Advanced relative clauses: the rules, all of which are new – relative clauses exercises in formal English

This C1 drill lesson gives advanced relative clauses exercises in formal English: in which and to whom, all of whom and some of which, whose for things, and whereby.

Grammar: A preposition before which or whom, a quantity + of whom or of which, whose for things, whereby, by which time, at which point and in which case.
Topic: Housing rules: an invented city's plain-English guide to its new short-term rental rules, with a news report, a Q&A page, a host's listing and a friend's texts.
Activities: True or false, sorts, choices, typed gaps, rewrite tables, matching, word order, find-the-mistake quizzes, drag-and-drop texts, a memory game, a chat and a final test.

What's inside

Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: advanced relative clausesGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the phrases: of whom or of which?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the right relative wordChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: one relative wordFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2In which, to whom: the preposition first
- Fill in the gaps: say it formallyFill in the gapsTry it
- Choose the right prepositionChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the table: formal and everydayFill in the tableUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Read the reference letter and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: the preposition firstUnjumbleUnlock
Chapter 3All of whom, some of which
- Choose the right words: of whom, of which or of themChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: join the sentencesFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: whose with thingsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: of whom, of whichQuizUnlock
- Read the university news and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: of whom, of whichUnjumbleUnlock
Chapter 4Whereby, by which time, in which case
- Choose the right words: whereby, by which time, in which caseChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: join the sentences with a relative phraseFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the table: two sentences into oneFill in the tableTry it
- Find the matching pairs: formal and everydayMemory gameUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: whereby, by which time, in which caseQuizUnlock
- Read the race information and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: whereby, by which timeUnjumbleUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: Merrowgate's new rental rules
- Read the city's guide to the new rulesReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the guide again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the news report and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the questions and answers and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Read Eulalia's listing and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Dariela texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right words: at work and at homeChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: preposition + which or whomFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: join the two sentencesFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the school's email and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: formal sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: one sentence in formal EnglishFill in the tableUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: of whom, of whichMatchUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: everyday EnglishQuizUnlock
- Read Svea's review and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the library news and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Is it correct English? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: one missing wordFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right preposition: everyday verbsChoose the optionUnlock

Grammar: advanced relative clauses: in which, all of whom, whereby

These relative clauses belong to formal English: rules, reports, letters and news. They pack two ideas into one sentence with a preposition before which or whom, a quantity + of whom or of which, whose for things, or a linking phrase such as whereby or in which case.

Advanced relative clauses: in which, all of whom, whereby

Formal ways to join ideas: a preposition before which or whom, all of whom and some of which, whose for things, whereby, by which time and in which case.

A preposition + which or whom

Formal English moves the preposition to the front, with which for things and whom for people: This is the house in which I grew up. After a preposition, never who or that, and the preposition appears only once.

preposition + which / whom

a nounin / to / with / for … + which (things) / whom (people)the rest of the clause

This is the house in which I grew up.

The woman to whom I spoke was very kind.

These are the rules with which every host must comply.

After a preposition: which or whom, never that or who

After a preposition, use which for things and whom for people: to whom, in which. Never: to who, in that, in where. Put the preposition first or last, never in both places: the room in which we stayed / the room we stayed in (not: in which we stayed in). In one sentence, write all of whom, not all of them.

Formal or everyday: both are correct

Everyday English leaves the preposition at the end: the firm she works for, the man I spoke to. The reason for which he left matches the reason why he left, and the way in which we work matches the way we work, never the way how.

