B2 · Intermédiaire supérieur Chapitre 7

Donne du souffle à ton anglais : l'art des propositions relatives

5 Règles totales
58 exemples
6 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

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.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Prêt à passer au niveau supérieur ? À ce stade de ton apprentissage, tu sais déjà parfaitement te faire comprendre, mais on va maintenant travailler sur la fluidité et la précision chirurgicale de ton discours. Dans ce chapitre, on plonge au cœur des propositions relatives pour transformer tes phrases courtes en une pensée complexe, élégante et structurée. On va commencer par maîtriser 'whose' pour exprimer l'appartenance sans alourdir tes phrases, puis on s'attaquera aux adverbes 'where, when' et 'why' pour situer tes récits avec un naturel désarmant. Tu découvriras aussi comment une simple virgule peut changer tout le sens de tes propos (les fameuses clauses 'defining' vs 'non-defining') — c’est le secret pour éviter les malentendus ! On ira même plus loin en apprenant à raccourcir tes phrases pour les rendre plus percutantes grâce aux relatives réduites, et on finira par une touche de sophistication avec les formes formelles comme 'in which' ou 'to whom'. Que tu sois en plein entretien d'embauche pour décrire tes succès passés ou en train de débattre d'un sujet passionnant avec des amis, ces outils te permettront de lier tes idées avec brio. À la fin de ce chapitre, tu ne te contenteras plus de juxtaposer des faits : tu sauras construire des arguments nuancés et sonner comme un véritable anglophone confirmé. On s'y met ?

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.

Guide du chapitre

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.

Exemples clés (6)

1

I have a friend whose brother is a famous musician.

J'ai un ami dont le frère est un musicien célèbre.

Whose: Exprimer la possession
2

She found a dog whose collar had a phone number.

Elle a trouvé un chien dont le collier avait un numéro de téléphone.

Whose: Exprimer la possession
3

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

Le chien courant dans le parc est super rapide.

Raccourcissez vos phrases : Propositions subordonnées relatives réduites
4

The email `sent` yesterday got lost in spam.

L'e-mail envoyé hier s'est perdu dans les spams.

Raccourcissez vos phrases : Propositions subordonnées relatives réduites
5

The document `to which` the legal team referred contained crucial evidence.

Le document auquel l'équipe juridique s'est référée contenait des preuves cruciales.

Propositions relatives formelles (dans lesquelles, à qui)
6

She is the expert `from whom` I sought advice on the subject.

Elle est l'experte auprès de qui j'ai cherché conseil sur le sujet.

Propositions relatives formelles (dans lesquelles, à qui)

Conseils et astuces (4)

💡

Le test du 'Who is' !

Si tu peux remplacer le mot par 'who is' ou 'who has' et que la phrase a toujours du sens, alors utilise 'who's'. Sinon, c'est 'whose' ! Par exemple : "Who's the boss?"
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Whose: Exprimer la possession
💡

Pense 'Lieu, Temps, Raison'

Si le nom que tu décris est un endroit, un moment ou une cause, fonce sur 'where', 'when' ou 'why'. C'est bien plus fluide que d'utiliser 'which' avec une préposition.
The house where I live is blue.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbes Relatifs (où, quand, pourquoi)
💡

Le test de suppression

Si tu peux enlever la proposition et que la phrase désigne toujours la même chose précise, c'est une 'non-defining' (mets des virgules). Par exemple :
My car, which is red, is fast.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Propositions Subordonnées Relatives Définissantes vs. Non-définissantes (Virgules et Sens)
💡

Repère le verbe 'be' !

Vérifie toujours s'il y a un verbe 'be' (is, are, was, were) dans la phrase complète. S'il n'est pas suivi d'une forme en -ing ou -ed, tu ne peux probablement pas réduire la phrase :
The man who is talking.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Raccourcissez vos phrases : Propositions subordonnées relatives réduites

Vocabulaire clé (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

Erreurs courantes

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

Wrong: The woman who her bag was stolen.
Correct: 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.
Correct: 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.
Correct: 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: Maîtrise les nuances : l'art de la précision anglaise

Pratique rapide (10)

Choisis la forme correcte pour compléter cette phrase formelle.

