Relativsätze (fortgeschritten)
Which sentence contains a non-defining relative clause?
Erklärung: Non-defining relative clauses add extra information and are set off by commas. Removing 'who lives in London' doesn't change who the brother is.
You can use 'that' in non-defining relative clauses.
Erklärung: False. In non-defining relative clauses (with commas), you must use 'who', 'which', 'whose', etc. — never 'that'.
The Eiffel Tower, ___ was built in 1889, is the most visited monument in Paris.
Erklärung: This is a non-defining relative clause adding extra information about the Eiffel Tower. 'Which' is used for things in non-defining clauses.
Choose the correct sentence.
Erklärung: In formal English, prepositions come before the relative pronoun: 'to whom', 'with which', 'in which'. 'Whom' is the object form.
What is the function of 'whose' in a relative clause?
Erklärung: 'Whose' shows possession in relative clauses: 'The woman whose car was stolen...' (= her car was stolen).
She married a man ___ family owns a famous restaurant.
Erklärung: 'Whose' indicates possession: the man's family owns the restaurant.
Which sentence is correct?
Erklärung: In non-defining relative clauses (with commas), use 'which' for things, never 'that' or 'what'.
In the sentence 'The house in which I grew up has been demolished', the relative clause is formal in style.
Erklärung: True. Placing the preposition before the relative pronoun ('in which') is formal. Informal: 'The house which I grew up in' or 'The house I grew up in'.
Complete: 'He told me the reason ___ he was late.'
Erklärung: 'Why' is used as a relative pronoun/adverb after 'reason': 'the reason why...'. 'When' is used after time expressions, 'where' after places.
I remember the day ___ we first met.
Erklärung: 'When' introduces relative clauses referring to time: 'the day when', 'the year when', 'the moment when'.
What is a reduced relative clause?
Erklärung: Reduced relative clauses drop the relative pronoun + be: 'The man (who is) sitting there is my uncle.' Using participles makes sentences more concise.
Rewrite using a reduced relative clause: 'The letter which was written in French was difficult to understand.'
Erklärung: Remove 'which was' to get the reduced form: 'The letter written in French...' (past participle used as adjective).
You can omit the relative pronoun in a defining relative clause when it is the object.
Erklärung: True. In defining clauses, the object pronoun can be omitted: 'The film (that/which) I watched...' Both are correct.
Which sentence has an error?
Erklärung: 'That' cannot be used in non-defining relative clauses (with commas). Correct: 'The book, which I borrowed, was interesting.'
This is the hotel ___ we stayed last summer.
Erklärung: 'Where' introduces relative clauses referring to places. Alternatively: 'the hotel in which we stayed' or 'the hotel (that) we stayed in'.