A Complete Guide to Relative Clauses for Grade 9

Relative clauses are an important grammar topic for Grade 9 English learners. They help students combine sentences, describe people and things, and provide additional information clearly and accurately. Understanding relative clauses is also useful when preparing for school tests and English entrance examinations.

However, many students find it difficult to distinguish between relative pronouns such as who, whom, which, that, and whose. Others struggle to identify defining and non-defining relative clauses or decide when a relative pronoun can be omitted.

This guide explains the essential rules of relative clauses for grade 9, provides practical examples, highlights common mistakes, and includes relative clause exercises for grade 9 with answers to help students review and apply what they have learned.

What Are Relative Clauses?

Definition of Relative Clauses

A relative clause is a dependent clause that describes or provides more information about a noun or pronoun in the main clause. It usually begins with a relative pronoun, such as who, whom, which, that, or whose, or a relative adverb, such as where, when, or why.

Examples:

• The girl who is wearing a white dress is my sister.
• This is the book which I bought yesterday.
• I remember the day when we first met.

In the first sentence, who is wearing a white dress describes the girl. In the second, which I bought yesterday provides more information about the book. In the third, when we first met describes the time.

Why Are Relative Clauses Important in Grade 9 English?

Learning relative clauses helps students express ideas more effectively and develop stronger grammar skills. This topic is particularly useful when completing sentence-combination exercises, error-correction tasks, and sentence-rewriting questions.

By mastering relative clauses, students can:

• Combine two simple sentences into one meaningful sentence.
• Choose the correct relative pronoun or relative adverb.
• Avoid unnecessary repetition in writing.
• Improve accuracy in English grammar tests.
• Build a stronger foundation for more advanced grammar topics.

Relative Pronouns in English Grammar

Relative pronouns connect a relative clause to the noun it describes. The correct pronoun depends on whether the noun refers to a person, a thing, or a possession, as well as the pronoun’s grammatical function.

How to Use Who, Whom, Which, That, and Whose

Important notes:

• Use who when the relative pronoun is the subject of the relative clause.
• Use whom when it is the object, especially in formal English. In everyday English, who is also commonly used as an object pronoun.
• Use which to refer to things or animals.
• Use that in many defining relative clauses instead of who, whom, or which. However, that cannot be used in non-defining relative clauses.
• Use whose to express possession. It is followed by a noun.

Example:

The student whose father is a doctor studies very hard.

In this sentence, whose father indicates that the father belongs to or is related to the student.

How to Use Where, When, and Why

Relative adverbs introduce clauses that provide information about places, times, and reasons.

To choose the correct relative adverb, identify the meaning of the noun before the clause.

• Use where for places.
• Use when for times.
• Use why for reasons, often after the noun reason.

Compare these examples:

• This is the school where I studied.
• This is the school which I attended.

Both sentences are correct, but their structures differ. In the first sentence, where refers to the place in which the action happened. In the second, which is the object of the verb attended.

Types of Relative Clauses

There are two main types of relative clauses: defining and non-defining relative clauses. Understanding the difference is essential for choosing the correct pronoun and punctuation.

Defining Relative Clauses

A defining relative clause provides essential information that identifies the person or thing being discussed. Without this information, the reader may not know exactly which person or thing the sentence refers to.

Key features:

• No commas separate the relative clause from the main clause.
• Who, whom, which, and that may be used, depending on the context.
• A relative pronoun functioning as an object may sometimes be omitted.

Example:

The students who study regularly often get good marks.

The clause who study regularly identifies the students being discussed. Without it, the sentence would refer to students more generally.

Another example:

The book that I bought yesterday is interesting.

The relative pronoun that can be omitted because it functions as the object of bought.

Non-Defining Relative Clauses

A non-defining relative clause adds extra information about a person or thing that is already identified. Removing this clause does not change the main meaning of the sentence.

Key features:

• Commas separate the clause from the main sentence.
• That cannot be used.
• The relative pronoun cannot be omitted.

Example:

Ha Long Bay, which is famous for its beautiful scenery, attracts many visitors.

The clause which is famous for its beautiful scenery adds information about Ha Long Bay. The main sentence remains complete without this additional detail.

