Relative Clauses | NEB Class 12 English Notes

Introduction to Relative Clauses

A Relative Clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun or pronoun, providing essential or extra contextual information about it.

Relative Clause (सम्बन्धवाचक उपवाक्य) भनेको वाक्यमा प्रयोग भएको Noun (नाम) वा Pronoun (सर्वनाम) को बारेमा थप वा विशेष जानकारी दिन प्रयोग गरिने उपवाक्य हो। यो सामान्यतया Relative Pronoun बाट सुरु हुन्छ।

Core Structural Formula

Relative clauses anchor directly behind the target noun or pronoun they modify to form a coherent post-modifier phrase.

Syntactic Block	Relative Marker	Subordinate Segment	Demonstrative Sentence Breakdown
Noun / Pronoun	Relative Pronoun / Adverb	Clause Content	The boy [Noun] + who [Relative Pronoun] + is wearing a cap is my brother.

Relative Pronouns & Adverbs Functional Directory

Select the relative operator based on whether the antecedent represents a person, animal, object, location, time-point, or reason.

Relative Word	Nepali Core Meaning	Antecedent Target Category	Exemplar Sentence Usage
Who	जो / को	Person acting as Subject	The man who teaches us is exceptionally kind.
Whom	जसलाई	Person acting as Object	The girl whom I met yesterday is very friendly.
Whose	जसको	Possession (Person or Thing)	The boy whose bike was stolen cried out loud.
Which	जुन	Things / Animals	The book which I bought is highly useful.
That	त्यो / जुन	Person + Thing (Versatile)	I like the house that features a beautiful garden.
What	के कुरा	Idea / Hidden Thing	I know exactly what he wants from us.
When	जब / कहिले	Time / Day / Year	I distinctly remember the day when we first met.
Where	जहाँ	Place / Location	This is the clean park where we played football.
Why	किन	Reason / Cause	I know the definitive reason why he left the meeting.

Deep Structural Rules for Primary Relative Pronouns

Analyze the structural landscape immediately following the blank to accurately identify Subject vs Object vs Possession components.

Pronoun Type	Target Environment	Structural Formula Blueprint	Targeted Example Pattern
WHO	Person acting as Subject	Person + who + verb	The teacher who teaches English is kind.
WHOM	Person acting as Object	Person + whom + subject + verb	The man whom I met was helpful.
WHOSE	Possession relationships	Person/Thing + whose + noun	The boy whose father is a doctor is brilliant.
WHICH	Inanimate things or animals	Thing/Animal + which + clause	The car which my father bought is expensive.
THAT	All-round substitute context	Antecedent + that + clause	The cat that chased the rat is black.
WHERE	Geographical sites/locations	Place + where + clause	This is the school where I studied.
WHEN	Temporal intervals/dates	Time + when + clause	Sunday is the day when we rest.
WHY	Motivational factors/causes	Reason + why + clause	I know the reason why he cried.
WHAT	Amorphous ideas or unknown entities	Verb/Pronoun + what + clause	She explained what she saw during the journey.

Step-by-Step Sentence Synthesis Method

The 4-Step Synthesis Protocol: To merge two separate sentences cleanly using a relative clause, stick to this order:
1. Locate: Find the core noun in sentence 1 and its repeated counterpart/pronoun in sentence 2.
2. Purge: Delete the repeated noun or pronoun from the second sentence completely.
3. Select: Choose the relative pronoun matching the deleted element's function.
4. Insert: Tuck the entire second sentence directly behind the original noun in sentence 1.

Correct Format

Active Input: I met a girl. She was singing beautifully. → I met a girl who was singing beautifully. (Repeated 'She' removed, replaced by 'who')Active Input: The boy is my friend. You helped him yesterday. → The boy whom you helped yesterday is my friend. (Repeated object 'him' removed, replaced by 'whom')

Incorrect Format

I met a girl who she was singing beautifully. (Fatal error: Double subject created by keeping 'she')The boy whom you helped him yesterday is my friend. (Fatal error: Double object created by keeping 'him')

The Double Subject/Object Redundancy Blindspot

NEVER repeat the subject or object pronoun once a relative pronoun is placed.

