Study the rules, look at the examples, then do the exercises.
A relative clause gives more information about a noun (a person, thing or place). Instead of writing two short sentences, we join them with a relative pronoun: who, which, that, whose, where or when. This is one of the most useful skills at B1, because it makes your speaking and writing sound smooth and grown-up.
Look at how two sentences become one:
The pronoun you choose depends on the kind of noun you are describing. Learn this table well — it answers most exam questions.
| Pronoun | Use it for... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people | The boy who lives next door is my best friend. |
| which | things / animals | This is the toy which makes funny sounds. |
| that | people or things (informal) | The story that won the prize is here. |
| whose | possession (belonging) | She's the girl whose drawings are famous. |
| where | places | That's the park where I learned to ride my bike. |
| when | times | I'll never forget the day when we met. |
A defining relative clause tells you which person or thing we mean. Without it, the sentence does not make full sense. We do NOT use commas.
A non-defining relative clause adds extra information that we could remove. The sentence still makes sense without it. We put it between commas, and we do NOT use that.
The two commas are not decoration — they can change what the sentence means. Compare:
| Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|
| My sister who lives in Berlin is very tall. | I have more than one sister; I mean the Berlin one. (defining, no commas) |
| My sister, who lives in Berlin, is very tall. | I have only one sister; "in Berlin" is just extra news. (non-defining, commas) |
In a defining clause, if the relative pronoun is the object of the verb, we can leave it out. This is very common in natural English.
These are the errors B1 students make most often with relative clauses. Check your own writing against this list.
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| My grandma, that tells great stories, is kind. | My grandma, who tells great stories, is kind. | non-defining clause → never use "that". |
| My bike which is old still works. | My bike, which is old, still works. | extra information → needs two commas. |
| She's the girl who's dog won. | She's the girl whose dog won. | "whose" = possession; "who's" = who is. |
| This is the house where I grew up in it. | This is the house where I grew up. | "where" already means "in that place"; no extra "in it". |
| The friend which called you is here. | The friend who called you is here. | use "who" (or "that") for people, not "which". |
Two friends look at old photos and describe the people and places in them. Read it twice and notice each relative clause — which are defining (no commas) and which are non-defining (commas)?
Choose the correct answer. — 10 questions, each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Learn the words, then use them to describe the people and places in your life.
Write 8 sentences describing your favourite book characters, people and places. Use at least 8 of the words above.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
Read the text, then answer the questions.
Good readers prepare before they start. Before you read, think about these three questions (you do not need to write the answers):
Words to spot (from the Speaking section): relative · landmark · reliable · talented · remote · spacious · describe · belong
Everybody has a book that they cannot forget, and for me it is "The Lighthouse Girl". It is a story that my grandmother gave me two years ago, and I have read it more times than I can count. The book is full of adventures, but the reason I love it so much is the main character, a brave girl whose name is Mira.
Mira is a twelve-year-old girl who lives in a small village by the sea. Her family looks after an old lighthouse, which stands on the rocks at the edge of the town. Mira is the kind of person who is never afraid of a challenge. She is clever, kind and curious, and she always helps people who are in trouble. She is my favourite character because she is brave but still gentle.
The village where Mira lives is a quiet place; however, strange things often happen there. In the first book, a terrible storm arrives on the night when the lighthouse lamp suddenly stops working. Mira, who knows the lighthouse better than anyone, decides to climb to the top and fix it herself. The rope that she uses is old and thin, and the stairs, which are wet and slippery, are very dangerous. Still, she does not give up.
What I like most about Mira is that she is not perfect. She sometimes makes mistakes that cause big problems, and she has a temper that she cannot always control. In one chapter, she shouts at her best friend, a boy who only wanted to help her. Later, she feels sorry and says that she was wrong. These small mistakes are the things that make her feel real to me, because nobody is perfect.
Mira also has a pet that I adore: a clever grey cat called Pamuk, who follows her everywhere. Pamuk is the animal that always warns Mira when danger is near. There is one scene where Pamuk wakes the whole village before a flood, so everybody is saved. I laughed and cried at the same time when I read that part.