How to Distinguish Between the Two Types

Follow these steps when answering relative clause exercises:

• Step 1: Identify the noun being described.
• Step 2: Determine whether the clause provides essential identifying information or simply adds extra details.
• Step 3: Check the punctuation and select a relative pronoun that fits the structure.

Do not rely on commas alone to determine the clause type. Consider both the meaning and the grammatical structure of the sentence.

Remember that that is not used in non-defining relative clauses, and a relative pronoun cannot be omitted from a non-defining clause.

Omitting and Reducing Relative Clauses

Students may encounter questions that require them to shorten a sentence while preserving its meaning. Two useful structures are omitting object relative pronouns and reducing relative clauses.

When Can Relative Pronouns Be Omitted?

A relative pronoun can be omitted when it functions as the object in a defining relative clause. It cannot be omitted when it functions as the subject.

Example:

The book which I borrowed from the library is interesting.

This can also be written as:

The book I borrowed from the library is interesting.

Here, which is the object of borrowed, so it can be omitted.

However, consider this sentence:

The boy who lives next door is my classmate.

The relative pronoun who is the subject of lives. It must remain in the sentence.

Reducing Relative Clauses with V-ing and V3/V-ed

In some structures, a relative clause can be reduced by using a present participle or a past participle.

Using V-ing

Use a present participle when the noun performs the action.

Example:

The girl who is standing near the door is my cousin.

Reduced form:

The girl standing near the door is my cousin.

Using V3/V-ed

Use a past participle when the noun receives the action, typically in a passive construction.

Example:

The books which were written by this author are popular.

Reduced form:

The books written by this author are popular.

When reducing a relative clause, make sure the original meaning and the relationship between the noun and the action remain clear.

Common Mistakes in Relative Clause Exercises

Even students who understand the rules may make mistakes when applying them. Recognizing these common errors can help improve accuracy.

Confusing Who and Which

Incorrect: The woman which teaches me is friendly.

Correct: The woman who teaches me is friendly.

Explanation: Woman refers to a person, so who is the appropriate choice in this sentence.

Using an Extra Personal Pronoun

Incorrect: The man who he helped me is my uncle.

Correct: The man who helped me is my uncle.

Explanation: Who already functions as the subject of the relative clause. Adding he creates an unnecessary extra subject.

Using That in a Non-Defining Relative Clause

Incorrect: My brother, that lives in Hanoi, is a doctor.

Correct: My brother, who lives in Hanoi, is a doctor.

Explanation: The commas indicate a non-defining relative clause, in which that cannot be used.

Confusing Whose with Who or Which

Incorrect: The student who bag is on the table is absent.

Correct: The student whose bag is on the table is absent.

Explanation: Whose expresses possession and is followed by a noun.

Omitting a Subject Relative Pronoun

Incorrect: The dog barks loudly belongs to my neighbor.

Correct: The dog that barks loudly belongs to my neighbor.

Explanation: The relative pronoun that functions as the subject of barks and cannot be omitted.

To avoid these mistakes, identify the noun being described, locate the subject and verb of the relative clause, and then choose the appropriate relative word.

Relative Clause Exercises for Grade 9 with Answers

After reviewing the grammar rules, complete the following exercises to reinforce your understanding. Check the answer key after attempting each activity independently.

Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Relative Word

Complete each sentence with a suitable word: who, whom, which, that, whose, where, when, or why.

1. The woman ______ is talking to my mother is my teacher.
2. This is the house ______ I was born.
3. I dislike people ______ never keep their promises.
4. The student ______ bicycle was stolen reported it to the police.
5. Do you remember the day ______ we visited the museum?
6. The laptop ______ I bought last week works well.
7. The man ______ I spoke to yesterday is a doctor.
8. I don’t understand the reason ______ she refused the invitation.

Answers and explanations

1. Who/that – Refers to a person and functions as the subject.
2. Where – Refers to a place.
3. Who/that – Refers to people and functions as the subject.
4. Whose – Shows possession.
5. When – Refers to a time.
6. Which/that – Refers to a thing and functions as the object.
7. Whom/who/that – Refers to a person and functions as the object in a defining relative clause.
8. Why – Explains the reason.

Exercise 2: Combine the Sentences

Combine each pair of sentences using an appropriate relative clause.

