B2 · Obere Mittelstufe Kapitel 7

Connecting Information with Relative Clauses

5 Gesamtregeln
58 Beispiele
6 Min.
Regeln in diesem Kapitel Schnelle Übung

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of weaving complex ideas into elegant, concise English sentences.

  • Connect ideas using relative pronouns and adverbs.
  • Distinguish between essential and extra information with comma usage.
  • Condense complex thoughts by mastering reduced relative clauses.
Weave your thoughts into seamless, professional prose.

Was du lernen wirst

Ready to weave your ideas together more smoothly and concisely? This chapter empowers you to connect information elegantly, crafting tighter sentences by even shortening clauses. You'll soon express complex thoughts with newfound clarity and confidence.

  • Whose: Besitz anzeigen
    Nutze whose, um Besitzverhältnisse flüssig zu beschreiben und deine Sätze wie ein Profi zu verbinden. Deine Tools: possession, relative clause, concise style.
  • Relativadverbien (wo, wann, warum)
    Nutze where, when und why, um Orte, Zeiten und Gründe elegant zu verknüpfen und wie ein Native Speaker zu klingen. Deine drei wichtigsten Werkzeuge sind: where für Orte, when für Zeiten und why für Gründe.
  • Definierende vs. Nicht-definierende Relativsätze (Kommas und Bedeutung)
    Kommas sind dein Werkzeug für Klarheit: Defining braucht keine Kommas für essenzielle Infos, Non-defining nutzt Kommas für coole Extra-Details.
  • Sätze kürzen: Reduzierte Relativsätze
    Mach deine Sätze knackiger, indem du Relativsätze in effiziente Beschreibungen verwandelst. Nutze active oder passive Partizipien für den perfekten Flow.
  • Formelle Relativsätze (in welchem, wem)
    Upgrade dein Englisch mit preposition + which/whom für mehr Präzision und Eleganz in förmlichen Kontexten wie academic writing oder business emails.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use relative clauses to combine two separate sentences into one fluid statement.

Kapitel-Leitfaden

Overview

As a B2 English learner, you're past the basics and ready to truly refine your expression. This chapter is your key to unlocking a more sophisticated and natural way of speaking and writing, making your B2 English grammar shine. We're diving into English connecting information with relative clauses – a powerful tool that transforms choppy sentences into smooth, flowing prose.
Imagine being able to explain complex ideas or describe intricate scenarios with effortless clarity. That's what relative clauses offer!
You'll learn to weave details seamlessly, whether it's showing possession with whose, linking information to places, times, or reasons using where, when, and why, or distinguishing between essential and extra information with defining and non-defining clauses. We’ll even show you how to elegantly shorten your sentences by reducing relative clauses, making your speech and writing more concise and impactful. Plus, for those moments when you need to sound truly professional, we'll cover formal relative clause structures.
Get ready to express your thoughts with newfound precision and confidence!

How This Grammar Works

At its heart, a relative clause adds information about a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea) without starting a new sentence. It makes your English sound much more natural and less like a series of short, unconnected statements. Think of them as linguistic bridges.
We start with the basics: whose shows possession, just like his or her but within a clause. For example:
The student whose essay won the prize is incredibly talented.
Here, whose links the student to their essay. Next, relative adverbs (where, when, why) connect details to places, times, or reasons.
Instead of saying
I remember the restaurant. We had our first date there,
you can say
I remember the restaurant where we had our first date.
This is far more elegant and efficient.
The distinction between defining and non-defining relative clauses is crucial and often hinges on commas. A defining clause provides essential information to identify the noun – without it, the meaning changes or is unclear. For instance,
The car that is parked illegally will be towed.
(No commas, essential info).
A non-defining clause, on the other hand, adds extra, non-essential information and is always set off by commas.
My brother, who lives in Canada, is visiting next week.
(With commas, 'who lives in Canada' is just additional detail; I only have one brother).
For even greater conciseness, you can often reduce relative clauses. If the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause and the verb is active, you can remove the pronoun and be verb (if present) and change the main verb to its present participle (-ing form).
The man who is standing near the door is my boss
becomes
The man standing near the door is my boss.
If passive, use the past participle:
The documents which were signed yesterday are ready
becomes
The documents signed yesterday are ready.
Finally, for a touch of formality, particularly in written English, you can shift prepositions to the beginning of the clause with 'which' or 'whom'.
Instead of
This is the problem that I referred to,
you can say
This is the problem to which I referred.
This instantly elevates your language.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Using who instead of whose for possession.
✗ "That's the student who grades are always top-notch."
✓ "That's the student whose grades are always top-notch."
Explanation: Whose is possessive, meaning belonging to whom or of which. Who is a subject pronoun.
  1. 1✗ Incorrect comma usage for defining and non-defining clauses.
✗
The book, that I borrowed from you, was excellent.
✓
The book that I borrowed from you was excellent.
(Defining – essential information to identify *which* book)
✓
My old car, which was quite reliable, finally broke down.
(Non-defining – 'which was quite reliable' is extra info about *my old car*, already identified)
Explanation: That is typically used for defining clauses (no commas). Which can be used for both, but for non-defining clauses (with commas), which is the only correct choice.
  1. 1✗ Incorrectly reducing clauses, especially in the passive voice.
✗
The report sending to the client needs final approval.
✓
The report sent to the client needs final approval.
Explanation: The report isn't sending itself (active); it is sent (passive). When reducing a passive relative clause, use the past participle.

