A city of white palaces for six months: which for a whole clause, and lecture signposts

Q: What is a sentence relative clause?

A sentence relative clause is a clause with which that comments on the whole clause before it , not on one noun: The buildings were lit at night, which amazed visitors. What amazed them was the lighting itself. It follows a comma and often gives a reaction, a result or a reason. The B2 lesson A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai teaches it with Chicago's 1893 world's fair.

Q: How do you use which to refer to a whole clause?

Finish the clause, add a comma, then use which and a verb, with no extra subject : The wheel wasn't ready on opening day, which meant that visitors had to wait. Fixed patterns help: which is why for a result, which explains why for an explanation, which made for an effect. Which can also be the object: …, which Harper took as a yes. The scheme in A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai lists them.

Q: What are some examples of sentence relative clauses?

Four from A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai: The palaces were painted white, which is why people called the fairground the White City. Westinghouse made a lower bid, which meant that alternating current lit the fair. Most buildings were temporary, which explains why only a few still stand. Harper went to Chicago in person, which didn't surprise anyone. Each which sums up the clause before it .

Q: What's the difference between which for a noun and which for a whole clause?

Both follow a comma, but they point back to different things . In Visitors rode the wheel, which had 36 cars , which means the wheel: a non-defining clause about one noun. In The wheel opened on June 21, which meant that the first visitors couldn't ride it , which means the late opening, the whole clause. To tell them apart, ask what which replaces. A quiz in A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai asks exactly that.

Q: Is it “, which meant that” or “, what meant that”?

It's which meant that , with no what , no that and no extra it : The wheel wasn't ready, which meant that visitors had to wait , not what meant , that meant or which it meant . In writing, keep the comma before which . Most wrong replies in the chat of A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai are mistakes of this kind.

Q: What was the White City at the 1893 world's fair?

The White City was the nickname of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago , open from May 1 to October 30, 1893, by Lake Michigan. Its main buildings were made of staff, a mix of plaster, cement and fiber, and painted white; the Chicago History Museum gives that as the reason for the name, and some sources add the bright lights. About 27 million people came. A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai tells the story.

Q: Was the 1893 Ferris wheel the first Ferris wheel?

It was the original Ferris wheel, not the first of its kind : smaller wheels existed earlier. Designed by the engineer George W. G. Ferris Jr. for Chicago's world's fair, it gave every Ferris wheel its name. It opened on June 21, 1893, stood about 264 feet tall and had 36 cars for up to 60 people each. It was demolished in 1906. A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai covers the debate.

Q: How do I teach sentence relative clauses to B2 students?

Start from two sentences joined by This : The wheel wasn't ready. This meant that visitors had to wait. Then swap the period and This for a comma and which . Next, set it beside which for one noun so learners can tell the two apart. A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai moves from Harper's explainer and an office argument to the scheme, four drills and a mini-lecture.

Q: What's a good game for practicing sentence relative clauses?

Try “And then what?” chains : one student says a fact, The bus broke down , and the next adds a comment with which : …, which meant that we were late . The next student continues from that result, and anyone who says what or adds it is out. In A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai, a wheel gives mini-lecture topics, such as a turning point in your own life.

Q: What's good homework for sentence relative clauses?

Good homework turns two sentences into one : The tickets were free. This explains why the line was so long. becomes The tickets were free, which explains why the line was so long. Add gaps with which + a verb and a choice between which , what and that . All ten homework tasks in A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai check themselves, and the last one plans a talk on the original Ferris wheel.

This B2 ESL lesson plan teaches sentence relative clauses with which through the White City, Chicago's world's fair of 1893, and ends with a mini-lecture on a turning point.

Grammar: Which after a comma for the whole clause before it (The buildings were lit at night, which amazed visitors.), with which is why, which meant that and which explains why.
Topic: The 1893 fair's plaster palaces painted white, its electric light at night and the original Ferris wheel, with words such as illuminate, temporary, novelty and revival.
Activities: An explainer, an office argument and a voice memo, self-checking drills, a chat, signposts to sort, a model talk and a wheel of topics.

