Advanced Relative Clauses (C1/C2)
📌 Lesson Contents
- 🎯 Lesson goal (C1/C2)
- 🌟 Relative Clauses with Formal Prepositions (In which, To whom)
- ⏱️ Quantifiers followed by relative pronouns (All of whom, Many of which)
- 🔗 Sentential Relatives (relative clauses about a whole sentence, with “Which”)
- 🛠️ How to form them
- 🚫 Common mistakes to avoid
- 🎮 1. Gap Fill & Translation Exercises
- 🧩 2. Extra: Sentence Builder
🎯 Lesson goal (C1/C2)
At an advanced level, relative clauses are not only the classic *“who”* and *“which”*. In this lesson you will learn formal structures with the preposition at the front, complex quantifiers (*all of whom*) and linking relatives (*sentential relatives*) that comment on a whole previous clause. 🚀
🌟 Relative Clauses with Formal Prepositions
In formal and written English, the preposition that goes with the relative pronoun moves right before *whom* (for people) or *which* (for things). This means the sentence does not end with a preposition.
| Informal style (preposition at the end) | Advanced formal style (preposition first) |
|---|---|
| The man who I was talking to. | The man to whom I was talking. |
| The office which she works in. | The office in which she works. |
⏱️ Quantifiers followed by relative pronouns
To add an extra clause that gives a part or the whole of a group you have just mentioned, use structures like all of, many of, most of, none of, each of followed by whom or which.
- She invited twenty guests, most of whom were old university friends.
- He wrote three books, none of which became successful.
🔗 Sentential Relatives (Relative Connettive)
The pronoun *which* can refer not to one noun, but to the whole previous clause. It adds a comment or a result (after a comma).
- He passed the exam with top marks, which surprised everyone.
- They decided to cancel the project, which caused a massive outrage.
🛠️ How to form them
To build advanced relative clauses with prepositions or quantifiers correctly, follow this clear step-by-step structure:
| Step | Action to take | Practical Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Noun Before | Find the noun that the relative clause refers to. | The company… |
| 2. Preposition or Quantifier | If needed, add the preposition (e.g. *in, for, to*) or the quantifier (e.g. *some of, all of*). | The company in… / …managers, most of… |
| 3. The Right Relative Pronoun | Use whom for people or which for things after prepositions/quantifiers. | …in which… / …most of whom… |
| 4. The Finishing Clause | Finish with the subject and the verb of the relative clause. | …we invested heavily last year. |
📊 Function Chart of the Parts
This chart uses colour to show the job of each part of an advanced relative sentence:
| Part of the Sentence | Specific Function | Example in Context |
|---|---|---|
| Main Clause | Gives the main idea and carries the main subject. | The boardroom |
| Preposition / Linker | Makes the formal link of place, logic or quantity. | in which |
| Relative Pronoun | Replaces the noun before it, so you do not repeat it. | which |
| Subordinate Clause | Adds extra detail or a comment. | decisions are made daily. |
🚫 Common mistakes to avoid
| C1/C2 Mistake ❌ | Correct ✅ |
|---|---|
| The man to who I spoke. | The man to whom I spoke. (After the preposition we use ‘whom’ for people, not ‘who’!) |
| She has three cats, all of them are black. | She has three cats, all of which are black. (To link with a relative pronoun you need ‘which/whom’, not ‘them’!) |
| He resigned, what shocked us all. | He resigned, which shocked us all. (To refer to a whole clause we use ‘which’, never ‘what’!) |
1. Gap Fill & Translation (C1/C2)
Complete the sentences with the correct advanced relative pronoun or linker (e.g. in which, whom, which, of whom).
2. Extra: Sentence Builder 🧩
Tap the words to move them and build perfect advanced relative sentences!