1. I have a friend. He lives in Da Nang.
2. This is the laptop. I bought it yesterday.
3. The teacher is very kind. She teaches us English.
4. We visited a museum. It displays many historical objects.
5. I met a girl. Her brother is in my class.

Suggested answers

1. I have a friend who lives in Da Nang.
2. This is the laptop which/that I bought yesterday.
3. The teacher who teaches us English is very kind.
4. We visited a museum which/that displays many historical objects.
5. I met a girl whose brother is in my class.

Some sentences allow more than one correct answer. Make sure the relative pronoun matches the noun and its grammatical role in the clause.

Exercise 3: Find and Correct the Mistake

Each sentence contains one error related to relative clauses. Identify and correct it.

1. The girl which is wearing a blue dress is my cousin.
2. My father, that works in a hospital, is very busy.
3. The man who I met him yesterday is my uncle.
4. The boy lives next door is my classmate.
5. This is the school which I studied when I was young.

Answers and explanations

1. Which → who/that. Use a relative pronoun referring to a person.
2. That → who. Non-defining relative clauses do not use that.
3. Remove him. The relative pronoun already functions as the object.
4. Add who/that after The boy. A subject relative pronoun cannot be omitted.
5. Which → where, if the intended meaning is the place where the speaker studied. The corrected sentence is: This is the school where I studied when I was young.

Exercise 4: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite each sentence using a relative clause without changing its meaning.

1. The woman is my aunt. She is standing over there.
2. The book is very interesting. I borrowed it from the library.
3. The students are very hardworking. Their parents are teachers.
4. The restaurant is near my house. We had dinner there last night.

Suggested answers

1. The woman who is standing over there is my aunt.
2. The book which/that I borrowed from the library is very interesting.
3. The students whose parents are teachers are very hardworking.
4. The restaurant where we had dinner last night is near my house.

When rewriting sentences, preserve the original meaning, identify the noun being described, and select the relative structure that fits the sentence.

How to Study Relative Clauses Effectively

Regular practice is essential for mastering relative clauses for grade 9. Instead of memorizing every rule at once, use a structured approach to improve your understanding and application.

• Organize the grammar rules: Create a comparison table showing the uses of each relative pronoun and adverb.
• Practice from easy to difficult: Start with fill-in-the-blank questions before moving on to sentence combining, error correction, and sentence rewriting.
• Review your mistakes: Understand why an answer is correct rather than simply memorizing the answer key.
• Revise regularly: Repeat previously incorrect exercises after a few days to strengthen your memory.
• Write your own examples: Create sentences about school, family, friends, and familiar places to apply the rules in context.

The goal is not simply to memorize grammar formulas but to understand how relative words function in real sentences.

Summary of Relative Clauses for Grade 9

Relative clauses help students connect ideas, describe nouns, and write more complex English sentences. To master this topic, learners should understand the differences between who, whom, which, that, and whose, as well as the relative adverbs where, when, and why.

It is equally important to distinguish defining and non-defining relative clauses, recognize when a relative pronoun can be omitted, and understand how participles can reduce certain relative clauses.

By combining clear grammar knowledge with regular practice, students can improve their sentence construction, avoid common errors, and prepare more confidently for Grade 9 English tests.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main relative pronouns for Grade 9 English?

The main relative pronouns are who, whom, which, that, and whose. Students should also learn where, when, and why, which introduce clauses related to places, times, and reasons.

When can a relative pronoun be omitted?

A relative pronoun can be omitted when it functions as the object in a defining relative clause. It cannot be omitted when it functions as the subject or appears in a non-defining relative clause.

How can I distinguish between who and which?

Use who to refer to people and which to refer to things or animals. Always check the noun being described and the grammatical role of the relative pronoun.

Do relative clauses appear in Grade 9 English exams?

Relative clauses may appear in multiple-choice questions, error-correction tasks, sentence-combination exercises, and sentence-rewriting questions. Reviewing both grammar rules and practical exercises can help students prepare.

Should I memorize all relative clause structures?

Understanding how each structure works is more useful than memorizing formulas alone. Practice with different sentence patterns and review mistakes regularly to develop stronger grammar skills.

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