E7 E - Relative clauses for richer descriptions
aiMOOCE7 E - Relative clauses for richer descriptions
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E7 E - Relative clauses for richer descriptions
Mini-description: Use relative clauses on your own to describe people, places and things more precisely and with less repetition. This course is for Class 7, E level, English as the first foreign language, Baden-Württemberg.
Learning path: Notice → understand → try → use → communicate → feedback → improve → use again.
Media start: Look, notice, describe
Look at the picture for 20 seconds. Then speak before you read the grammar box.
- Say one sentence about a person: I can see someone who ...
- Say one sentence about a thing: There is something that ...
- Say one sentence about the place: This is a place where ...
Hint: Do not name people in the photo. Describe only what you can see.
Deutsch falls nötig: Beschreibe Personen, Dinge und den Ort, ohne Identitäten zu erfinden.
I can ...
After this aiMOOC, you can ...
- use who for people in defining relative clauses.
- use which or that for things.
- use where to add information about places.
- use whose to show possession in a simple description.
- combine short sentences so your speaking and writing sound less repetitive.
- check and improve relative clauses in your own text.
Quick prior-knowledge check
Try these without looking anything up.
A. Join the ideas: This is the student. The student helps in the library.
B. Choose a linker: A tablet is a device ___ can show videos.
C. Finish: A library is a place where ...
Check: A possible answer is This is the student who helps in the library. For B, which or that works. For C, many answers are possible, for example A library is a place where people read and study.
Input: Relative clauses in action
Notice: Why use a relative clause?
Compare:
Mia is in the media team. Mia designs posters.
Better:
Mia is the student who designs posters.
The relative clause gives extra information about a noun and avoids repeating the noun.
Try: Make one sentence from The club meets in a room. The room has a large screen.
Feedback: The club meets in a room that has a large screen. Which is also possible.
Understand: The useful linkers
| You describe ... | Use ... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a person | who | A friend who listens is helpful. |
| a thing | which / that | The app which we use is simple. |
| a place | where | This is the room where we practise. |
| possession | whose | I know a student whose project won a prize. |
For this course, the main focus is on defining relative clauses: the information helps identify the person, thing or place.
German help if needed: Ein defining relative clause liefert die Information, die Du brauchst, um genauer zu wissen, wer oder was gemeint ist.
Functional grammar: Build the sentence
A useful pattern is:
noun + relative word + information
the student + who + edits the video
the camera + that + records the sound
the room + where + we meet
Try: Complete each sentence in your own way.
I like people who ...
A useful school app is one that ...
My favourite place is a place where ...
Feedback check: Does your relative clause describe the noun directly? If yes, the structure is probably doing its job.
Which or that?
For things in a defining relative clause, which and that are often both possible.
The book which I borrowed is funny.
The book that I borrowed is funny.
At this level, choose the form that makes your sentence clear. Do not make your sentence longer just to sound more advanced.
E-level extension: whose and contact clauses
Use whose when you describe possession:
She is the girl whose brother plays in our band.
Sometimes the relative word can disappear when it is the object:
The film that we watched was exciting.
The film we watched was exciting.
This is called a contact clause. Use it only when you are sure the sentence stays clear.
Controlled look-ahead: You may meet a past-perfect form inside a relative clause, for example The café that we had visited was closed. You do not need to produce past perfect in this course.
Optional E-level media extension: commas change the job
This BBC Learning English video shows non-defining relative clauses. They add information that is not needed to identify the noun.
Your task: Watch only as far as you need. Find one example with commas. Explain in one English sentence what the commas signal.
Hint: If the extra information is removed, the main reference still works.
German help if needed: Diese Erweiterung ist anspruchsvoller. Wichtig ist hier nur die Idee: Kommas können zeigen, dass die Zusatzinformation nicht zum Identifizieren nötig ist.
Listening and viewing
Watch: defining relative clauses
Watch the BBC Learning English video in two rounds.
First viewing: What is the main idea? Do not stop the video.
Second viewing: You hear several speakers. Listen for who, which, that and where. Note one example for three of them.
After watching: Say one new sentence of your own for a person, a thing and a place.
Hint: Focus on meaning first, grammar second.
Deutsch falls nötig: Beim ersten Hören nur die Hauptaussage erfassen. Beim zweiten Hören gezielt auf die Relativwörter achten.
Reading
A fictional school media club
Read the short text.
Green Street Media Club is a group that meets every Thursday. Amina is the student who plans the weekly topics. Jay uses a small recorder which belongs to the club. They work in a room where students can edit audio and video. Theo is the student whose drawings often become title cards. The group likes projects that tell a clear story.
Reading task: Find five relative clauses. For each one, decide whether it describes a person, thing, place or possession.
Mini-transfer: Which sentence would become repetitive if you split it into two short sentences? Rewrite that sentence as two sentences and compare the effect.
