B2 · 中上級 チャプター 7

Connecting Information with Relative Clauses

5 トータルルール
58 例文
6 分
このチャプターのルール クイック練習

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.

学べること

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: 所有を示す
    「誰の〜」という所有の関係をスマートにつなげる魔法の言葉です。whose を使って、2つの文を1つにまとめ、より«洗練された»印象を与えましょう。
  • 関係副詞 (where, when, why)
    場所、時間、理由を説明する時は where when why を使って、文章をスマートに繋げましょう！
  • 限定的関係節と非限定的関係節（カンマと意味）
    カンマは関係代名詞の意味をハッキリさせる「魔法のスイッチ」です。 essential（必須）か extra（補足）かを見極めるのがコツですよ！
  • 文を短くする：短縮関係代名詞節
    関係代名詞と be 動詞を省くことで、文をより洗練されたリズムにできます。Conciseness でスッキリさせ、Efficiency で効率よく伝え、Flow で自然な流れを作りましょう。
  • 形式的な関係詞節 (in which, to whom)
    文章をグッと洗練させる魔法のセット preposition + which/whom で、プロフェッショナルな響きを手に入れましょう。

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.

チャプターガイド

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.

重要な例文 (2)

1

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

私たちが勉強しているあのカフェは、Wi-Fiが最強なんです。

関係副詞 (where, when, why)
2

I remember the exact moment when the idea finally clicked.

そのアイデアがようやくピンときた、まさにその瞬間を覚えています。

関係副詞 (where, when, why)

ヒントとコツ (4)

💡

「who is」に置き換えられるかチェック！

もし whose を who is や who has に置き換えても文が成立するなら、アポストロフィ付きの "who's« を使うべきです。そうでなければ »whose« です！ »Who's the manager?"
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Whose: 所有を示す
💡

『場所・時・理由』をセットで覚える

説明したい名詞が場所、時間、理由のいずれかなら、迷わず関係副詞を選びましょう。whichと前置詞を組み合わせるよりも、会話の流れがずっとスムーズになります。:
The office where I work is very modern.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 関係副詞 (where, when, why)
💡

「消去テスト」をしてみよう

その関係代名詞の部分を消しても、文のメインの意味が変わらないならカンマが必要です。
My sister, who lives in Tokyo, is a doctor.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 限定的関係節と非限定的関係節（カンマと意味）
💡

Be動詞を見つけよう！

元の文に be 動詞（is, are, was, were）があるかチェック。その後に -ing か -ed が続いていれば省略のチャンスです。
The girl who is dancing...
は The girl dancing... にできます。
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 文を短くする：短縮関係代名詞節

重要な語彙 (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

users

The Networking Event

Review Summary

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

よくある間違い

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

Wrong: The woman who her bag was stolen.
正解: 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.
正解: 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.
正解: 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

クイック練習 (10)

正しい関係副詞を選んでください。

This is the restaurant ___ we celebrated our anniversary.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: where
名詞 'restaurant' は場所を表すので、'where' が正解です。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 関係副詞 (where, when, why)

文の中の間違いを見つけて直してください。

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 は 'who is' の短縮形です。エンジンが車の一部であることを示すには、所有格の whose を使います。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Whose: 所有を示す

間違いを見つけて直してください。

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.
カンマがある非制限用法では 'that' は使えません。人を指すので 'who' を使うのが正解です。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 限定的関係節と非限定的関係節（カンマと意味）

間違いを見つけて修正してください。

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.
名詞 'day' は時間を表すので、'where' ではなく 'when' を使うのが適切です。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 関係副詞 (where, when, why)

'whose' が正しく使われている文を選んでください。

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She's the artist whose work I admire.
whose 自体が所有を表すので、その後に her を重ねる必要はありません。また who's はここでは不適切です。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Whose: 所有を示す

正しい関係代名詞と句読点を選んでください。

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: that
どの本かを特定するのに 'I finished yesterday' は不可欠な情報なので、制限用法となりカンマなしの 'that' が正解です。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 限定的関係節と非限定的関係節（カンマと意味）

関係代名詞を省略するために、正しい形を選んでください。

The student ___ for the exam seemed nervous.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: studying
元の文は 'who was studying' です。学生が自ら勉強しているので、現在分詞の 'studying' を使います。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 文を短くする：短縮関係代名詞節

文の中の間違いを見つけて直してください。

The car damaging in the accident needed repairs.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The car damaged in the accident needed repairs.
車はダメージを「与えた」のではなく「受けた」側なので、過去分詞の 'damaged' が必要です。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 文を短くする：短縮関係代名詞節

省略形を正しく使っている文はどれですか？

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The package delivered yesterday arrived late.
荷物は「届けられた（受動）」ので、過去分詞の 'delivered' を使うのが正解です。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 文を短くする：短縮関係代名詞節

正しい文を選んでください。

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The car that was stolen was a red sedan.
「盗まれた車」と特定する必要があるため、制限用法（カンマなし）が適切です。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 限定的関係節と非限定的関係節（カンマと意味）

Score: /10

よくある質問 (6)

whoseは所有格の関係代名詞で、先行詞（名詞）とその後の名詞の間の「所有」や「深い関係」を示します。
The artist whose painting sold...
のように、文をスムーズにつなげます。
はい、もちろんです！
the student whose laptop
のように人によく使われますが、
the company whose technology...
のように無生物や概念にも使えます。
関係副詞（where, when, why）は、名詞の後に続けて「場所・時・理由」の詳しい情報を付け加えるために使います。代名詞と前置詞の役割を一つにまとめたような便利な言葉です。:
This is the house where I live.
意味は通じますが、関係副詞の方がずっと自然でスッキリします。whichを使う場合は 'the house in which I live' のように前置詞が必要になり、少し硬い印象になります。:
The city where I work is busy.
その情報が、名詞を特定するために「絶対に必要（制限）」か、単なる「おまけの補足（非制限）」かという点です。
The student who passed...
は特定の学生を指します。
名詞がすでに特定されている（固有名詞や 'my' がついているなど）場合に、追加情報を添える時に使います。
Paris, which is beautiful, is far.
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Adding Emphasis and Detail
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Mastering Verb Patterns and Actions
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