A relative pronoun functions as the syntax proxy for the noun it modifies. Re-introducing pronouns like he, she, it, they, him, or her within the relative clause generates an illegal dual-subject or dual-object structural profile.

Relative Pronoun ले आफैमा वाक्यको Subject वा Object को काम गरिसकेको हुन्छ। त्यसैले, relative clause भित्र फेरि 'he, she, it, they, him, her' जस्ता अतिरिक्त pronouns थप्नु गम्भीर व्याकरण त्रुटि मानिन्छ।

The boy who he came yesterday is smart. → The boy who came yesterday is smart. (Drop 'he')

The movie which we watched it was fine. → The movie which we watched was fine. (Drop 'it')

Antecedent Selection Error Isolation

The boy which came yesterday is my brother.

The boy who came yesterday is my brother. ('Which' is strictly for things, 'who' is for humans)

The book who I bought yesterday is highly interesting.

The book which I bought yesterday is highly interesting. ('Who' cannot modify non-human objects)

The man whose I met on the street was a tourist.

The man whom I met on the street was a tourist. ('Whose' marks possession, 'whom' marks an objective person)

This is the specific place which I live currently.

This is the specific place where I live currently. (Geographical settings demand the locative adverb 'where')

I will never forget the day where we won the trophy.

I will never forget the day when we won the trophy. (Temporal markers like day, year, time call for 'when')

Syntactic Contrast Matrix: Human-Centric Track

Master the precise grammatical splits when working with human antecedents to secure top exam marks.

Relative Word	Primary Function	Immediate Right Context	Direct Example Demonstration
Who	Subject Pronoun replacement	Followed directly by a Verb	The boy who came to our house.
Whom	Object Pronoun replacement	Followed by a Subject + Verb string	The boy whom I called over.
Whose	Possessive determiner marker	Followed directly by a Noun item	The boy whose father is exceptionally rich.

Easy Level Practice Set

Easy Level

1

Combine: I know a boy. He plays football. → I know a boy .......... plays football.

Correct! The repeated word is 'He', which acts as a human subject pronoun. This must be replaced cleanly by 'who'.

Correct: who. The repeated word is 'He', which acts as a human subject pronoun. This must be replaced cleanly by 'who'.

2

Combine: This is the book. I bought it yesterday. → This is the book .......... I bought yesterday.

Correct! 'Book' is an inanimate object entity, demanding either 'which' or the versatile marker 'that' while removing the pronoun object 'it'.

Correct: which or that. 'Book' is an inanimate object entity, demanding either 'which' or the versatile marker 'that' while removing the pronoun object 'it'.

3

Combine: I met a girl. She was crying. → I met a girl .......... was crying.

Correct! The repeating element 'She' represents a human subject, which shifts directly into 'who'.

Correct: who. The repeating element 'She' represents a human subject, which shifts directly into 'who'.

4

Combine: The man is my uncle. He is talking there. → The man .......... is talking there is my uncle.

Correct! The relative clause intercepts the main clause directly behind the modified antecedent 'The man', inserting 'who' to replace 'He'.

Correct: who. The relative clause intercepts the main clause directly behind the modified antecedent 'The man', inserting 'who' to replace 'He'.

5

Combine: I know the place. We met there. → I know the place .......... we met.

Correct! 'The place' combined with the adverbial marker 'there' signals a locative environment, requiring 'where' while purging 'there'.

Correct: where. 'The place' combined with the adverbial marker 'there' signals a locative environment, requiring 'where' while purging 'there'.

6

Combine: The day was memorable. We won that day. → The day .......... we won was memorable.

Correct! 'The day' describes a specific point in time, calling for the temporal adverb 'when' to introduce the descriptive subordinate clause.

Correct: when. 'The day' describes a specific point in time, calling for the temporal adverb 'when' to introduce the descriptive subordinate clause.

7

Combine: The boy is honest. His father is a teacher. → The boy .......... father is a teacher is honest.

Correct! The word 'His' represents a personal possessive relationship tied to the father, which translates into the possessive marker 'whose'.