Picture reading: London as a description prompt
Do not research first. Describe what you can see.
This is a bridge that ...
London is a city where ...
Then check one fact about the place from a reliable source and add one careful sentence. Keep observation and researched fact separate. Do not use one picture to make general claims about Londoners or British people.
Vocabulary in context
Useful description words
Use words that help you say more, not just longer sentences.
| Context | Useful words |
|---|---|
| people | friendly, reliable, creative, patient, curious |
| places | lively, quiet, crowded, modern, welcoming |
| things and media | useful, portable, clear, practical, engaging |
| projects | topic, audience, message, detail, source, feedback |
Try: Choose three words. Use each word inside a sentence with a relative clause.
Example: A reliable teammate is someone who finishes their part on time.
Pronunciation and fluency
Make the relative clause easy to hear
Clarity matters more than accent. In speaking, keep the noun and its relative clause connected.
the student who edits the video
the place where we meet
the camera that records the sound
Do not rush the relative word. Stress the important content words more strongly than small grammar words.
Try aloud: Say the three phrases above, then put each phrase into a full sentence.
Private recording option: You may record yourself for practice, but only if you want to. Keep recordings private unless you actively choose to share them. Do not upload recordings to external AI services without permission.
Speaking
Picture challenge: from details to a mini-presentation
Prepare for 30 seconds. Then speak for about 45–60 seconds.
Use at least four relative clauses. Include:
someone who ...
something that ...
a place where ...
Then add one opinion: I think the scene looks ... because ...
Partner feedback: Listen for one sentence that is especially clear. Then suggest one place where a relative clause could reduce repetition.
Improve and use again: Repeat your description with the improvement.
Short discussion
Choose one question and discuss it with a partner.
What makes a place a good place to learn?
What makes a person a good teammate?
What is a tool that helps you learn English?
Give a reason, react to your partner, and use at least two relative clauses naturally.
Useful reactions: I agree because ... / I see your point, but ... / For me, a person who ...
Writing
Write a richer description
Write 80–100 words about one of these fictional options:
- a student who joins a school club
- a place where young people meet
- a tool that helps with a project
Use at least four relative clauses. Try to use who, which or that, where and, if it fits, whose.
First draft rule: Write your own text before using any digital feedback tool.
Self-feedback: Underline your nouns. Circle the relative words. Check whether each clause really describes the noun before it.
Improve: Replace one repeated noun with a relative clause, but keep the text natural.
Mediation
Explain the key information in English
A German exchange student receives this note:
Unsere Schülerbibliothek ist montags bis donnerstags geöffnet. Dort kann man lesen, leise arbeiten und Bücher für zwei Wochen ausleihen. Frau Kern hilft bei Fragen. Sie organisiert auch den Leseklub.
Your English-speaking guest asks what the library is like. Give the key information in 2–3 English sentences. Do not translate every word.
Try to use one relative clause, for example a sentence about the library, the person or the club.
Hint: Mediation means passing on the important meaning for the situation.
Use again: Media-based mini-transfer
Describe a learning place
Choose three visible details and one reasonable interpretation.
Observation: I can see ...
Relative clause: There is a ... that ...
Interpretation: It may be a place where ...
Do not invent personal information about the people in the image.
Feedback and improvement
A fast editing routine
Use this four-question check on your own sentence:
- What noun am I describing?
- Is it a person, thing, place or possession?
- Does my relative word fit?
- Is the sentence clearer and less repetitive than before?
Example:
I know a club. The club makes podcasts.
Improved:
I know a club that makes podcasts.
Direct feedback: The improved version is more compact because that makes podcasts directly describes a club.
Responsible use of AI feedback
If you use AI for feedback, keep control of your text.
- Write your own first draft.
- Ask for feedback on one clear point, for example: Find one unclear relative clause and explain the problem.
- Check whether the suggestion matches your level and the grammar you have learned.
- Do not let AI replace your whole text.
- Do not enter private profiles, personal social-media data or recordings of other people.
No task in this course requires you to upload a recording or give an external AI service access to your files.
Media and rights
The images used in this course are Wikimedia Commons files with reusable licences stated on their file pages. The embedded grammar videos are from the official BBC Learning English YouTube channel. Use the media for learning; do not copy personal data from people shown in images or videos.
Self-check: Can do?
Rate each statement: Yes / almost / not yet.
- I can describe a person with who.
- I can describe a thing with which or that.
- I can describe a place with where.
- I can use whose when possession is important.
- I can combine ideas to reduce repetition.
- I can notice and improve an unclear relative clause in my own speaking or writing.
If you choose almost or not yet, return to one example, change it, and use it again in a new context.
Interaktive Aufgaben
Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen
Which relative word is the clearest choice for a person? (who) (!where) (!which) (!when)
Which sentence describes a thing correctly? (The camera that records the sound is small.) (!The camera who records the sound is small.) (!The camera where records the sound is small.) (!The camera whose records the sound is small.)