What's inside

Chapter 1Warm-up: fair questions
- PictureUnlock
- Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock
- Study the words: palaces, lights and talksVocabularyTry it
- Look at the pictures and choose the wordChoose by pictureUnlock
Chapter 2Palaces made of plaster
- Look at the picture: a city of white palacesPictureUnlock
- Read Harper's explainer on The Why DeskArticleUnlock
- Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Read again and choose the correct answerQuizUnlock
- Match the paragraphs and the headingsMatchUnlock
Chapter 3Turning point or just a show?
- Listen to Harper and IsaiahListeningTry it
- Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
- Listen and choose the correct answerQuizUnlock
- Listen to the Reader's Rebuttal: Agnes's voice memoListeningUnlock
- Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
- Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
Chapter 4Grammar: …, which amazed visitors
- Study the scheme: which for a whole ideaGrammar schemeTry it
- Choose the correct optionChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: which + the verb in bracketsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the correct answer: what does which refer to?QuizUnlock
- Put the words in the correct orderUnjumbleUnlock
Chapter 5Let's talk: three minutes, three points
- Choose the right replies: help Desi with her mini-lectureChatTry it
- Sort the words into the correct columns: lecture signpostsSort into columnsUnlock
- Put the parts of Harper's mini-lecture in the correct orderDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the correct option: plan your own mini-lectureChoose the optionUnlock
- Spin the wheel and answer: give a mini-lectureSpin the wheelUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Match the words and the meaningsMatchUnlock
- Unscramble the wordsAnagramUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with the lesson's wordsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: words and meaningsMemory gameUnlock
- Choose the correct option: new sentencesChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: which + the verb in bracketsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the correct answer: which sentence is correct?QuizUnlock
- Fill in the table: change This to whichFill in the tableUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: Isaiah answers AgnesDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the correct option: your next mini-lectureChoose the optionUnlock

Vocabulary

12 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+9 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

temporary
plaster
lagoon
novelty
rival
world's fair
revival
column
sum up

Grammar: sentence relative clauses: which for a whole clause

Usually which points back to one noun. After a comma, it can also point back to everything before it and add a comment, a reaction or a result: The buildings were lit at night, which amazed visitors. Here which means the fact that the buildings were lit. A fair full of causes and effects gives learners which is why, which meant that and more.

…, which amazed visitors: which for a whole idea

After a comma, which can refer to the whole clause before it, not just to one noun. Use it to add a comment, a result or a reason.

One noun or the whole clause?

In Visitors rode the wheel, which had 36 cars, which is the wheel. In The wheel opened on June 21, which meant that the first visitors couldn't ride it, it's the late opening. Ask what exactly the which stands for before you decide.

One noun, or the whole idea?

which = one noun (you know this from B1)

Visitors rode the wheel, which had 36 cars. (the wheel had 36 cars)
The palaces stood around a pool, which was called the Court of Honor. (the pool)
Harper visited the museum, which is in the old Palace of Fine Arts. (the museum)

which = the whole clause

The wheel opened on June 21, which meant that the first visitors couldn't ride it. (the late opening)
The fair had more bulbs than all of Chicago, which made the fairground shine. (all those bulbs)
Harper didn't read the instructions, which is typical of her. (not reading them)

Which = the whole clause before it

Sentence	What which refers to
The buildings were lit at night, which amazed visitors.	the fact that the buildings were lit
The palaces were painted white, which is why people called the fair the White City.	the white paint: it is the reason for the name
The wheel wasn't ready on opening day, which meant that visitors had to wait.	the late wheel: it caused the wait
Most buildings were temporary, which explains why only a few still stand.	the temporary buildings: they explain what we see today

Which is why, which meant that, which explains why

A few patterns do most of the work: which is why for a result, which meant that for a result in the past, which explains why for an explanation and which made for an effect. Which can also be the object: …, which Harper took as a yes.

