Relative clauses: ESL lesson plans and exercises

Q: What are relative clauses?

Clauses that describe a noun, placed right after it. They start with a relative pronoun such as who , which , that , where or whose , and they turn two ideas into one sentence: Sawgrass is a plant that grows in the Everglades. Some tell you which one you mean; others add extra facts between commas.

Q: Which relative pronoun do I use: who, which, that, where or whose?

Choose it by the noun the clause describes. Who is for people, which for things, that for either in a defining clause, where for places and whose + a noun for possession: the captain who drives the boat , the database where we keep logs , a hotel whose delivery was late . For times, use when : the day when we interviewed Sofie .

Q: How do I teach relative clauses to A2 students?

Start with things and animals, then add people and places. In English A2.2 on edio.ai, lesson 25 joins pairs of sentences with which or that ( It's a bird that copies car alarms ), and lesson 26 brings in who and where for the people and places of the Everglades. Both come with a grammar scheme, drills that check themselves and a speaking chapter.

Q: What are good relative clause games and activities?

Guessing games built on definitions. One student says It's an animal that lives in a swamp or It's a place where you buy bread , and the others guess, so every turn needs a full clause. A quiz of What do you call a person who…? questions works the same way. For speaking, each lesson here has a chat and a game such as Spin the wheel or Open the box.

Q: Are there interactive relative clauses exercises?

Yes, you can try some on this page. The set near the top comes from these lessons and plays without an account. Inside the lessons there are more, from gap-fills to drag-and-drop and quizzes, done in each student's own account and checked on the spot. The free trial opens all of them.

Q: When can you leave out the relative pronoun?

When it's the object in a defining clause. If a new subject comes next, the pronoun can go: the candidate (who) we liked , the job (that) she applied for . If a verb comes next, it's the subject and stays: the candidate who speaks Dutch . Between commas, keep it every time: The ad, which Ryan wrote, got 46 applications.

Q: What's the difference between which and that?

For things in a defining clause, either one works. The song which the bird sings is long means the same with that . Between commas, though, only which is possible, and only which can refer to a whole idea: We had 46 applications, which was more than we expected. That can also describe people, but which can't.

Q: Do these relative clause lessons work one-to-one?

Yes, live with one student or as homework. In a live lesson, the student follows along in sync from their own account, and the speaking game works with two people. Set as homework, the drills check themselves, while some tasks wait for you to review.

Levels A2 to C1 13 lesson plans · 3 drill lessons Exercises that check themselves

A relative clause follows a noun and says which one you mean, or adds a fact: the bird that copies car alarms or Hannah, who works for a hotel chain. Here you'll find 13 ready-made relative clause lessons from the edio.ai library, levels A2 to C1, all in American English. Play some of their exercises, look through the rules in each lesson's grammar scheme, from who and which up to reduced clauses, and choose the one that suits your class from the list by level. Students answer in their own accounts, and every practice exercise checks itself.

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Relative clauses lesson plans and drills

13 lesson plans and 3 drill lessons, A2 to C1. Lesson plans are whole lessons with reading, listening and speaking; drill lessons are 44 to 46 self-checking exercises with no new words.

Try the relative clauses exercises

One exercise from each of 6 lessons. These are the same exercises your students do in edio.

Relative clauses explained

We use relative clauses to show exactly which person, thing or place we mean, or to add a fact about it, inside one sentence. The clause opens with a relative pronoun: who for people, which for things, that for both, where for places and whose for possession.

Joining two sentences with which or that

For things and animals, which or that replaces it or they and joins two sentences: Here's the photo. Nora took it. becomes Here's the photo that Nora took. The clause can also sit right after a subject: The song that the bird sings is long.

Two sentences	One sentence
It's a bird. It copies sounds.	It's a bird which / that copies sounds.
Mockingbirds are birds. They live near houses.	Mockingbirds are birds which / that live near houses.
Here's the photo. Nora took it.	Here's the photo which / that Nora took.
The song is long. The bird sings it.	The song which / that the bird sings is long.

From the lesson The bird that copies car alarms (English A2.2)

Who for people, where for places

English A2.2 then adds who for people and where for places: a person who drives a boat, a bank where alligators rest. After where comes a new subject and its verb. When the place itself does the action, use which or that: a park that has airboats.

Who, which / that or where?

For	Use	Example
people 🧑	who (or that)	A captain is a person who drives a boat.
animals 🐊 and things 🚤	which or that	A crocodile is an animal that likes salty water. An airboat is a boat which has a giant fan.
places 🌿	where	The Everglades is a place where alligators live.

A place where…

a placewheresomeone or somethinga verb

a bank where alligators rest

a town where my aunt lives

a place where it's warm in winter

From the lesson Alligators and crocodiles together (English A2.2)

Whose, and when the pronoun can go

At B1, whose + a noun shows possession: a merchant whose alert doesn't arrive. Who, which or that can drop out when a new subject follows, because then it's the object: the apps (that) we build. Followed by a verb, it stays.

You describe	Use	Example
a person	who / that	Merchants are the shop owners who use the app.
a thing	which / that	This is the service that sends payout alerts.
a place	where + subject + verb	This is the database where we keep crash reports.
something that belongs to someone	whose + noun	A merchant whose alert doesn't arrive can check the app.
a person or thing as the object	who / which / that can go	These are the apps (that) we build.