Which relative word completes the sentence: This is the room ___ we practise? (where) (!who) (!whose) (!when)
Which sentence shows possession with a relative clause? (I know a student whose project won a prize.) (!I know a student where project won a prize.) (!I know a student which project won a prize.) (!I know a student who project won a prize.)
Why do we often use a relative clause in a description? (To add precise information without repeating the noun.) (!To turn every sentence into a question.) (!To remove all verbs from a sentence.) (!To make every sentence longer.)
Which sentence is less repetitive? (Mia is the student who designs the posters.) (!Mia is the student and Mia designs the posters and Mia is there.) (!Mia is the student where designs the posters.) (!Mia who is the student designs where posters.)
Which pair can both describe a thing in many defining relative clauses? (which and that) (!who and where) (!whose and where) (!who and whose)
Which sentence contains a contact clause? (The film we watched was exciting.) (!The place where we met was quiet.) (!The student who called me is here.) (!The girl whose bike is red is waiting.)
What should you do first when listening to a grammar video in this course? (Listen for the main idea.) (!Translate every word into German.) (!Pause after every sentence.) (!Write down every word you hear.)
Which feedback question is most useful for checking a relative clause? (What noun does this clause describe?) (!How many long words are in the sentence?) (!Can I make the sentence as long as possible?) (!Did I use the same noun three times?)
Memory
| who | person reference |
| which | thing reference |
| where | place reference |
| whose | possession link |
| contact clause | omitted object linker |
| defining clause | identifying information |
Drag and Drop
| Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu. | Thema |
|---|---|
| who | person |
| which | thing |
| where | place |
| whose | possession |
| that | flexible defining linker |
Kreuzworträtsel
| person | What kind of noun can be described with who? |
| place | What kind of noun can often be followed by where? |
| which | Which relative word often describes a thing? |
| whose | Which relative word can show possession? |
| clause | What is the grammar unit after the noun called? |
| detail | What can a relative clause add to a description? |
LearningApps
Lückentext
Offene Aufgaben
Leicht
- Picture description: Choose one Commons image from this course and write four sentences with at least two relative clauses.
- Fictional person: Invent a safe fictional school-club profile and describe the person with three sentences using who or whose.
- My learning place: Describe a real or fictional learning place with two sentences using where.
- Sentence joining: Write five pairs of short sentences and combine each pair with a suitable relative clause.
Standard
- Mini-dialogue: Write and perform a short dialogue in which two students recommend a person, place or tool and naturally use at least four relative clauses.
- One-minute talk: Give a one-minute presentation about a club, hobby or place. Use relative clauses to avoid repeated nouns.
- Mediation card: Create a short German information card about a school place and mediate the key information into English using one or two relative clauses.
- Peer feedback: Exchange a short text, mark the nouns that are described by relative clauses, and give one specific improvement suggestion.
Schwer
- Perspective change: Describe the same place from two fictional perspectives and vary the relative clauses to show what each person notices.
- Media comparison: Compare two free images. Explain which details make each image useful for a description task and use at least five relative clauses.
- Private audio draft: Plan a 60–90 second audio description with relative clauses. Recording is optional and should remain private unless you choose otherwise.
- Editing challenge: Take a repetitive paragraph of your own, revise it with relative clauses, and explain two changes that improved clarity.
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Lernkontrolle
- Three-way transfer: You get three new prompts: one person, one object and one place. Write one precise relative-clause sentence for each and explain your choice of relative word.
- Error analysis: Correct four faulty relative clauses and explain what kind of noun each clause describes.
- Compare versions: Compare a repetitive paragraph with a revised paragraph. Explain where relative clauses improve cohesion and where a shorter sentence would be better.
- Viewing transfer: Watch a short age-appropriate clip selected by your teacher, note three people, things or places, and create accurate relative-clause descriptions from your notes.
- Speaking transfer: Explain a school club or learning tool to a partner for one minute. React to one follow-up question and use relative clauses naturally rather than as a checklist.
- Revision: Revise an 80-word description after feedback. Mark one change for grammar, one for clarity and one for less repetition.
Lernnachweis
For a learning record, these points are important:
- You can identify what noun a relative clause describes.
- You can choose suitable relative words for people, things, places and possession.
- You can use defining relative clauses independently in speaking and writing.
- You can use a simple contact clause when it is clear.
- You can understand the basic difference between essential identifying information and optional extra information.
- You can reduce repetition without making sentences unnecessarily difficult.
- You can use feedback to revise your own text.
- You can communicate information from a short German source in suitable English instead of translating word for word.
OERs zum Thema
Follow-up course
Continue with E7 E - Non-defining relative clauses and commas. There you can practise extra information, punctuation and clearer spoken pauses in more detail.
Verknüpfte Lernbereiche
The course connects grammar with listening, viewing, reading, speaking, writing, mediation, pronunciation and responsible media use.