Useful patterns

Pattern	Use it for	Example
…, which is why + clause	a result (= and that's the reason)	…, which is why people called it the White City.
…, which meant that + clause	a result in the past	…, which meant that alternating current lit the fair.
…, which explains why + clause	an explanation	…, which explains why only a few still stand.
…, which amazed / surprised + someone	a reaction	…, which amazed visitors.
…, which made + someone or something + adjective or base form	an effect	…, which made the fairground shine.
…, which was / is + noun or adjective	a comment	…, which was great news.
…, which + subject + verb	which as the object	Pascal bumped into the desk, which Harper took as a yes.

At The Why Desk

At night the Court of Honor was illuminated, which amazed visitors.
Westinghouse made a lower bid, which meant that alternating current lit the fair.
The palaces were painted white, which is why people called the fairground the White City.
Most of them were temporary, which explains why only a few still stand.
Harper went to Chicago in person, which didn't surprise anyone.
Pascal bumped into Isaiah's desk again, which Harper took as a yes.

A comma, then which, with no extra it

Write a comma before this which; in speech, pause. After the comma, only which is right, never what or that. And which is already the subject, so which it meant that has one subject too many.

After the comma: which, never that or what

In writing, always put a comma before a which like this (in speech, a short pause). After the comma, use which, never that or what. Which is already the subject or the object of its clause, so don't add it: …, which meant that visitors had to wait (not: which it meant).

Common mistakes

The buildings were lit at night, what amazed visitors.
The buildings were lit at night, which amazed visitors.
after the comma: which, not what
The buildings were lit at night, that amazed visitors.
The buildings were lit at night, which amazed visitors.
after the comma: which, not that
The wheel wasn't ready, which it meant that visitors had to wait.
The wheel wasn't ready, which meant that visitors had to wait.
which is the subject: don't add it
The buildings were lit at night which amazed visitors.
The buildings were lit at night, which amazed visitors.
put a comma before which

Two sentences: This meant that

The same idea can be split in two: The wheel wasn't ready. This meant that visitors had to wait. In both forms, the verb follows the time it describes: …, which amazed visitors for 1893, …, which explains why only a few still stand for today.

Two sentences? Start with This

You can also end the sentence and start a new one with This: The wheel wasn't ready. This meant that visitors had to wait. The verb after which fits the time: …, which amazed visitors (in 1893); …, which explains why only a few still stand (today).

Signposts for a mini-lecture

The scheme ends with phrases for a short talk: Today I'm going to talk about… or Let's start with… to open, Moving on to my second point… or This brings me to my last point… in the middle, and To sum up or In conclusion to close.

Start the talk	Move to the next point	End the talk
Today I'm going to talk about…	Moving on to my second point…	To sum up, …
Let's start with…	This brings me to my last point…	In conclusion, …
I'd like to begin with…	Next, let's look at…	Thanks for listening! Are there any questions?

More lessons on this grammar: Relative clauses lessons and exercises

Try the sentence relative clauses exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

What's in the lesson

21 auto-checked exercises
5 games
1 article
1 grammar scheme
1 set of word cards
2 audio clips
2 pictures
2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

comment on a whole clause with which: At night the Court of Honor was illuminated, which amazed visitors.
give a result or an explanation with which is why, which meant that and which explains why: Most buildings were temporary, which explains why only a few still stand.
tell which for one noun from which for a whole idea: Visitors rode the wheel, which had 36 cars.
avoid what, that and an extra it after the comma: which meant that, not which it meant that
give a three-minute mini-lecture with signposts: Let's start with…, Moving on to my second point…, To sum up, …

Lesson 11 is the third lesson of Turning points, unit 3 of English B2.2 · Culture and Society. In B1.2 lesson 22, a non-defining which stood for one noun; here, after lesson 10's preposition + which, it stands for a whole clause. Lesson 12 closes the unit with noun + preposition. A six-month fair that shaped buildings for decades suits which meant that.

Students open boxes of questions about fairs and buildings, then learn twelve words, from illuminate and demolish to world's fair and sum up, with pictures and audio. Harper's explainer for The Why Desk, the course's magazine, asks whether the White City was a turning point or a six-month show, with three reading tasks. Harper then records a mini-lecture while Isaiah times it and argues back, and Agnes, a Chicago history student, answers in a voice memo; both are AI-voiced. The grammar chapter has the scheme and four self-checking drills, among them a quiz on what each which refers to. The speaking chapter builds a talk in steps: a chat with Desi, signposts to sort, Harper's model to order, a plan to complete and a wheel of topics.