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: in which
Pour les relatives formelles désignant un lieu, 'in which' est l'option la plus soutenue. 'In that' est incorrect, et 'where' est correct mais moins formel.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Propositions relatives formelles (dans lesquelles, à qui)

Choisis le bon adverbe relatif.

This is the restaurant ___ we celebrated our anniversary.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: where
Le nom 'restaurant' indique un lieu, donc 'where' est l'adverbe correct.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbes Relatifs (où, quand, pourquoi)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

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.
Après une préposition comme 'to', on doit utiliser la forme complément 'whom', pas 'who'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Propositions relatives formelles (dans lesquelles, à qui)

Choisis le bon mot pour compléter la phrase.

That's the student ___ project won first prize.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: whose
'Whose' est la forme possessive, indiquant que le projet appartient à l'étudiant.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Whose: Exprimer la possession

Quelle phrase utilise 'whose' correctement ?

Choisis la phrase correcte :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She's the artist whose work I admire.
On ne met pas 'her' après 'whose' car la possession est déjà indiquée. 'Who's' signifierait 'who is', ce qui est faux ici.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Whose: Exprimer la possession

Trouve et corrige l'erreur.

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.
Le nom 'day' fait référence au temps, il faut donc utiliser 'when' au lieu de 'where'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Adverbes Relatifs (où, quand, pourquoi)

Quelle phrase est correcte ?

Choisis la bonne option :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The car that was stolen was a red sedan.
Ici, on doit identifier *quelle* voiture a été volée. L'info est essentielle, donc pas de virgule.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Propositions Subordonnées Relatives Définissantes vs. Non-définissantes (Virgules et Sens)

Choisis le bon pronom et la bonne ponctuation.

The book ___ I finished yesterday was a real page-turner.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: that
L'info 'I finished yesterday' est essentielle pour savoir de quel livre on parle. C'est une 'defining clause', donc pas de virgule et 'that' est parfait.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Propositions Subordonnées Relatives Définissantes vs. Non-définissantes (Virgules et Sens)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

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' est la contraction de 'who is'. On a besoin de 'whose' pour montrer que le moteur appartient à la voiture.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Whose: Exprimer la possession

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

The car damaging in the accident needed repairs.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The car damaged in the accident needed repairs.
La voiture ne 'cause' pas les dégâts, elle 'a été endommagée'. Il faut donc le participe passé 'damaged'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Raccourcissez vos phrases : Propositions subordonnées relatives réduites

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

C'est un pronom relatif possessif. Il sert à montrer le lien de propriété ou de relation entre un nom et un autre, comme dans :
The artist whose painting sold...
Oui, absolument ! Bien qu'on l'associe souvent aux personnes, il est grammaticalement correct pour les objets :
the company whose technology...
C'est un mot (comme where, when, why) qui introduit une proposition pour préciser un lieu, un temps ou une raison. C'est comme un pronom et une préposition fusionnés.
This is where I live.
C'est beaucoup plus naturel et direct que d'utiliser 'which' avec une préposition lourde comme 'in which'. Ça rend tes phrases plus fluides.
The house where I stay
sonne mieux que
The house in which I stay.
Tout est question d'identité. Si l'info aide à savoir de qui/quoi on parle, c'est 'defining'. Si c'est juste un bonus sur quelqu'un déjà identifié, c'est 'non-defining'.
The man who is tall
(lequel ?) vs
My dad, who is tall
(on sait déjà qui est mon père).
Mets des virgules quand tu ajoutes une info que l'on pourrait mettre entre parenthèses sans perdre le sens principal.
Paris, which I love, is beautiful.
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Sublime ton anglais : nuance, relief et intensité
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Maîtrise les nuances : l'art de la précision anglaise
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