Correct: whose. The word 'His' represents a personal possessive relationship tied to the father, which translates into the possessive marker 'whose'.

8

Combine: The dog barked loudly. It ran away. → The dog .......... barked loudly ran away.

Correct! Animals are classified non-human antecedents, requiring the relative pronoun 'which' or 'that' to replace the subject pronoun 'It'.

Correct: which or that. Animals are classified non-human antecedents, requiring the relative pronoun 'which' or 'that' to replace the subject pronoun 'It'.

9

Combine: I know the reason. He failed. → I know the reason .......... he failed.

Correct! The word 'reason' acts as a cause indicator, which pairs with the matching adverb 'why'.

Correct: why. The word 'reason' acts as a cause indicator, which pairs with the matching adverb 'why'.

10

Combine: The woman is kind. I met her yesterday. → The woman .......... I met yesterday is kind.

Correct! The repeated element 'her' serves as a human object pronoun. It must be replaced by 'whom' at the start of the relative clause.

Correct: whom. The repeated element 'her' serves as a human object pronoun. It must be replaced by 'whom' at the start of the relative clause.

Medium Level Practice Set

Medium Level

1

Combine into one sentence: I visited the town. My grandparents were born there.

Correct! The geographical noun 'town' and location marker 'there' merge into 'where', while dropping 'there' from the end.

Correct: I visited the town where my grandparents were born.. The geographical noun 'town' and location marker 'there' merge into 'where', while dropping 'there' from the end.

2

Combine into one sentence: The teacher praised the students. They worked hard.

Correct! The plural subject pronoun 'They' refers back to 'the students', transforming into 'who' to create a smooth sentence connection.

Correct: The teacher praised the students who worked hard.. The plural subject pronoun 'They' refers back to 'the students', transforming into 'who' to create a smooth sentence connection.

3

Combine into one sentence: This is the author. His novel won an award.

Correct! The possessive modifier 'His' denotes ownership of the novel, which requires shifting to 'whose' directly after the author.

Correct: This is the author whose novel won an award.. The possessive modifier 'His' denotes ownership of the novel, which requires shifting to 'whose' directly after the author.

4

Combine into one sentence: I know a woman. Her son is a doctor.

Correct! The possessive pronoun 'Her' links the woman to her son, calling for the possessive pronoun 'whose'.

Correct: I know a woman whose son is a doctor.. The possessive pronoun 'Her' links the woman to her son, calling for the possessive pronoun 'whose'.

5

Combine into one sentence: The hotel was comfortable. We stayed there.

Correct! The locative item 'there' points directly to 'The hotel'. This forces an embedment using 'where', while dropping the word 'there'.

Correct: The hotel where we stayed was comfortable.. The locative item 'there' points directly to 'The hotel'. This forces an embedment using 'where', while dropping the word 'there'.

6

Combine into one sentence: The movie was interesting. We watched it yesterday.

Correct! The object placeholder 'it' refers back to 'The movie'. It is replaced by 'which' or 'that', and the clause is inserted right after the noun.

Correct: The movie which we watched yesterday was interesting. or The movie that we watched yesterday was interesting.. The object placeholder 'it' refers back to 'The movie'. It is replaced by 'which' or 'that', and the clause is inserted right after the noun.

7

Combine into one sentence: The village was peaceful. We spent our holiday there.

Correct! The adverb 'there' points back to the location noun 'The village', which converts into 'where' right after the subject.

Correct: The village where we spent our holiday was peaceful.. The adverb 'there' points back to the location noun 'The village', which converts into 'where' right after the subject.

8

Combine into one sentence: The actor is famous. His movies are popular.

Correct! The word 'His' signals a possessive relationship with the movies, which must be restructured using 'whose'.

Correct: The actor whose movies are popular is famous.. The word 'His' signals a possessive relationship with the movies, which must be restructured using 'whose'.

9

Combine into one sentence: I met a man. He lives next to my house.

Correct! The subject pronoun 'He' matches the human noun 'a man', which requires a simple switch to the subject marker 'who'.

Correct: I met a man who lives next to my house.. The subject pronoun 'He' matches the human noun 'a man', which requires a simple switch to the subject marker 'who'.

