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E7 M - Defining relative clauses use confidently

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E7 M - Defining relative clauses use confidently

Mini-Beschreibung: Use who, which, that and selected whose structures in short descriptions. This course is for English as a first foreign language, Year 7, M level, Baden-Württemberg.

Learning route: Notice → understand → try → use → communicate → feedback → improve → use again.

Einleitung

You already know how to make short English sentences. Now you will connect two ideas so that your descriptions become clearer.

Look first. Try in English: The London Eye is a big wheel. It is in London.

Can you join the ideas?

Model: The London Eye is a big wheel that is in London.

Hint: Start with the noun. Add who, which or that. Deutsch nur bei Bedarf: Ein defining relative clause gibt die Information, die wir brauchen, um eine Person oder Sache genauer zu bestimmen.

I-can goals

I can ...	Target
connect two short ideas	with who, which, that
describe people	with who or that
describe things	with which or that
show a simple possession link	with whose
understand relative clauses	in short listening, reading and viewing tasks
use them when I speak and write	in short descriptions, reactions and reasons

Vorwissen

Try before you read the help.

Nouns: Find the noun in “The bike is red.”
Verbs: Find the verb in “The bike is red.”
Simple sentences: Say two short facts about one person or thing.

Quick check: If you can find the person or thing that you want to describe, you are ready.

Notice: Spot the pattern

Read the pairs.

A: This is a bus. The bus goes through London. B: This is a bus that goes through London.

A: A driver is a person. The person drives a bus. B: A driver is a person who drives a bus.

A: I like the bike. The bike is red. B: I like the bike which is red.

Notice: The relative clause starts after the noun it describes.

Media challenge

Say one sentence before you read the model.

Try: This is a bike ...

Model: This is a bike that has a red frame.

Now change that to which. Does the meaning stay clear? Yes.

Understand: The small grammar toolkit

Word	Use	Short model
who	people	A friend is someone who helps you.
which	things	A book which makes me laugh is fun.
that	people or things in defining clauses	I like games that make me think.
whose	simple possession link, mainly with people in this course	Mia is the girl whose bike is red.

Important: In this course, use complete relative clauses. Do not practise leaving out the relative pronoun yet.

Scope for E7 M: We focus on defining relative clauses. You do not need whom, non-defining comma rules, passive voice or reported speech here.

One useful idea

A defining relative clause gives information that identifies or clearly describes the noun.

The student who has the blue folder is my partner.

The clause who has the blue folder tells us which student we mean.

Whose: selected structures only

Use this pattern:

person + whose + noun + verb

Leo is the boy whose bag is under the desk. Maya is the student whose project won the class vote.

Keep it short. Do not build long chains with whose yet.

Try: Guided practice

Choose who, which, that or whose.

A person ___ works in a library is a librarian.
I like stories ___ have a surprising ending.
This is Sam, ___ bike is outside.
A tablet is a device ___ can show videos.

Hint 1: person → try who. Hint 2: thing → try which or that. Hint 3: possession → try whose.

Check: who / which or that / whose / which or that.

Listening and Viewing

BBC Learning English: Defining relative clauses

Watch once without stopping.

First viewing: Listen for who, which, that. Do not try to understand every word.

Second viewing: Pause after useful examples. Say the relative pronoun aloud before the speaker continues.

Focus for this course: The video also mentions extra grammar. Stay with who, which, that and the idea of information that identifies a person or thing.

Listening check: Can you explain in one English sentence when you use who?

Second viewing option

Use only the parts about who, which and that.

Task: Write down three nouns you hear or see in examples. Then build one new sentence of your own.

Reading

Fictional profile – no real social-media data

Ava is a student who likes making short videos for school projects. She has a camera that fits into a small bag. Her friend Ben is the classmate whose ideas often make the group laugh. They use a library which has quiet work tables. Ava likes tasks that let her explain things in her own words.

Read once for meaning. Then notice the grammar.