From the lesson Draw it, then say it (English for IT B1)

Defining or non-defining: commas or none

A defining clause says which one and takes no commas: We need someone who speaks Dutch. A non-defining clause adds extra information between commas, never uses that and always keeps its pronoun: Hannah, who works for a hotel chain, is great with clients.

Defining: tells us WHICH one · no commas

We need someone who speaks Dutch.
The candidate (who) we interviewed first was nervous.
who or that for people · which or that for things
You can often leave out the pronoun (see below).

Non-defining: adds extra information · commas

Hannah, who works for a hotel chain, is great with clients.
Kade Hotels, whose head office is in Rotterdam, has 28 hotels.
who, which, whose, where or when · never that
Never leave out the pronoun.

From the lesson Hiring the Right Person (Business English B2)

Reduced relative clauses

At C1, learners shorten relative clauses. A passive one keeps only its past participle: requests that are sent without a key becomes requests sent without a key. An active one turns its verb into -ing: merchants who use the old API becomes merchants using the old API.

Full relative clause

Requests that are sent without a key are rejected.
Any call that exceeds the limit gets a 429.
Merchants who use the old API must upgrade.

Reduced: -ing (active) or past participle (passive)

Requests sent without a key are rejected.
Any call exceeding the limit gets a 429.
Merchants using the old API must upgrade.

From the lesson Docs People Actually Read (English for IT C1)

Questions about relative clauses

What are relative clauses?

Clauses that describe a noun, placed right after it. They start with a relative pronoun such as who, which, that, where or whose, and they turn two ideas into one sentence: Sawgrass is a plant that grows in the Everglades. Some tell you which one you mean; others add extra facts between commas.

Which relative pronoun do I use: who, which, that, where or whose?

Choose it by the noun the clause describes. Who is for people, which for things, that for either in a defining clause, where for places and whose + a noun for possession: the captain who drives the boat, the database where we keep logs, a hotel whose delivery was late. For times, use when: the day when we interviewed Sofie.

How do I teach relative clauses to A2 students?

Start with things and animals, then add people and places. In English A2.2 on edio.ai, lesson 25 joins pairs of sentences with which or that (It's a bird that copies car alarms), and lesson 26 brings in who and where for the people and places of the Everglades. Both come with a grammar scheme, drills that check themselves and a speaking chapter.

What are good relative clause games and activities?

Guessing games built on definitions. One student says It's an animal that lives in a swamp or It's a place where you buy bread, and the others guess, so every turn needs a full clause. A quiz of What do you call a person who…? questions works the same way. For speaking, each lesson here has a chat and a game such as Spin the wheel or Open the box.

Are there interactive relative clauses exercises?

Yes, you can try some on this page. The set near the top comes from these lessons and plays without an account. Inside the lessons there are more, from gap-fills to drag-and-drop and quizzes, done in each student's own account and checked on the spot. The free trial opens all of them.

What's the difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses?

Defining clauses identify; non-defining clauses add extra information. We need someone who speaks Dutch tells you which person, so there are no commas. In Kade Hotels, whose head office is in Rotterdam, has 28 hotels, the clause only adds a fact, so commas go around it. A non-defining clause never uses that, and its pronoun always stays.

When can you leave out the relative pronoun?

When it's the object in a defining clause. If a new subject comes next, the pronoun can go: the candidate (who) we liked, the job (that) she applied for. If a verb comes next, it's the subject and stays: the candidate who speaks Dutch. Between commas, keep it every time: The ad, which Ryan wrote, got 46 applications.

What's the difference between which and that?

For things in a defining clause, either one works. The song which the bird sings is long means the same with that. Between commas, though, only which is possible, and only which can refer to a whole idea: We had 46 applications, which was more than we expected. That can also describe people, but which can't.

Do these relative clause lessons work one-to-one?

Yes, live with one student or as homework. In a live lesson, the student follows along in sync from their own account, and the speaking game works with two people. Set as homework, the drills check themselves, while some tasks wait for you to review.

More English grammar

Lessons for every grammar point, from the verb to be to reported speech. All grammar points

Relative clauses: ESL lesson plans and exercises

Relative clauses lesson plans and drills

The bird that copies car alarms

Alligators and crocodiles together

Art that moves in the air

A heart that sells a state

What would you paint on a city wall?

Why does the sign say Hollywood?

Draw it, then say it

Relative clauses: the person who, the place where

Hiring the Right Person

The keyboard that opened the office

Earthrise: the photo that changed how we see Earth

A city of white palaces for six months

A house over a waterfall

Non-defining relative clauses: the extra information

Docs People Actually Read

Advanced relative clauses: the rules, all of which are new

Try the relative clauses exercises

Relative clauses explained

Joining two sentences with which or that

Who for people, where for places

Who, which / that or where?

A place where…

Whose, and when the pronoun can go

Defining or non-defining: commas or none

Reduced relative clauses

Questions about relative clauses

More English grammar

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Verbs

Sentences

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Teach relative clauses with ready-made lessons