Typical forms of reduced relative clauses and types of applied exercises in english at the apper secondary lyvel of education

Teaching Experience Initiative

School-year: 2015-2016

“Typical Forms of Reduced Relative Clauses and Types of Applied
Exercises in English at the Upper-secondary Level of Education”
☼☼☼☼☼☼
PART I: INTRODUCTION
I. Rationale for selecting the topic of the study:
A clause, in English grammar, is the smallest grammatical unit that can express a
complete proposition. Generally, a simple sentence consists of a single clause while a
more complex sentence may contain multiple clauses. Clauses in English are divided
into two major types, main clauses and subordinate ones. As it can be seen, there are a
variety of subordinate clauses. Among these subordinate clauses are adjective clauses,
also called relative clauses. The module of Relative Clauses is an important content
constantly appearing in a number of units in the English textbooks in upper-secondary
education. One of the most important part related to this content is probably the very
diversity of forms of reduced relative clauses which is considered as the most
confusing to learners.
A variety of forms of reduced relative clauses, in fact, are frequently used in
everyday communications, in written English, as well as tested in students’ tests and
examinations. With my own practical teaching in the recent years, I notice that in order
to avoid misunderstanding others in communications and getting into big troubles in
tests and examinations related to the phenomena of relative clause reduction, students
are required to have a thorough knowledge of all the aspects of the relative clauses
such as relative pronouns and adverbs, different types of relative clauses, distinctive
features of each type that are important determinants of the way how a relative clause
is reduced, ...etc…. Although much attention has recently been paid to learning
English, Mai Anh Tuan high school students’ knowledge of English, in general, is
rather limited, even some of them have a lack of the basic knowledge. Thus, studying
the reduction of relative clauses and solving exercises or questions related to this

grammatical knowledge seem to be a big challenge that may make the students
extremely confused and nervous. Moreover, the English textbooks at high school only
introduce the topics without any detailed explanation or instruction, it is undoubtedly
difficult for students to study, understand clearly and thoroughly, and memorize the
lessons just by mechanically following some examples given in the textbook. What is
more, in the textbooks, applied exercises focus on only some basic forms of reduced
relative clauses while there is actually a wide range of other forms also commonly
used. It will be better if students do know and use them correctly and flexibly.
The facts mentioned above have constantly encouraged me to find out a solution
to better the situation, which leads to my decision to select the topic “Typical Forms
of Reduced Relative Clauses and Types of Applied Exercises in English at the
Upper-secondary Level of Education” to study more thoroughly in my teaching
experience initiative.
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II. Purposes of the study:
This study has been conducted with a strong desire that I can help my students
be aware of the importance of forms of reduced relative clauses in everyday
communications, in written English, as well as in their tests and examinations. On that
basis, they will gradually be able to raise their awareness of practicing and improving
their skills in solving relevant exercises and questions. Besides, I would like to provide
the students with a detailed and logical system of adequate theoretical contents and
typical skills related to this topic for them to learn, use and apply in practice rapidly

and productively. Furthermore, through this experience initiative, I hope to contribute
some of my personal ideas on issues of forms of reduced relative clauses to teaching
experience sources for my teacher colleagues to use as a reference in the English
teaching process.
III. Objects of the study:
In this teaching experience initiative, researching a system of theoretical points
and practical skills related to forms of reduced relative clauses, and supplementary
exercises based on these points and skills for further practice has been specially
focused on.
IV. Scope of the study:
The topic was studied in the English programme for high school students at Mai
Anh Tuan High School in the school-year 2015-2016, and through English tests,
examinations of all kinds at Mai Anh Tuan High School and other schools in Thanh
Hoa province as well as other provinces all over the country in the recent years.
V. Bases of the study:
The experience initiative has been studied based on my own practical teaching
experiences, referring to documents related to the researched topic, observing other
teachers’ lessons, and consulting my colleagues.
PART II: DEVELOPMENT
To use typical forms reduced relative clauses correctly and flexibly, firstly, it is
necessary for students to understand what a relative clause is, what type of relative
clauses it is, what distinctive features each type of relative clauses has, and how to use
relative pronouns and adverbs.
A. Relative Clauses Overview:
I. Relative Clause Definition:
A relative clause, also known as an adjective clause, is a subordinate clause that
generally modifies a noun or noun phrase and is introduced by a relative pronoun
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(who, whom, which, that, whose), a relative adverb (when, where, why), or a zero
relative pronoun (a relative in which the relative is omitted).
A relative clause follows the noun (phrase) it modifies, and can come both at the
end and in the middle of the sentence, and often follows one of these common patterns:
1. Relative pronoun/adverb + Subject + Verb +…
2. Relative pronoun (as subject) + Verb +…
Ex: This is the man who lives near my house.
(extracted from Oxford.edu.vn)
Here is the laptop (which) I bought 2 years ago. (extracted from Oxford.edu.vn)
II. Types of relative clauses:
Relative clauses are classified depending on their relationship with the nouns or
noun phrases they modify. They are traditionally divided into two types: defining
relative clauses and non-defining relative clauses.
1. Defining relative clauses:
A defining relative clause is a subordinate one that identifies or categorizes its
noun (phrase). That means it tells us about the specific person or thing we are talking
about in a larger group of people or things. If a defining relative clause is removed
from the sentence, the meaning of the sentence changes significantly. This clause is not
separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma or commas. In a defining relative
clause, a relative pronoun functioning as an object can be omitted if it does not come
right after a preposition.
Ex:
The doctor who helped me while I was in sick was very kind.
The girl (that) I met in Paris has already been engaged.