I have a favourite chapter which I read again and again. It is the part where Mira meets an old sailor whose stories change the way she sees the world. The sailor, who has travelled to a hundred islands, teaches her that the sea is a friend and an enemy at the same time. After that chapter, Mira becomes braver and wiser, and the whole story feels different.
The writer, whose books are famous all over the country, is a talented storyteller who has a special way of describing the sea. When I read her words, I feel as if I am standing on the rocks where the cold wind blows. That is a talent which very few writers have. My teacher, who also loves the series, says that a good writer makes you forget that you are only reading.
The main lesson of the book, which I will never forget, is that courage is not the same as having no fear. Mira is often frightened, but she does the right thing anyway. That is the message that stays with me. Whenever I face something difficult at school, I think about the girl who climbed the lighthouse in the storm.
If you are someone who enjoys adventures, brave heroes and a little bit of mystery, this is the perfect book for you. It is a story that will make you laugh, worry and cheer, all in one afternoon. For me, Mira is much more than a character in a book; she is a friend whose story I will always remember, and I hope that one day you will meet her too.
Choose the correct answer.
Are these sentences true or false, according to the text?
Complete each sentence with ONE relative pronoun from the text (who, which, that, whose, where, when).
Write your answer in your own words. These questions are not marked automatically.
1. Why is Mira the narrator's favourite character?
2. What does Mira do during the storm, and why is it dangerous?
3. What is the main lesson of the book? Do you agree with it?
Find these connectors in the text — each one appears at least once: and, but, so, because, however, when, where, also. (You will use these same connectors in the Writing section.) Note them down, then check.
Todd and Darcy discuss whether some common English sayings are really true.
You will hear two friends, Todd and Darcy, talking about famous English sayings such as "It's not what you know, but who you know". You will listen TWICE. First listen: answer questions 1-5. Second listen: answer questions 6-10. (Kaydı İKİ kez dinleyeceksin: ilk dinlemede 1-5, ikinci dinlemede 6-10.)
Write and submit your description; your teacher will review it.
A good description does two things: it adds detail with relative clauses, and it links ideas with connectors. At A2 you used and, but, so, because. At B1 you add also, when, while, although and however, and you use relative clauses to pack more information into each sentence.
| Connector | Use it to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| and | add information | She's a friend who is kind and always honest. |
| but | show a small contrast | My room, which is small, is cosy, but it has no window. |
| so | show a result | He's reliable, so he's the friend who I always ask for help. |
| because | give a reason | I love the park because it's a place where I can play. |
| also | add an extra point | She's talented. She's also a friend whose drawings inspire me. |
| when | say at what past time | When I was little, the village where we lived was quiet. |
| while | two things at the same time | While I was there, I met a boy who became my best friend. |
| although | show a strong contrast | Although the village is remote, it's a place that I love. |
| however | contrast between two sentences | The house was old. However, it was the home where I grew up. |
See the difference — the same facts, written two ways:
| Separate sentences ✗ | Connected, fluent writing ✓ |
|---|---|
| I have a friend. Her name is Aylin. She is very funny. She lives in Izmir. Her house is lovely. We spend summers there. | I have a friend called Aylin, who is very funny and lives in Izmir. Her house, which is lovely, is the place where we spend every summer. |
A description paragraph has three parts. The skeleton stays the same every time — you change the content, not the structure:
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | Introduce the character with a defining relative clause | My favourite character is Mira, who is the heroine of my favourite book. |
| 2. Body | Add details with more relative clauses. Use non-defining clauses (commas) for extra facts, and link with connectors. | Mira, who is clever and kind, lives in a village where a lighthouse stands. She is a girl whose courage I admire. |
| 3. Closing | A final comment about why this character matters to you | She is still the character that I will never forget. |
Describe your favourite book character (or a real person who matters to you). Use relative clauses to add detail.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will evaluate your writing.)
Mixed questions from the whole unit, then check what you can do.
14 questions: grammar + vocabulary + reading + listening. Each question is marked instantly.
Tick what you can do now. Honest answers help your teacher.
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