Which relative word describes a person?
Which two relative words describe things?
Which sentence shows possession?

Check: who / that and which / whose.

Reading with media

Look at the image and complete one sentence:

A library is a place that ...

Then add a second sentence with which.

Vocabulary in context

Word	Meaning from context	Use it
classmate	a student in your class	a classmate who ...
device	a piece of technology	a device that ...
quiet	not noisy	a room which ...
project	school work with a clear goal	a project that ...
idea	a thought or plan	a person whose idea ...

Strategy: Guess from the sentence first. Use German help only if the context is not enough.

Aussprache

Aim for clear, understandable speech, not a perfect accent.

Word	Helpful sound focus
who	/huː/ – keep the opening h sound
which	/wɪtʃ/ – finish clearly with the ch sound
that	/ðæt/ – start with the voiced th sound
whose	/huːz/ – finish with a z sound

Say the whole chunk, not only the grammar word: “a friend who helps”, “a game that works”, “a book which explains”.

Use: Speaking

Work with a partner.

Round 1 – describe: Choose a person, object or place from school life. Give two clues with relative clauses.

Round 2 – react: Your partner says, “I think you mean ... because ...”

Round 3 – improve: Replace one very short sentence with a relative clause.

Useful starters: “This is someone who ...” “It is something that ...” “I mean the person whose ...”

Recording is optional. If you record yourself, keep the recording private unless you actively choose otherwise. No upload is needed.

Communicate: Mini task

Describe one useful thing for a school day in three sentences.

Use:

one sentence with that or which
one sentence with a reason using because
one reaction to a partner’s idea

Example frame: “A planner is a tool that helps me remember homework. I like it because ...”

Writing

Write a short structured email of about 60–80 words to a fictional exchange partner.

Situation: Recommend one school place, club or activity.

Include:

a greeting
two relative clauses with who, which or that
one simple whose sentence if it fits naturally
one reason with because
a closing

Do not copy a model text. Use your own ideas.

Mediation

Read the German notes. Do not translate word for word.

Notizen: Schulbibliothek – ruhiger Arbeitsort – Bücher und Tablets – AG-Leitung hilft bei Projekten.

Tell an English-speaking student what is useful.

Try first in English.

Hint: “It is a place that ...” / “The teacher who ...”

Deutsch-Hilfe nur bei Bedarf: Gib die wichtigsten Informationen sinngemäß weiter.

Feedback and improve

Check one sentence at a time.

Check	Yes?
Is the noun clear?	□
People: did I try who or that?	□
Things: did I try which or that?	□
Possession: is whose followed by a noun?	□
Does the relative clause give useful identifying information?	□

Direct feedback rule: If the pronoun does not match the noun, change only the pronoun first. Then read the complete sentence again.

Use again: Mini-transfer

Choose one of the Commons images in this course.

Write or say:

one identifying sentence
one extra detail
one reason why the object or place could be useful or interesting

Then replace one simple sentence with a relative clause.

Self-Check

Rate yourself: 0 = not yet, 1 = with help, 2 = independently.

Can-do	0	1	2
I can use who for people.	□	□	□
I can use which for things.	□	□	□
I can use that in a defining relative clause.	□	□	□
I can use a short whose + noun structure.	□	□	□
I can use relative clauses in speaking or writing.	□	□	□

If you have mostly 1s, repeat the guided practice and the media challenge. If you have mostly 2s, continue with the transfer task.

Responsible media and AI use

The profiles in this course are fictional. Do not use private social-media information for grammar practice.

Recordings are voluntary and can stay private. No unasked upload is required.

If you use an AI tool for feedback, ask it to check one or two sentences. Compare the feedback with the grammar rules in this course. Do not let AI replace your own text, and do not send personal data or recordings to an external service without permission.

The Wikimedia Commons images used here are available under the licences stated on their file pages. The YouTube videos are embedded from their original channels; do not re-upload copies.

E-Ausblick

Later courses may add more complex relative clauses and other grammar structures. They are not part of this E7-M practice.

