Relative and Participle Clauses: B2 Exercises

Every answer with the reason behind it. Read the explanation for the ones you got right as well — that is where you find out whether you were right for the right reason.

Multiple choice questions — answers

1. The candidates ___ in the corridor had all been waiting over an hour. → waiting

An active relative clause reduces to the bare -ing form with the pronoun and verb dropped.

2. The letters ___ last week have still not arrived. → sent

A passive relative clause reduces to the past participle alone.

3. ___ the evidence, the committee reached a unanimous decision. → Having reviewed

A perfect participle clause is having plus the past participle and marks the earlier action.

4. ___ in 1954, the building is now protected by law. → Completed

A passive participle clause of reason uses the past participle on its own.

5. The firm employs four hundred people, most of ___ work remotely. → whom

After a quantifier and of, the pronoun for people is whom, never who or that.

6. She submitted three designs, none of ___ satisfied the brief. → which

Quantifier plus of plus which is the structure for things, and them would need a full stop before it.

7. The deadline was moved twice, ___ made proper planning impossible. → which

Sentential which comments on the whole preceding clause and cannot be replaced by that.

8. Which is the formal written equivalent of 'the room we met in'? → the room in which we met

The fronted preposition takes which, never that, and the clause keeps its normal order.

9. Applicants ___ a relevant degree may skip the first stage. → holding

An active reduction uses the -ing form and condenses who hold into one word.

10. Which sentence is INCORRECT? → The man to who I spoke was helpful.

After a preposition the object form whom is obligatory; who cannot follow to.

11. ___ warned twice already, he could hardly plead ignorance. → Having been

The perfect passive participle clause is having been plus the past participle.

12. The scheme, the details of ___ have never been published, cost twelve million. → which

A noun plus of plus which forms a possessive-style relative in formal writing.

13. The difference between 'the students, who passed' and 'the students who passed' is that ___. → the first says all of them passed, the second only some

The comma makes the clause non-defining, so it adds information about the whole group.

14. ___ from the air, the pattern of the old field boundaries is unmistakable. → Seen

The subject is the pattern, which receives the seeing, so the passive participle is used.

15. There were thirty candidates, twelve ___ withdrew before the interview. → of whom

The quantifier structure is number plus of plus whom for people.

16. Anyone ___ to attend should register by Friday at the latest. → wishing

An active reduction of who wishes is the -ing form on its own.

17. The report, ___ conclusions were leaked, has now been withdrawn. → whose

Whose works for things as well as people and is far less clumsy than of which here.

18. ___ no reply, we assumed the offer had lapsed. → Having received

The perfect participle marks the receiving as complete before the assumption was made.

19. Which sentence uses a reduced passive relative correctly? → The measures introduced last year have failed.

A passive reduction leaves only the past participle after the noun.

20. The council approved the plan, ___ surprised absolutely nobody. → which

Sentential which refers back to the entire preceding statement.

Fill-in-the-blank questions — answers

1. The passengers ___ on the platform had been there for two hours. → standing

An active relative clause reduces to the bare -ing form.

2. The documents ___ to the tribunal last month have not been returned. → submitted

A passive relative clause reduces to the past participle alone.

3. ___ reviewed the evidence, the panel adjourned until Thursday. → Having

The perfect participle clause opens with this word plus a past participle.

4. The company has six hundred staff, half of ___ are on short contracts. → whom

After a quantifier and of, people take the object form of the relative pronoun.

5. She wrote four novels, none of ___ sold more than a thousand copies. → which

The quantifier structure for things uses this relative pronoun after of.

6. The train was cancelled twice, ___ made the whole journey pointless. → which

A relative pronoun commenting on a whole clause can only be this one.

7. This is the house in ___ the treaty was signed in 1783. → which

A fronted preposition must be followed by this pronoun, never by that.

8. The author, ___ first book was banned, later won the national prize. → whose

The possessive relative pronoun works for both people and things.

