What Is a Relative Clause? | KS2 English Concept for Kids

Summary

This educational video focuses on relative clauses, explaining their role in providing additional information about nouns and clauses. It highlights that relative clauses are subordinate and require a main clause to form complete sentences. Key relative pronouns such as 'who,' 'which,' 'that,' 'whose,' and 'whom' are introduced with practical examples. Viewers are engaged through interactive questions, prompting them to identify and complete sentences using relative clauses. The video effectively reinforces the importance of understanding relative clauses in enhancing clarity and detail in writing.

Takeaways

• 😀 A relative clause provides additional information about a noun or a clause.
• 😀 Relative clauses are a type of subordinate or dependent clause, which cannot stand alone.
• 😀 Common relative pronouns include 'who', 'which', 'that', 'whose', and 'whom'.
• 😀 Examples of relative clauses: 'Marius, who was afraid of heights,' and 'my nana, whose bowling skills are legendary.'
• 😀 Removing a relative clause from a sentence usually leaves the main sentence intact and meaningful.
• 😀 A relative clause can also describe the entire main clause, such as in 'Our flight to Amsterdam was cancelled, which made our holiday plans difficult.'
• 😀 Questions about relative clauses often require identifying or completing a sentence with a relative clause.
• 😀 An example of completing a sentence: 'Josie’s friend, who will be turning nine years old, is having a party.'
• 😀 To find relative clauses, look for parts of the sentence that add extra information.
• 😀 The sentence 'The postal worker who had knocked on my door was holding an exciting letter' contains a relative clause.

Q & A

What is a relative clause?

A relative clause is a type of subordinate or dependent clause that provides extra information about a noun or a clause. It cannot stand alone and must be paired with a main clause.

What are some examples of relative pronouns?

Relative pronouns include 'who', 'which', 'that', 'whose', and 'whom'.

Can you give an example of a relative clause in a sentence?

In the sentence 'Marius, who was afraid of heights, was about to complete his first bungee jump', the phrase 'who was afraid of heights' is a relative clause that provides more information about 'Marius'.

What happens if you remove a relative clause from a sentence?

If you remove a relative clause from a sentence, the main clause will still make sense on its own.

How can a relative clause provide information about a main clause?

A relative clause can provide additional context about the entire main clause, such as in 'Our flight to Amsterdam was cancelled, which made our holiday plans difficult'. Here, the relative clause explains the consequence of the cancellation.

What is the purpose of the exercise presented in the video?

The exercise is designed to help viewers identify and use relative clauses correctly in sentences.

In the example 'The chicken which had been recently rescued laid its first egg', what is the relative clause?

The relative clause in this sentence is 'which had been recently rescued', which provides extra information about 'the chicken'.

What relative pronoun is suggested for completing the sentence about Josie’s friend?

The suggested relative pronoun for completing the sentence is 'who', as in 'Josie’s friend, who will be turning nine years old, is having a party at the local swimming pool.'

Which sentence contains a relative clause: 'Our teacher said he had always wanted to play the piano' or 'The postal worker who had knocked on my door was holding an exciting letter'?

'The postal worker who had knocked on my door was holding an exciting letter' contains a relative clause, which is 'who had knocked on my door'.

Why is it important to understand relative clauses?

Understanding relative clauses is important because they enhance sentence structure by providing additional details, thus improving clarity and richness in writing.