Real Conversations

A

A

Did you hear about Sarah, whose presentation at the conference was a huge success?
B

B

"Yes! I saw the venue where it took place. It was massive! She mentioned it's a topic to which many people can relate."
A

A

"I'm looking for the cafe that serves the best coffee downtown. Do you know it?"
B

B

"You mean 'The Daily Grind,' which is on Elm Street? It's really good. The barista making your coffee often has cool tattoos."
A

A

Remember that old movie theater where we used to go as kids?
B

B

Oh, the one whose marquee was always flashing? They tore it down last year, which was a real shame.

Quick FAQ

Q

Is that always interchangeable with which in defining relative clauses?

In informal English, yes, that and which are often interchangeable for things in defining clauses. However, that is generally preferred, especially for objects. For people, use who or that. Remember, for non-defining clauses (with commas), you *must* use which for things, and who for people.

Q

Can I always reduce a relative clause?

Not always. You can only reduce a relative clause if the relative pronoun (who, which, that) is the subject of the clause and the verb is active (use -ing) or passive (use past participle). You cannot reduce clauses where the relative pronoun is the object (e.g.,

The book that I read was good
).

Q

What's the main difference between where and in which?

Both can indicate location. Where is a more common and informal relative adverb. In which is a more formal and often more precise structure, especially common in academic or formal writing. For example,

The city where I live is bustling
vs.
The study described the conditions in which the experiment was conducted.

Cultural Context

Native English speakers frequently use these structures to create flow and avoid repetitive sentences. While formal structures like to whom or in which are common in academic writing or official communications, everyday conversation often opts for simpler phrasing (
the person I spoke to
instead of
the person to whom I spoke
). Reduced relative clauses are particularly prevalent in both spoken and written English, making communication more efficient and dynamic.
Mastering these nuances will help you sound truly fluent and adaptable in various contexts.

Wichtige Beispiele (8)

1

I have a friend whose brother is a famous musician.

Ich habe einen Freund, dessen Bruder ein berühmter Musiker ist.

Whose: Besitz anzeigen
2

She found a dog whose collar had a phone number.

Sie fand einen Hund, dessen Halsband eine Telefonnummer hatte.

Whose: Besitz anzeigen
3

The coffee shop where we study has the best Wi-Fi.

Das Café, in dem wir lernen, hat das beste WLAN.

Relativadverbien (wo, wann, warum)
4

I remember the exact moment when the idea finally clicked.

Ich erinnere mich an den exakten Moment, als es endlich Klick gemacht hat.

Relativadverbien (wo, wann, warum)
5

The student who submitted their assignment on time got extra points.

Der Student, der seine Hausarbeit pünktlich abgegeben hat, bekam Extrapunkte.

Definierende vs. Nicht-definierende Relativsätze (Kommas und Bedeutung)
6

My best friend, who lives in Vancouver, is visiting next month.

Mein bester Freund, der in Vancouver lebt, kommt nächsten Monat zu Besuch.

Definierende vs. Nicht-definierende Relativsätze (Kommas und Bedeutung)
7

The dog `running` in the park is super fast.

Der Hund, der im Park herumrennt, ist super schnell.

Sätze kürzen: Reduzierte Relativsätze
8

The email `sent` yesterday got lost in spam.

Die gestern gesendete E-Mail ist im Spam verloren gegangen.

Sätze kürzen: Reduzierte Relativsätze

Tipps & Tricks (4)

💡

Der 'Who is'-Check

Wenn du das Wort durch 'who is' oder 'who has' ersetzen kannst, brauchst du das Apostroph-Wort: "Who's coming to the party?"
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Whose: Besitz anzeigen
💡

Denk an 'Ort, Zeit, Grund'

Wenn das Nomen, das du beschreibst, ein Ort, eine Zeit oder ein Grund ist, greif sofort zu diesen Adverbien. Das klingt viel natürlicher als 'which' mit einer Präposition:
The office where I work is very modern.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativadverbien (wo, wann, warum)
💡

Der 'Weglass-Test'

Wenn du den Relativsatz streichst und der Hauptsatz immer noch genau dasselbe meint, ist er non-defining (mit Kommas):
My mom, who is 50, loves tea.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Definierende vs. Nicht-definierende Relativsätze (Kommas und Bedeutung)
💡

Check das 'Be'-Verb!

Such immer nach einer Form von 'be' (is, are, was, were) im vollen Relativsatz. Wenn danach ein -ing oder -ed folgt, kannst du kürzen:
The man waiting for the bus is late.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Sätze kürzen: Reduzierte Relativsätze

Wichtige Vokabeln (5)

antecedent the word a pronoun refers back to restrictive essential for meaning (defining) non-restrictive providing extra information (non-defining) participle verb form used in reduced clauses prepositional relating to prepositions

Real-World Preview

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Review Summary

  • Noun + whose + noun
  • Noun + where/when/why
  • Noun, [extra info], verb
  • Noun + [V-ing/V3]
  • Preposition + whom/which

Häufige Fehler

Do not use a personal pronoun after 'whose'. 'Whose' already functions as the possessive pronoun.