9. Having ___ told once, he did not need a second warning. → been

The perfect passive participle clause inserts this word before the participle.

10. ___ from the top of the hill, the whole estate looks deceptively small. → Seen

When the subject receives the action, the participle clause takes the past form.

11. Anyone ___ to object should do so before the consultation closes. → wishing

A reduced active relative uses the -ing form with no pronoun.

12. There were forty applicants, six of ___ were shortlisted. → whom

A number plus of plus this pronoun quantifies a group of people already mentioned.

13. The person to ___ you should address the complaint is the registrar. → whom

After a preposition the object form is obligatory in formal English.

14. ___ no response by Friday, we shall assume the matter is closed. → Receiving

A present participle clause can express a condition as well as a reason.

15. The bridge, the design of ___ was never published, collapsed in 1907. → which

A noun plus of plus this pronoun forms a formal possessive relative.

16. The measures ___ in April have already been reversed. → announced

A reduced passive relative leaves only the past participle.

17. ___ that the deadline had passed, she withdrew the application. → Realising

A present participle clause can supply the reason for the main action.

18. He arrived an hour late, ___ was entirely in character. → which

Sentential which comments on the whole preceding proposition.

19. The village, most of ___ residents commute, has no shop of its own. → whose

The possessive relative can follow a quantifier when what follows is a noun.

20. Passengers ___ to Leeds should change at Doncaster. → travelling

A reduced active relative uses the -ing form directly after the noun.

Sentence structure: word ordering — answers

1. Open with a passive participle clause giving background. → Written in 1954, the novel remains controversial.

Open with a passive participle clause giving background.

2. Open with a perfect participle clause. → Having finished the report, she went home.

Open with a perfect participle clause.

3. Reduce an active relative clause to one word. → The people waiting outside have no tickets.

Reduce an active relative clause to one word.

4. Reduce a passive relative clause. → The report written last year has been withdrawn.

Reduce a passive relative clause.

5. Front the preposition for a formal register. → The room in which we met has been demolished.

Front the preposition for a formal register.

6. Quantify a group you have just mentioned. → The firm employs 400 people, most of whom work remotely.

Quantify a group you have just mentioned.

7. Comment on a whole preceding statement. → He resigned, which shocked the entire board.

Comment on a whole preceding statement.

8. Condense a condition into a reduced relative. → Applicants holding a relevant degree may skip stage one.

Condense a condition into a reduced relative.

9. Use a perfect passive participle clause. → Having been warned, she said nothing more.

Use a perfect passive participle clause.

10. Use the possessive relative pronoun. → The author, whose work was banned, later emigrated.

Use the possessive relative pronoun.

11. Open with a passive participle when the subject receives the action. → Seen from above, the damage is far worse.

Open with a passive participle when the subject receives the action.

12. Quantify a group of things with of which. → There were twelve entries, none of which qualified.

Quantify a group of things with of which.

13. Use the most formal register available. → The man to whom I spoke was extremely helpful.

Use the most formal register available.

14. Write a station announcement using a reduced relative. → Passengers travelling beyond York must change here.

Write a station announcement using a reduced relative.

15. Give the reason for an action in a participle clause. → Realising her mistake, she withdrew the claim.

Give the reason for an action in a participle clause.

16. Reduce a passive relative in formal prose. → The measures introduced in March have since lapsed.

Reduce a passive relative in formal prose.

17. Use a noun plus of which for a formal possessive. → The study, the results of which were leaked, was abandoned.

Use a noun plus of which for a formal possessive.

18. Write a meeting instruction with a reduced relative. → Anyone wishing to speak should signal to the chair.

Write a meeting instruction with a reduced relative.

19. Negate a perfect participle clause. → Not having read the brief, he said very little.

Negate a perfect participle clause.

20. Attach a consequence to a whole clause. → She missed the flight, which cost us the contract.

Attach a consequence to a whole clause.