🧠 What is a Relative Clause?
It gives extra information about a noun.
👉 Structure:
Noun + relative word + extra info
Relative words:
- who (people)
- which (things)
- that (people/things)
- where (place)
- when (time)
🟢 1. “WHO” (for people)
✅ Examples:
- The man who lives next door is a doctor.
- The student who studies hard will succeed.
🔵 2. “WHICH” (for things)
✅ Examples:
- The book which I read was interesting.
- The car which he bought is expensive.
🟡 3. “THAT” (people + things)
👉 More common in speaking
✅ Examples:
- The girl that I met was friendly.
- The movie that we watched was boring.
🟣 4. “WHERE” (place)
✅ Examples:
- This is the school where I studied.
- I visited a city where people are very friendly.
🟠 5. “WHEN” (time)
✅ Examples:
- I remember the day when I met him.
- That was the year when I moved to Dhaka.
🔴 6. Defining vs Non-Defining (VERY IMPORTANT)
✔ Defining (important info → no comma)
- The man who is wearing a hat is my uncle.
👉 Without clause → meaning incomplete
✔ Non-defining (extra info → use comma)
- My uncle, who is wearing a hat, is here.
👉 Extra info only
🔥 IELTS Advantage
Instead of:
- I met a man. He is very kind. ❌
✔ Better:
- I met a man who is very kind.
👉 This = higher band score
❌ Common Mistakes (Bangladeshi Students)
1. Wrong relative word
- The person which came ❌
✔ The person who came
2. Extra pronoun
- The man who he is talking ❌
✔ The man who is talking
3. Missing relative word
- The book I read was good ✔ (OK in speaking)
But in writing, better: - The book that/which I read was good
4. Using “where” wrongly
- The day where I met him ❌
✔ The day when I met him
🎯 IELTS BAND 7+ TIP
Use relative clauses to:
- Combine sentences
- Avoid repetition
- Show grammar range
🚀 Pro Trick (High Level)
Use “which” for ideas (Task 2):
- Governments invest in education, which improves society.
👉 This is a Band 8 style sentence