10

Combine into one sentence: The bicycle is mine. It was stolen yesterday.

Correct! The pronoun 'It' represents the non-human item 'The bicycle'. This triggers an embedment using 'which' or 'that' while removing 'It'.

Correct: The bicycle which was stolen yesterday is mine. or The bicycle that was stolen yesterday is mine.. The pronoun 'It' represents the non-human item 'The bicycle'. This triggers an embedment using 'which' or 'that' while removing 'It'.

Hard Level Practice Set

Hard Level

1

Synthesize using a relative clause: I met a scientist. His discovery changed medicine.

Correct! The possessive word 'His' links the scientist to the discovery, which converts into 'whose discovery' right after the noun.

Correct: I met a scientist whose discovery changed medicine.. The possessive word 'His' links the scientist to the discovery, which converts into 'whose discovery' right after the noun.

2

Synthesize using a relative clause: The students were rewarded. They solved the difficult problem.

Correct! The pronoun 'They' refers to 'The students' as a human subject. This embeds the describing clause right after the main subject using 'who'.

Correct: The students who solved the difficult problem were rewarded.. The pronoun 'They' refers to 'The students' as a human subject. This embeds the describing clause right after the main subject using 'who'.

3

Synthesize using a relative clause: The reason is unclear. He resigned suddenly.

Correct! The word 'reason' describes cause, which embeds the explanatory clause using the relative adverb 'why'.

Correct: The reason why he resigned suddenly is unclear.. The word 'reason' describes cause, which embeds the explanatory clause using the relative adverb 'why'.

4

Synthesize using a relative clause: I remember the moment. We first met then.

Correct! The word 'moment' combined with the time marker 'then' signals a temporal context, which switches to 'when' while dropping 'then'.

Correct: I remember the moment when we first met.. The word 'moment' combined with the time marker 'then' signals a temporal context, which switches to 'when' while dropping 'then'.

5

Synthesize using a relative clause: The company produces electronics. She works there.

Correct! The word 'there' points back to 'The company' as a workplace location. This requires embedding the clause using 'where' right after the subject.

Correct: The company where she works produces electronics.. The word 'there' points back to 'The company' as a workplace location. This requires embedding the clause using 'where' right after the subject.

6

Synthesize using a relative clause: The teacher inspired me. I met him in Class 10.

Correct! The pronoun 'him' acts as a human object placeholder for 'The teacher'. It converts into 'whom' and moves to the front of the embedded clause.

Correct: The teacher whom I met in Class 10 inspired me.. The pronoun 'him' acts as a human object placeholder for 'The teacher'. It converts into 'whom' and moves to the front of the embedded clause.

7

Synthesize using a relative clause: The building collapsed yesterday. It was very old.

Correct! The pronoun 'It' points back to 'The building'. This descriptive clause embeds right after the main subject using 'which' or 'that'.

Correct: The building which was very old collapsed yesterday. or The building that was very old collapsed yesterday.. The pronoun 'It' points back to 'The building'. This descriptive clause embeds right after the main subject using 'which' or 'that'.

8

Synthesize using a relative clause: I visited the city. I spent my childhood there.

Correct! The time/space word 'there' refers back to 'the city', which calls for the relative adverb 'where' while dropping 'there' from the end.

Correct: I visited the city where I spent my childhood.. The time/space word 'there' refers back to 'the city', which calls for the relative adverb 'where' while dropping 'there' from the end.

9

Synthesize using a relative clause: The player scored a century. Everyone praised him.

Correct! The pronoun 'him' acts as a human object placeholder for 'The player'. It converts into 'whom' and moves right behind the main subject.

Correct: The player whom everyone praised scored a century.. The pronoun 'him' acts as a human object placeholder for 'The player'. It converts into 'whom' and moves right behind the main subject.

10

Synthesize using a relative clause: The girl won the competition. Her sister is my friend.

Correct! The possessive pronoun 'Her' links 'The girl' to her sister, requiring a possessive structural integration using 'whose'.

Correct: The girl whose sister is my friend won the competition.. The possessive pronoun 'Her' links 'The girl' to her sister, requiring a possessive structural integration using 'whose'.