All ten homework tasks check themselves: a word match, an anagram, gaps with the lesson's words and a memory game, then options in new sentences, which + verb gaps, a quiz on which sentence is correct, a table that turns This into which, Isaiah's answer to Agnes and a plan for a talk on the original Ferris wheel.

Grammar:: sentence relative clauses · which referring to a whole clause · which is why · which meant that · lecture signposting
Topic:: the World's Columbian Exposition · the 1893 Chicago world's fair · the White City · the original Ferris wheel · electric light · turning points in history · mini-lectures · The Why Desk

Teaching tips

Draw an arrow from each which back to what it stands for: Visitors rode the wheel, which had 36 cars against The wheel opened late, which meant that visitors waited. One arrow hits a noun, the other a clause.
Ask what a world's fair is for before the reading. Students list their ideas, then read to find what Chicago built, how it lit the palaces and what was still standing after the fair closed.
Play the office dialogue twice: first to score each argument for Harper or Isaiah, then to catch every which after a comma, such as which isn't exactly forever.
Time the mini-lectures with a phone, as Isaiah does with his stopwatch: three minutes, three points, a signpost for each. Listeners note every which clause they hear and the phrase that ends the talk.

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The whole course: English B2.2 · Culture and Society

32 more lessons for adults at B2 in American English, with the same Why Desk team in Pittsburgh. Each lesson answers one question about how Americans learn, work, travel and remember, from the law behind the 40-hour week to the oral histories of StoryCorps. Learners link ideas in formal writing, report what is said and believed, and pack more into a sentence with participle and relative clauses. The practice exercises check themselves.See the course

Unit 1 Learning reimagined
adjective suffixes and negative prefixes, mixed conditionals, provided that and on condition that
Unit 2 Work-life balance
be required to and be entitled to, present and perfect participle clauses, participle clauses after conjunctions
Unit 3 Turning points
reduced relative clauses, preposition + which and whom, which for a whole clause, noun + preposition
1. Lesson 9The keyboard that opened the officeReduced relative clauses: -ing and the past participle
2. Lesson 10Earthrise: the photo that changed how we see EarthPreposition + which and whom
3. Lesson 11 · you're hereA city of white palaces for six monthsSentence relative clauses: which for a whole clause
4. Lesson 12The count that took eight years?Noun + preposition: a need for, a solution to, access to
Unit 4 News and truth
although, whereas and while, the impersonal passive, despite and however, is said to have
Unit 5 Travel that gives back
so as to, in order to and so that, modifying comparatives, linkers of reason and result, verb + object + preposition + -ing
Unit 6 Sport and society
verb + noun collocations, what phrasal verb particles mean, a for-and-against essay, nouns from phrasal verbs
Unit 7 Buildings and heritage
past participle clauses, quantifier + of which and of whom, report language, turn out and prove
Unit 8 Generations
adverb + adjective collocations, three-part phrasal verbs, negative and echo questions, prepositional phrases

Questions about this lesson

What is a sentence relative clause?

A sentence relative clause is a clause with which that comments on the whole clause before it, not on one noun: The buildings were lit at night, which amazed visitors. What amazed them was the lighting itself. It follows a comma and often gives a reaction, a result or a reason. The B2 lesson A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai teaches it with Chicago's 1893 world's fair.

How do you use which to refer to a whole clause?

Finish the clause, add a comma, then use which and a verb, with no extra subject: The wheel wasn't ready on opening day, which meant that visitors had to wait. Fixed patterns help: which is why for a result, which explains why for an explanation, which made for an effect. Which can also be the object: …, which Harper took as a yes. The scheme in A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai lists them.

What are some examples of sentence relative clauses?

Four from A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai: The palaces were painted white, which is why people called the fairground the White City. Westinghouse made a lower bid, which meant that alternating current lit the fair. Most buildings were temporary, which explains why only a few still stand. Harper went to Chicago in person, which didn't surprise anyone. Each which sums up the clause before it.