Formal: the preposition first	Everyday: the preposition last	Wrong
the house in which I grew up	the house (that) I grew up in · the house where I grew up	in which I grew up in · where I grew up in
the man to whom I spoke	the man (who / that) I spoke to	to who I spoke · to that I spoke
the firm for which she works	the firm (that) she works for	for that she works
the reason for which he left	the reason (why / that) he left	the reason for why he left
the way in which we work	the way (that) we work · how we work	the way how we work

All of whom, two of which, whose

A quantity + of whom (people) or of which (things) keeps two ideas in one sentence: She wrote six books, two of which became films. Whose works for things too: a law whose aim is… means a law, the aim of which is…

Pattern	Example	Not
all / most / some / none / both / two + of whom (people)	I have two brothers, both of whom live in Ohio.	both of who · both of them (in one sentence)
all / many / half / none / one + of which (things)	She wrote six books, two of which became films.	two of whom · two of them (in one sentence)
the first / the best / the oldest + of which / of whom	three rooms, the largest of which has a balcony	the largest of them has
whose for things = the … of which	a law whose aim is… = a law, the aim of which is…	a law which its aim is…

Whereby, by which time, in which case

Whereby means by which and names a system, a method or a deal, never a place. By which time means and by then; at which point, and at that moment; in which case, and if that happens: It may rain, in which case the race will start later.

whereby, by which time, in which case

Phrase	Meaning	Example
whereby	by which: a system, a method, a deal	a scheme whereby staff can work from home
by which time	and by then (often with had done / will have done)	We got there at ten, by which time the doors had closed.
at which point	and at that moment	The lights went out, at which point everyone screamed.
in which case	and if that happens	It may rain, in which case the race will start later.
after which / during which	and after that / during that time	We ate, after which we went for a walk.

where, why, whereby: which one?

where = in which / at which for places and situations: the town where / in which I live. why = for which: the reason why / for which she called. whereby is for systems, methods and deals, never for places: the town where I live (not: whereby I live).

Common mistakes

Inside one sentence, both of them live in Texas must become both of whom live in Texas. Also watch most of who (it's most of whom), in where (pick in which or where) and the village whereby I was born.

I have two sisters, both of them live in Texas.
I have two sisters, both of whom live in Texas.
one sentence: of whom, not of them
The guests, most of who were late, …
The guests, most of whom were late, …
after of: whom (people), which (things)
the hotel in where we stayed
the hotel in which / where we stayed
in which or where, not both
the village whereby I was born
the village where I was born
whereby = by which: a system, not a place

Examples

The tenants with whom we share a garden are very quiet.preposition + whom
Ten people applied, none of whom had the right experience.none of whom: people
She owns 300 books, most of which she has never read.most of which: things
The city uses a system whereby drivers pay for parking by text.whereby = by which
The meeting ran until nine, by which time most people had gone home.by which time = and by then
The road may flood, in which case take the bridge.in which case = and if so

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What's in the lesson

40 auto-checked exercises
5 games
1 real-life document
1 grammar scheme
1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

put the preposition before which or whom in formal English: The woman to whom I spoke was very kind.
join two sentences with a quantity + of whom or of which: I have three brothers, all of whom live abroad.
use whose for things: They live in a village whose name nobody can pronounce.
link a second event with by which time or in which case: We got to the station at 9:10, by which time the train had left.
keep whereby for systems and deals and where for places: the village where I was born, not the village whereby I was born

Grammar:: relative clauses · preposition + which / whom · all of whom / some of which · whose for things · whereby · by which time · in which case · formal English
Topic:: grammar practice · rules and laws · housing · short-term rentals · formal English

Teaching tips

Count the class with of whom: students describe the group in one sentence, There are twelve of us, three of whom cycle to school, then switch to things in the room with of which.
Make a chatty note formal: give pairs house rules written casually (the room we eat in, the people you live with) and have them move each preposition to the front, then read both versions aloud.
Draft rules for a shared apartment after reading the Merrowgate guide: one line each with whereby, after which and in which case, such as Rent is due on the 1st, after which a late fee applies.

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English Grammar Practice · C1 has 16 drill lessons on advanced grammar, one point each: inversion, cleft sentences, the subjunctive, advanced passives, ellipsis, nominalization, hedging, fronting and concession. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course

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