2. Non-defining relative clauses:
A non-defining relative clause a subordinate clause that is used to give additional
information about the noun or noun phrase but not to identify it or to create categories.
That means it provide us with more information about the person or thing we are
talking about. If a non-defining relative clause is removed from the sentence, we lose
some details, but the overall meaning of the sentence remains the same.
Non-defining relative clauses are always set off from the rest of the sentence by
a comma or commas. In non-defining relative clauses, a relative pronoun functioning
as an object cannot be omitted.
Non-defining relative clauses often follow such antecedents as below:
a. proper nouns:
Ex: Mrs. Beckett, who is a detective, is working for NYPD.
b. nouns or noun phrases modified by possessive adjectives: my, your, her, his,…
Ex: My mother, who is a farmer, has lived on her farm for all her life.

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c. nouns or noun phrases modified by demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these
those.
Ex: That film star, whom I met at the news conference, has just won a big
cinema prize.
d. nouns or noun phrases modified by possessive cases.
Ex: Mary’s cat, which she loves very much, is very clever and lovely.

e. nouns or noun phrases modified by adjective phrases.
Ex: The woman in white, who came to meet you, is my aunt.
III. Common Relative Pronouns and Adverbs Overview:
Relative
Pronouns
& Adverbs
Who

Whom

Antecedent
modified

Person/People

Person/People

Which

Thing(s)

Functions

Prepositions

Types of
Relative Clauses
applicable

Subject

cannot come
before “who”

Defining and
Non-defining

Object

can come
before
“whom”

Defining and
Non-defining

Subject

cannot come
before
“which”

Object

can come
before
“which”

Object (informal)

Subject

That

Person/People
and thing(s)

Whose

Person/People
and things

When

Where

Le Thi Lan Anh

Defining and
Non-defining

Defining

Object

cannot come
before “that”

Replacing
possessive

adjectives/cases

can come
before
“whose”

Defining and
Non-defining

Time

Replacing
adverbs of time

cannot come
before “when”

Defining and
Non-defining

Place(s)

Replacing
adverbs of place

cannot come
before
“where”

Defining and

Non-defining

Replacing the

cannot come

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Why
Reason(s)
phrase “for the
reason(s)”

School-year: 2015-2016
before “why”
Defining

B. Typical Forms of Relative Clauses:
Generally, relative clauses are widely used in both spoken and written English to
make sentences become clear in meaning and easy to understand. Relative clauses can
be spoken or written in the reduced forms. However, not all relative clauses can be
reduced. The reduction of relative clauses can only be applied to subject relative
clauses not object relative clauses. A subjective relative clause is a relative clause with
the relative pronoun serving the function of the subject. Although it is not possible to
omit the relative pronoun in the subject relative clauses, we can, if we want, omit an
even larger piece of the relative clause and still retain a grammatically acceptable

