Using Adjective Clauses

Are you sometimes unsure how to make adjective clauses (also called "relative clauses")? Here's a useful summary chart:


Subject

Person: who/that

I met a girl. She fell in love with me. → I met a girl who/that fell in love with me.

Thing: which/that

I have a car. It is fast. → I have a car which/that is fast.


Object

Person: who(m)/that/Ø

The man was Mr. Jones. I saw him. → The man who(m)/that/Ø I saw was Mr. Jones

Thing: which/that/Ø

The movie was good. We saw it last night. →

The movie which/that/Ø we saw last night was good.


Object of a preposition

Person: who(m)/that/Ø

She is the woman. I told you about her. →She is the woman who(m)/that/Ø I told you about.
OR She is the woman about whom I told you.

Thing: which/that/Ø

The music was good. We listened to it last night. → The music which/that/Ø we listened to last night was good.
OR The music to which we listened last night was good.


Possessive: whose

I know the man. His bicycle was stolen. → I know the man whose bicycle was stolen.


Place: where/which/that/Ø

The building is old. He lives there (in that building). →
The building where he lives is very old.
OR The building in which he lives is very old.
OR The building which he lives in is very old.
OR The building that he lives in is very old.
OR The building Ø he lives in is very old.


Time: when/on which/that/Ø

I’ll never forget the day. I met you then (on that day). →
I’ll never forget the day when I met you.
OR I’ll never forget the day on which I met you.
OR I’ll never forget the day that I met you.
OR I’ll never forget the day Ø I met you.

For more information and exercises, go to http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/pronouns/relative-pronouns