Wrong: The woman who her bag was stolen.
Richtig: The woman whose bag was stolen.

When using a formal structure, the preposition moves before the pronoun, and the redundant pronoun at the end is removed.

Wrong: The house that I live in it.
Richtig: The house in which I live.

Do not repeat the subject after a relative clause. The relative pronoun is already the subject.

Wrong: My brother, who lives in London, he is a doctor.
Richtig: My brother, who lives in London, is a doctor.

Next Steps

You have done an amazing job navigating these complex structures. Keep practicing, and you will see your fluency soar!

Write a short biography of a famous person using all relative clause types.

Continue to: Mastering Verb Patterns and Actions

Schnelle Übung (10)

Wähle die richtige Form, um den Relativsatz zu kürzen.

The student ___ for the exam seemed nervous.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: studying
Der ursprüngliche Satz war 'who was studying'. Da der Student die Action selbst macht, nutzen wir das Present Participle 'studying'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Sätze kürzen: Reduzierte Relativsätze

Wähle das richtige Wort aus.

That's the student ___ project won first prize.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: whose
'Whose' zeigt an, dass das Projekt dem Studenten gehört. 'Who's' würde 'who is' bedeuten.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Whose: Besitz anzeigen

Welcher Satz ist korrekt?

Wähle den richtigen Satz:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The car that was stolen was a red sedan.
Wir müssen wissen, welches Auto gemeint ist (das gestohlene). Daher keine Kommas und 'that'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Definierende vs. Nicht-definierende Relativsätze (Kommas und Bedeutung)

Wähle die richtige Form, um den formellen Satz zu vervollständigen.

The university building ___ many important lectures are held was recently renovated.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: in which
Für formelle Relativsätze, die sich auf einen Ort beziehen, ist 'in which' die korrekte und förmlichste Option. 'In that' ist grammatikalisch falsch.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Formelle Relativsätze (in welchem, wem)

Welcher Satz nutzt einen Reduced Relative Clause korrekt?

Wähle den richtigen Satz:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The package delivered yesterday arrived late.
Das Paket wurde geliefert (Passiv), also nutzen wir 'delivered'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Sätze kürzen: Reduzierte Relativsätze

Wähle das richtige Relativadverb aus.

This is the restaurant ___ we celebrated our anniversary.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: where
Das Nomen 'restaurant' beschreibt einen Ort, deshalb ist 'where' die richtige Wahl.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativadverbien (wo, wann, warum)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

The colleague to who I spoke yesterday provided valuable feedback.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The colleague to whom I spoke yesterday provided valuable feedback.
Nach einer Präposition wie 'to' muss die Objektform 'whom' verwendet werden, nicht 'who'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Formelle Relativsätze (in welchem, wem)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

I saw a car who's engine was smoking.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I saw a car whose engine was smoking.
'Who's' ist die Abkürzung für 'who is'. Wir brauchen hier die besitzanzeigende Form 'whose' für den Motor.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Whose: Besitz anzeigen

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler.

Find and fix the mistake:

My brother, that lives in Paris, is a chef.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: My brother, who lives in Paris, is a chef.
Du darfst 'that' niemals in einem Satz mit Kommas (non-defining) benutzen. Für Personen nehmen wir 'who'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Definierende vs. Nicht-definierende Relativsätze (Kommas und Bedeutung)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

Tuesday is the day where we have our team meeting.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Tuesday is the day when we have our team meeting.
Da 'day' eine Zeitangabe ist, musst du 'when' statt 'where' benutzen.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativadverbien (wo, wann, warum)

Score: /10

Häufige Fragen (6)

'Whose' ist ein besitzanzeigendes Relativpronomen. Es zeigt, dass etwas einer Person oder Sache im Hauptsatz gehört, wie in:
The artist whose painting sold...
Ja, absolut! Obwohl man oft an Personen denkt, ist es auch für Dinge völlig korrekt:
The company whose technology...
Ein Relativadverb wie 'where', 'when' oder 'why' leitet einen Nebensatz ein, der ein Nomen näher beschreibt. Es ersetzt quasi eine Kombination aus Pronomen und Präposition. Ein Beispiel wäre:
This is the house where I live.
Sie klingen meistens viel natürlicher und direkter als 'which' mit einer Präposition. Anstatt
the house in which
zu sagen, nutzt du einfach where. Das macht deine Sätze kürzer:
The house where I live is blue.
Es geht darum, ob die Info überlebenswichtig für den Satz ist (defining) oder nur ein nettes Extra (non-defining). Das entscheidet über das Komma.
The man who is tall
vs.
Tom, who is tall.
Du setzt Kommas, wenn der Relativsatz eine Zusatzinfo liefert, die man auch weglassen könnte. Denk an Kommas wie an kleine Klammern:
My car, which is blue, is fast.
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