Describing precisely

English course · B2 · Upper intermediate · 6 short videos

Goal — I can describe people, things and places precisely with relative clauses.

Grammar — defining relative clauses: who, which, that, whose, where, no extra pronoun

Words — client, electric bike, launch, break down, catch fire, campaign, nervous, roommate, clean, quiet, snake, drum

The videos of this unit

Why does Tom look so nervous?

Priya Who's the man who's talking to Tom?

Mia That's the client whose company makes electric bikes.

Priya The bikes which broke down at the launch?

Mia Exactly. The launch where one bike caught fire.

Priya And we're doing his new campaign?

Mia Which is why Tom looks so nervous.

Useful expression Who's the man who's talking to Tom? — Use “who” to say which person you mean.

Mia moved out. Zoe needs a new roommate.

Zoe I'm looking for someone who's clean and quiet.

Ben I play the drums at night!

Zoe Is that a snake?

Zoe Mia, the room which you left… do you want it back?

Don't confuse it with “who's”.

Word whose /huːz/ — Used to say who something belongs to. It sounds like « who's », but it's different.

One word too many!

Common mistake ~~She's the person that I told you about her.~~ → She's the person that I told you about.

Why: The relative word (who, that, which) already replaces the person or thing. Don't add “him”, “her” or “it”.

The stress changes the meaning.

Word a greenhouse /ˈɡriːnhaʊs/ / a green house /ˌɡriːn ˈhaʊs/

Relative clauses quiz: 4 questions!