Relative clauses and expanded noun phrases
Both are ways of packing more information about a noun into a sentence. Relative clauses do it with a clause starting who, which or that; expanded noun phrases do it with adjectives and prepositional phrases. Children need to find them, punctuate them and use them in their writing.
What is a relative clause?
A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause that adds information about a noun. It usually starts with a relative pronoun: who, which, that or whose. Where and when can also start a relative clause when they refer back to a place or a time.
- The girl who won the race was thrilled.
- The cake, which was delicious, vanished quickly.
- This is the park where we used to play.
- That's the boy whose bike was stolen.
The relative clause sits right after the noun it describes, so it often lands in the middle of the main clause. That's what makes it tricky to spot: The girl was thrilled is the main clause, split in two by the extra information.
Choosing the relative pronoun
| Pronoun | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people | the teacher who runs the choir |
| which | things and animals | the book, which I loved, … |
| that | people or things | the dog that barked all night |
| whose | possession | the man whose car broke down |
| where, when | places and times | the day when it snowed |
Whose and who's are worth a moment of explicit teaching. Who's means who is or who has; whose shows that something belongs to someone.
Commas around relative clauses
When a relative clause adds extra information that could be removed, it is marked off with commas: My brother, who lives in Leeds, is a chef. When the clause is needed to tell us which noun we mean, there are no commas: The girl who won the race was thrilled (we need the clause to know which girl).
In Year 6 the main thing is that if commas are used, there must be a pair, one before and one after. A single comma at the start is the commonest error in children's writing. The comma version links directly to parenthesis, which uses brackets or dashes in the same way.
Relative clauses without a pronoun
Sometimes the relative pronoun is left out altogether: The book I borrowed was brilliant means The book that I borrowed was brilliant. These still count as relative clauses, and they occasionally appear in questions that ask children to identify one. Putting the missing that back in is a quick way to check.
What is an expanded noun phrase?
A noun phrase is a group of words built around a noun. An expanded noun phrase adds detail before or after that noun, using determiners, adjectives and prepositional phrases.
- the tall, crooked tree near the river
- a small wooden box with a rusty lock
- my grandmother's old blue bicycle
The whole phrase does one job in the sentence, usually as the subject or object, so in the SATs children need to underline all of it, not just the adjectives or just the noun. Asking “what is the main noun, and which words tell me more about it?” helps them find both edges of the phrase.
How these are tested in the SATs
- Underline the relative clause in a sentence. The clause runs from the relative pronoun to the end of the information about the noun.
- Circle the relative pronoun, or choose the correct one to complete a sentence.
- Add a relative clause to a sentence, with correct punctuation.
- Underline the expanded noun phrase, or identify the noun at the head of it.
- Explain the effect of the commas in a sentence containing a relative clause.
Common mistakes
- The girl who won the race was thrilled.Only the pronoun is underlined. The whole clause is who won the race.
- My brother, who lives in Leeds is a chef.One comma is missing. Extra information needs a pair.
- Underlining too much or too little. Children include words from the main clause, or stop at the pronoun.
- Using which for people (the man which…) or who for objects.
- Confusing relative pronouns with question words. Who in Who is there? is not introducing a relative clause.
- Treating noun phrases as just “adjective + noun”, missing determiners and prepositional phrases.
Teaching ideas
Clause sandwiches
Write a short main clause on two strips, cut between subject and verb, and have children write a relative clause to slot in the middle. Add comma cards on either side. Physically opening up the sentence makes the structure obvious.
Which girl?
Show a picture with several similar people or objects. Pupils write sentences that identify one of them using a relative clause (the girl who is holding the kite). This shows why some relative clauses need no commas: they are doing the identifying.
Grow a noun phrase
Start with a single noun (door) and let the class add to it one word or phrase at a time: the door, the heavy door, the heavy oak door, the heavy oak door at the end of the corridor. Discuss when the phrase stops helping and starts getting in the way.
Spot them in reading
Give pupils a paragraph from a class novel and ask them to highlight relative clauses in one colour and expanded noun phrases in another. Authors use both constantly, and seeing them in context helps children use them deliberately.
Try it: five quick questions
SATs-style questions to use as a starter or a quick check. Tap to see each answer.
Underline the relative clause: The boy who lives next door has a parrot.
Show answer
who lives next door
Circle the relative pronoun: This is the house where I was born.
Show answer
where
Choose who or which: The film, ___ lasted three hours, was brilliant.
Show answer
which: a film is a thing.
Add the missing comma: My aunt, who is a vet loves animals.
Show answer
My aunt, who is a vet, loves animals.
Underline the expanded noun phrase: We found a small wooden box with a rusty lock.
Show answer
a small wooden box with a rusty lock
Free worksheets for this topic
Printable A4 PDFs with answers. Free to use in class or at home.
