to tell:

• Subject: pronoun + verb → The man who called me... (who is the subject of "called")
• Object: pronoun + subject + verb → The man (who/that) I called... (I is the subject; who is the object)

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2. Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Purpose: Add EXTRA information about a noun that is already identified. If removed, the sentence still makes sense.

Rules:

• ALWAYS use commas
• That CANNOT be used (only who, which, whose, where, when)
• The relative pronoun CANNOT be omitted

Examples:

• My mother, who is a doctor, lives in Krakow. (we know who "my mother" is)
• Warsaw, which is the capital of Poland, has 1.8 million people.
• Albert Einstein, who was born in Germany, developed the theory of relativity.
• My car, which I bought last year, has broken down.
• Mr. Smith, whose daughter studies at Oxford, is very proud.

Referring to a whole clause with "which":

• He passed all his exams, which surprised everyone. (which = the fact that he passed)
• She arrived late, which annoyed her boss.

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3. Reduced Relative Clauses (Participial Phrases)

You can shorten relative clauses using participles:

Active meaning → Present Participle (-ing):

• The man who is standing at the door... → The man standing at the door...
• Students who study hard get good grades. → Students studying hard get good grades.

Passive meaning → Past Participle (V3):

• The book which was written by Tolkien... → The book written by Tolkien...
• The car that was stolen last night... → The car stolen last night...

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Defining vs. Non-Defining — Comparison:

| Feature | Defining | Non-Defining |
|---------|----------|-------------|
| Commas | No | Yes |
| That | Allowed | NOT allowed |
| Can omit pronoun (object) | Yes | No |
| Information | Essential | Extra |
| Example | The book that I read... | This book, which I read, ... |

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Prepositions in Relative Clauses:

Informal (preposition at end):

• The person who I spoke to...
• The hotel which we stayed at...

Formal (preposition before pronoun):

• The person to whom I spoke...
• The hotel at which we stayed...

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Najczestsze bledy (Common Mistakes):

• ✗ My mother, that is a doctor... → ✓ My mother, who is a doctor... (non-defining: no "that")
• ✗ The man which lives next door... → ✓ The man who/that lives next door... (person = who/that)
• ✗ I met a girl who her father is a doctor. → ✓ I met a girl whose father is a doctor.
• ✗ Warsaw, that is the capital... → ✓ Warsaw, which is the capital...