Question 1

How do I find the mistake in a relative clause sentence?

Accepted Answer

Start by finding the noun before the relative clause, then ask what the clause is doing. If it identifies which person or thing you mean, it is defining and usually has no commas. If it only adds extra information, it is non-defining and needs commas. Next, check the relative word: who for people, which for things, where for places, when for times, and whose for possession. Finally, look inside the clause for repeated words such as it, him, her, or them. In click-edit proofreading, the wrong chunk is usually small, so avoid rewriting the whole sentence.

Question 2

Why is that wrong in some relative clauses but correct in others?

Accepted Answer

That is correct in many defining relative clauses, where the clause identifies the noun: "The film that won the prize was brilliant." It can refer to people or things in this structure. The problem comes with non-defining clauses, which add extra information and are separated by commas. In those clauses, use who for people and which for things: "My aunt, who lives in Bath, is visiting." This route trains that proofreading decision because learners often see a relative word that looks familiar and forget to check the commas and meaning.

Question 3

When should I leave a relative clause unchanged?

Accepted Answer

Leave the sentence unchanged when the relative clause already matches its noun, role, and punctuation. For example, "The book I borrowed was excellent" is correct because the missing object pronoun is allowed in a defining clause. "The company whose offices overlook the park is hiring" is also correct because whose can show possession for organisations, not only people. This matters in error correction: changing every sentence can create new mistakes. Read the whole sentence first, decide whether the relative word is subject or object, and check whether the punctuation changes the meaning.

Relative Clauses Error Correction

Quick Rule

Continue Practising

Who vs Which

Defining vs Non-Defining

Subject vs Object + Omission

-ed vs -ing Adjectives

Conditionals

Present Perfect