English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – Defining relative clauses

A. Underline the correct option. Sometimes both options are possible.

1   This is the place where / which I live.

2   April is the month in which / when she was born.

3   The giant panda lives in forests which / where are being cut down.

4   The letter should only be read by the person to who / to whom it is addressed.

5   He’s a lovely man who has / with a lot of friends.

6   The 1950s and 60s were the years when / where the Cold War was at its worst.

7   That’s the reason that / why we moved.

8   I don’t know what / that you mean.

B. Complete the email by putting relative clauses a-h in the correct places.

I had a letter from Lily Wylie recently. You remember me talking about my Uncle Ray, don’t you? He’s the uncle 1…g…… . He grew up in Glasgow with my dad and my Uncle Colin. Uncle Ray left home when he was quite young. That was in the 1950s 2………… . He got on a ship 3………… and lived there for the rest of his life. When he arrived in Canada, he stayed with a couple, Mr and Mrs Bennett, 4………… . They had one child. She’s my cousin, but I’ve never met her. Uncle Colin stayed in Glasgow in the house 5………… and opened a shop 6………… . Uncle Ray and Uncle Colin never saw each other again. Anyway, I had a letter from Lily recently. She’s the daughter of the cousin 7………… . She’s going to be over here 8………… and I think she would like to meet you!

a   I’ve never met

b   when you could leave school at 15

c   when you’re next at home

d   where he was born

e   that sold fish

f   which was going to Canada

g   who moved to Canada

h   whose daughter he later married

C. Complete the sentences with who, which or that. (More than one relative pronoun is possible in each sentence.) Then put brackets around the pronouns which can be left out.

1   It’s the 5.00 train ……(which / that)…… you need to catch.

2   The man …………………… is sitting in the corner is not well.

3   The reporter asked her a lot of questions …………………… she couldn’t answer.

4   You can pick any strawberries …………………… are red.

5   There are not many people …………………… would like his job.

6   How could a person …………………… I love have done this?

7   Look! It’s the actor …………………… played Sam.

8   Chelsea is the football team …………………… my brother supports.

D. Complete the sentences by putting the words in the correct order.

1    were / about / you / boy / telling / the / me

      Is that ……the boy you were telling me about……?

2    of / that / something / I’m / proud

      It’s not ………………………………………… .

3    joke / laughing / understand / were / at / the / they

      I didn’t ………………………………………… .

4    book / film / which / on / the / the / based / is

      I’ve read ………………………………………… .

5    books / for / looking / which / found / you / the / were

      Have you …………………………………………?

6    old / across / came / which / were / very / they

      The clothes ………………………………………… .

7    yesterday / to / the / listening / you / were / song

      What was …………………………………………?

8    died / to / was / married / has / she

      The actor ………………………………………… .

E. Join the sentences using relative pronouns.

1    The stories talk of a princess. Her hair is like gold.

      The stories talk of a princess whose hair is like gold. /

      The stories talk of a princess who has hair like gold.

2    This is the film. The Coen brothers are most famous for this film.

      …………………………………………

3    That’s the guy. You go to school with his son.

      …………………………………………

4    The people should come to the front of the class. I read out their names.

      …………………………………………

5    You will never guess. I’ve just been talking to someone.

      …………………………………………

6    Why don’t we visit that museum? You were looking at their website.

      …………………………………………

7    There are some shoes in this shop. I’d really like them.

      …………………………………………

8    Suddenly Dawn saw the man. She had bought the car from him.

      …………………………………………

F. In your notebook, write definitions for at least four of the computer words, using the words in brackets.

1    a webmaster (create)

      A webmaster is someone who creates a website.

2    a chatroom (send / receive)

3    a cybercafé (use)

4    an email (send)

5    a laptop or a notebook (carry)

6    screen (look at)

7    Bill Gates (start)

G. Complete the sentences with relative clauses to make them true for you.

1    I can’t imagine a time ……when there were no computers. ……

2    I’ve never been to a country ………………………………………………………. .

3    I’d like to meet someone ………………………………………………………. .

4    I prefer watching films ………………………………………………………. .

5    I don’t like people ………………………………………………………. .

6    I never buy clothes ………………………………………………………. .

7    I always remember places ………………………………………………………. .

8    I love days ………………………………………………………. .

H. Circle the correct option.

1    I need to find someone ……… can fix my computer.

      a who     b which     c –

2    An inbox is the place ……… your emails arrive.

      a when     b where     c why

3    I don’t know ……… .

      a what about you were worrying

      b about what you were worrying

      c what you were worrying about

4    That is the guy ……… I went to school with.

      a who the wife

      b whose wife

      c the wife of who

5    A console is ……… you need to play a video game on the TV or your computer.

      a what     b which     c that