Folgekurs

Continue with E7 M - Relative clauses in speaking and writing when you can use the four target forms with little help.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which word is the best choice for a person? (who) (!which) (!where) (!what)

Which word is the best choice for a thing? (which) (!who) (!whose) (!whom)

Which word can describe people or things in defining relative clauses? (that) (!where) (!when) (!why)

Which word shows a possession link? (whose) (!which) (!that) (!who)

Choose the correct sentence. (A friend is someone who helps you.) (!A friend is someone which helps you.) (!A friend is someone whose helps you.) (!A friend is someone where helps you.)

Choose the correct sentence. (This is a game that makes me think.) (!This is a game who makes me think.) (!This is a game whose makes me think.) (!This is a game whom makes me think.)

Choose the correct sentence with whose. (Mia is the girl whose bike is red.) (!Mia is the girl who bike is red.) (!Mia is the girl which bike is red.) (!Mia is the girl that bike is red.)

What does a defining relative clause do in this course? (It gives needed information about a noun.) (!It changes every sentence into the past.) (!It reports another speaker.) (!It makes every sentence passive.)

Which sentence describes a thing correctly? (I like books which make me laugh.) (!I like books who make me laugh.) (!I like books whose make me laugh.) (!I like books whom make me laugh.)

Which sentence fits the E7-M target best? (The student who has the blue folder is my partner.) (!The student where has the blue folder is my partner.) (!The student which has the blue folder is my partner.) (!The student what has the blue folder is my partner.)

Memory

who	people
which	things
that	people and things
whose	possession
defining clause	needed information

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
who	person
which	thing
that	flexible defining form
whose	possession link
relative clause	noun description

Kreuzworträtsel

People	Who is used mainly for which group in this course?
Things	Which is used mainly for what type of nouns?
Whose	Which relative word shows possession?
Clause	What is the grammar unit after the noun called?
Pronoun	What type of word are who, which and that here?
Defining	What type of relative clause gives needed identifying information?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Picture sentence: Choose one Commons image from the course and write two sentences with which or that.
People clue: Invent a fictional person and give two clues with who.
Whose mini-card: Write three safe fictional examples with whose + noun.
Read aloud: Read five of your sentences clearly. A private recording is optional.

Standard

Guessing game: Give a partner three clues about a school object or person. Use at least two relative clauses.
Mini email: Write a 60–80 word email that recommends a school activity and contains three relative clauses.
Media detective: Watch one embedded video and collect four useful example patterns without copying whole sentences.
Mediation card: Turn four short German notes about a school place into a short English explanation with two relative clauses.

Schwer

Compare descriptions: Write a plain version and an improved version of the same description. Explain which relative clauses make the text clearer.
Mini presentation: Give a one-minute presentation about an object, place or fictional person. React to one follow-up question.
Peer feedback: Check a partner’s paragraph with the feedback table, suggest two precise changes and explain why.
Create a grammar challenge: Design five original E7-M sentences in which classmates choose between who, which, that and whose.

Lernkontrolle

Identify and improve: You receive six short sentences. Combine suitable pairs with relative clauses and explain why you chose each pronoun.
Context choice: Describe two people and two objects from a fictional school scene. Use different relative words and keep the information useful.
Listening transfer: After a short teacher-read dialogue, note three people or things and write one defining relative clause for each.
Writing transfer: Write a short recommendation for a club or school place. Include at least three correct relative clauses and one reason.
Error analysis: Correct four sentences with typical pronoun errors and explain the correction in simple English.
Communication task: In pairs, describe a mystery person or object until your partner can identify it. Then improve one clue together.

Lernnachweis

For a successful Lernnachweis, show that you can:

use who with people
use which with things
use that appropriately in defining relative clauses
use selected whose + noun structures
understand relative clauses in a short text or video
use them in a short speaking or writing task
react to feedback and improve at least one sentence
explain your choices in simple English when possible

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