What's the difference between which for a noun and which for a whole clause?

Both follow a comma, but they point back to different things. In Visitors rode the wheel, which had 36 cars, which means the wheel: a non-defining clause about one noun. In The wheel opened on June 21, which meant that the first visitors couldn't ride it, which means the late opening, the whole clause. To tell them apart, ask what which replaces. A quiz in A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai asks exactly that.

Is it “, which meant that” or “, what meant that”?

It's which meant that, with no what, no that and no extra it: The wheel wasn't ready, which meant that visitors had to wait, not what meant, that meant or which it meant. In writing, keep the comma before which. Most wrong replies in the chat of A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai are mistakes of this kind.

What was the White City at the 1893 world's fair?

The White City was the nickname of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, open from May 1 to October 30, 1893, by Lake Michigan. Its main buildings were made of staff, a mix of plaster, cement and fiber, and painted white; the Chicago History Museum gives that as the reason for the name, and some sources add the bright lights. About 27 million people came. A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai tells the story.

Was the 1893 Ferris wheel the first Ferris wheel?

It was the original Ferris wheel, not the first of its kind: smaller wheels existed earlier. Designed by the engineer George W. G. Ferris Jr. for Chicago's world's fair, it gave every Ferris wheel its name. It opened on June 21, 1893, stood about 264 feet tall and had 36 cars for up to 60 people each. It was demolished in 1906. A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai covers the debate.

How do I teach sentence relative clauses to B2 students?

Start from two sentences joined by This: The wheel wasn't ready. This meant that visitors had to wait. Then swap the period and This for a comma and which. Next, set it beside which for one noun so learners can tell the two apart. A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai moves from Harper's explainer and an office argument to the scheme, four drills and a mini-lecture.

What's a good game for practicing sentence relative clauses?

Try “And then what?” chains: one student says a fact, The bus broke down, and the next adds a comment with which: …, which meant that we were late. The next student continues from that result, and anyone who says what or adds it is out. In A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai, a wheel gives mini-lecture topics, such as a turning point in your own life.

What's good homework for sentence relative clauses?

Good homework turns two sentences into one: The tickets were free. This explains why the line was so long. becomes The tickets were free, which explains why the line was so long. Add gaps with which + a verb and a choice between which, what and that. All ten homework tasks in A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai check themselves, and the last one plans a talk on the original Ferris wheel.

How do you practice sentence relative clauses one-to-one?

Comment on each other's news: the student tells three things that happened this week, and the teacher reacts with which: You missed the bus, which explains why you look tired. Then switch roles. The chat in A city of white palaces for six months on edio.ai works without a partner: Desi is preparing a mini-lecture, and the right reply says which meant that visitors had to wait for it, not which it meant.

Are there interactive exercises for sentence relative clauses?

Yes. Without an account, this page plays three parts of A city of white palaces for six months, a B2 lesson on edio.ai: Harper and Isaiah's argument over her mini-lecture, a choice of which, what or that after the comma and Desi's chat about her talk. The mini-lecture steps and the homework need an account.

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About this lesson

What's inside

Vocabulary

Grammar: sentence relative clauses: which for a whole clause

One noun or the whole clause?

One noun, or the whole idea?

Which = the whole clause before it

Which is why, which meant that, which explains why

Useful patterns

At The Why Desk

A comma, then which, with no extra it

Common mistakes

Two sentences: This meant that

Signposts for a mini-lecture

Try the sentence relative clauses exercises

What's in the lesson

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

Teaching tips

Teach the whole lesson in edio

Start a free trial

Open the lesson

Teach it live or as homework

The whole course: English B2.2 · Culture and Society

Unit 1 Learning reimagined

Unit 2 Work-life balance

Unit 3 Turning points

Unit 4 News and truth

Unit 5 Travel that gives back

Unit 6 Sport and society

Unit 7 Buildings and heritage

Unit 8 Generations

Questions about this lesson

Teach this lesson with your students