Relative Clauses (Who, Which, That)
Relative Clauses (যে, যা, যেটি)
Introductionভূমিকা
A relative clause adds extra information about a noun without starting a new sentence. It begins with a relative pronoun — who, which, that, whose — and lets you join two ideas smoothly, so your English sounds natural instead of choppy.
Relative clause একটি noun সম্পর্কে বাড়তি তথ্য যোগ করে, নতুন বাক্য শুরু না করেই। এটি who, which, that, whose দিয়ে শুরু হয় এবং দুটি ভাবকে একসাথে জোড়া দেয়, ফলে ইংরেজি স্বাভাবিক শোনায়।
Definitionসংজ্ঞা
A relative clause is a group of words that describes a noun and begins with a relative pronoun: who/whose for people, which for things, that for both, where for places and when for times.
Relative clause হলো এমন একগুচ্ছ শব্দ যা কোনো noun-কে বর্ণনা করে এবং relative pronoun দিয়ে শুরু হয়: মানুষের জন্য who/whose, বস্তুর জন্য which, দুয়ের জন্য that, স্থানের জন্য where, সময়ের জন্য when।
Bangla Explanationবাংলা ব্যাখ্যা
নিয়ম: মানুষ বোঝাতে who (বা কর্তা-কর্মে whom), বস্তু বা প্রাণী বোঝাতে which, আর দুটোর জন্যই that ব্যবহার হয়। অধিকার বোঝাতে whose, স্থানে where, সময়ে when। Defining clause (যেটি noun-কে চিহ্নিত করে, তা ছাড়া বাক্যের অর্থ অসম্পূর্ণ) — এখানে comma বসে না এবং that ব্যবহার করা যায়: “The book that I bought is new.” Non-defining clause (শুধু বাড়তি তথ্য) — এখানে comma বসে এবং that ব্যবহার হয় না, which/who বসে: “My father, who is a teacher, is busy.” মনে রাখুন — object হিসেবে relative pronoun থাকলে defining clause-এ তা বাদ দেওয়া যায়: “the pen (that) I lost।” আর who/that-এর পরে আবার he/she/it বসানো ভুল।
Examplesউদাহরণ
- The teacher who helps us is very kind.যে শিক্ষক আমাদের সাহায্য করেন, তিনি খুব দয়ালু।
- This is the phone that I bought yesterday.এটি সেই ফোন যেটি আমি গতকাল কিনেছি।
- She lives in a house which has a big garden.সে এমন একটি বাড়িতে থাকে যার একটি বড় বাগান আছে।
- The boy whose bag was stolen is crying.যে ছেলেটির ব্যাগ চুরি হয়েছে, সে কাঁদছে।
- That is the school where I studied.ওটাই সেই স্কুল যেখানে আমি পড়েছি।
- My uncle, who lives in Sylhet, is a doctor.আমার চাচা, যিনি সিলেটে থাকেন, একজন ডাক্তার।
Common Mistakesসাধারণ ভুল
The man which lives next door is nice.
The man who lives next door is nice.
Use 'who' (not 'which') for people; 'which' is only for things and animals.
This is the book what I read.
This is the book that I read.
'What' is never a relative pronoun here — use 'that' or 'which' for things.
The girl who she called me is my cousin.
The girl who called me is my cousin.
Don't repeat the subject: after 'who' you already have the subject, so drop 'she'.
My mother, that cooks well, is here.
My mother, who cooks well, is here.
In non-defining clauses (with commas) use 'who/which', never 'that'.
Tipsটিপস
- Use 'who' for people, 'which' for things, and 'that' for either — but only in defining clauses. — মানুষে 'who', বস্তুতে 'which', আর দুয়ের জন্য 'that' — তবে 'that' শুধু defining clause-এ।
- If the clause only adds extra info, put commas around it and never use 'that'. — clause যদি শুধু বাড়তি তথ্য দেয়, তাহলে দু'পাশে comma বসান এবং 'that' ব্যবহার করবেন না।
- When the relative pronoun is the object, you can leave it out: 'the film (that) we watched'. — relative pronoun যদি object হয়, তবে তা বাদ দেওয়া যায়: 'the film (that) we watched'।
Quizকুইজ
Tap an answer to check yourself — a free preview of the full graded quiz in the app.
1. Choose the correct sentence.
2. Complete: 'This is the village ___ I was born.'
3. Which non-defining clause is correct?
Practiceঅনুশীলন
Try each one, then reveal the answer.
1. Join with a relative pronoun: 'The man is my uncle. He is standing there.'
Hint: Use 'who' for a person and drop 'he'.
2. Fill the gap: 'The car ___ she bought is red.'
Hint: A car is a thing.
3. Fill the gap: 'The student ___ bag is lost went home.'
Hint: It shows possession (the bag belongs to the student).
Related Lessonsসম্পর্কিত পাঠ
- Gerunds and InfinitivesMaster gerunds and infinitives in Bangla and English: when to use verb+ing and when to use to+verb, verbs that take each, examples, mistakes and a free quiz.
- Conditional Sentences (If Clauses)Conditional sentences (if clauses) in Bangla and English: zero, first, second and third conditionals with clear rules, examples, mistakes and a free quiz.
- Present Simple TenseThe present simple tense in Bangla and English: how to use it for habits and facts, the -s/-es rule, questions and negatives, examples, mistakes and a free quiz.
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Practise with the AI teacher →Frequently Asked Questionsসাধারণ জিজ্ঞাসা
What is a relative clause?
It is a part of a sentence that describes a noun and begins with a relative pronoun such as who, which, that, whose, where or when — for example, 'the boy who lives here'.
What is the difference between 'who' and 'which'?
Use 'who' for people and 'which' for things or animals. 'That' can replace either in a defining clause, but not after a comma.
When can I leave out the relative pronoun?
You can omit it in a defining clause when it is the object of the clause: 'the song (that) I like'. You cannot omit it when it is the subject.