sentence. In fact, there are a variety of ways to reduce the subject relative clauses.
Below are typical forms of relative clauses, and necessary steps to practise the
reduction effectively and accurately in certain situations.
I. Reduced relative clauses in the form of nouns or noun phrases:
When a non-defining relative clause is in the form that follows, it can be reduced
to a noun or noun phrase.
…who/which + be/ linking V + N(Phr)… = …N(Phr)…
Practical steps of reduction:
Step 1: Identify the relative clause starting with a relative pronoun “who/which”.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun “who/which” from the relative clause.
Step 3: Leave out the verb “be” or the linking verb from the relative clause.
Ex: Full Sentence: Lee Davis, who is a business teacher, wrote this book.
Step 1: The relative clause is “who is a business teacher”.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun-“who is a business teacher”
Step 3: Leave out the verb “be”-“is a business teacher”
Reduced Sentence:
Lee Davis, a business teacher, wrote this book.
II. Reduced relative clauses in the form of preposition phrases:
A relative clause in the form that follows can be reduced to a preposition phrase.
… who/which/that + be + Prep.Phr = …Prep.Phr
Practical steps of reduction:
Step 1: Identify the relative clause starting with a relative pronoun “who/which/that”.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun “who/which/that” from the relative clause.
Step 3: Leave out the verb “be” from the relative clause.
Ex: Full Sentence:
Please pass me the document that is on the desk.
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Step 1: The relative clause is “that is on the desk”.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun-“that is on the desk”.
Step 3: Leave out the verb “be”-“is on the desk”.
Reduced Sentence:
Please pass me the document on the desk.
III. Reduced relative clauses in the form of adjectives or adjective phrases:
Reducing a relative clause to an adjective (phrase) is quite confusing because it
is rather complicated and depends on a number of certain factors. Here are some
typical forms of reduction commonly used.
Form 1: A reduced relative clause in the form of an adjective (phrase), standing
right after its antecedent.
A relative clause reduced to an adjective (phrase), standing right after its
antecedent if:
1. its antecedent is an infinite pronoun: something, someone, anyone,…
2. its antecedent is a proper noun: Sue, David, James…
3. it is a non-definite relative clause with at least two adjectives.
4. it is a relative clause with the adjective phrase that is in a complicated form
(containing a noun/noun phrase...), or modifies the be verb in the negative form.
… who/which/that + be + Adj (Phr) … = … Adj (Phr) …
Practical steps of reduction:
Step 1: Identify the relative clause starting with a relative pronoun “who/which/that”,
paying attention to its antecedent, the type of this clause, and the form of the
adjective phrase.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun “who/which/that” from the relative clause.
Step 3: Leave out the verb “be” from the relative clause.

Ex: Full Sentences: 1. I know there is something that is wrong with you.
2. My grandmother, who is old and sick, never goes out of the house.
3. Small distinctions among stamps, which are unimportant to the
average person, would mean a great deal to the stamp collector.
Step 1: The relative clause:
1. “that is wrong with you”, after the antecedent “something”.
2. “who is old and sick”, there are two adjectives “old and sick”.
3. “which are unimportant to the average person”, the adjective phrase contains a
noun phrase “the average person”.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun: 1. “that is wrong with you”
2. “who is old and sick”
3. “which are unimportant to the average person”
Step 3: Leave out the verb “be”:
1. “is wrong with you”
2. “is old and sick”
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3. “are unimportant to the average person”
Reduced Sentences:
1. I know there is something wrong with you.
2. My grandmother, old and sick, never goes out of the house.
3. Small distinctions among stamps, unimportant to the average

person, would mean a great deal to the stamp collector.
Form 2: A reduced relative clause in the form of an adjective (phrase), standing
right before the noun it modifies.
A relative clause reduced to an adjective (phrase), standing right before the noun
it modifies if it is a non-defining relative clause with only one single adjective, or a
defining relative clause with one or more than one single adjectives.
…N(,) + who/which/that + be + Adj (Phr)… = … Adj (Phr) + N…
Practical steps of reduction:
Step 1: Identify the subjective relative clause starting with a relative pronoun
“who/which/that”, paying attention to whether the relative clause is defining or
non-defining, and has one or more than one single adjectives.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun “who/which/that” from the relative clause.
Step 3: Leave out the verb “be” from the relative clause.
Step 4: Place the adjective or adjective phrase before the noun it modifies.
Ex: Full Sentences:
1. That lady, who is old, is living in a nursing home.
2. Jane has just bought a pair of glasses which is beautiful and fashionable.
Step 1: The relative clause is:
1. “who is old”, a non-definite relative clause with one single adjective “old”.
2. “which is beautiful and fashionable”, a definite relative clause with more than
one single adjectives “beautiful and fashionable”.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun:
1. “who is old”
2. “which is beautiful and fashionable”
Step 3: Leave out the verb “be”:
1. “is old”
2. “is beautiful and fashionable”
Step 4: Place the adjective or adjective phrase before the noun it modifies.
1. old lady
2. beautiful and fashionable glasses

Reduced Sentences:
1. That old lady is living in a nursing home.
2. Jane has just bought a pair of beautiful and fashionable glasses.
IV. Reduced relative clauses in the form of compound adjectives:

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Sometimes, learners do not pay much attention to this type of reduction,
however, it is very common in both spoken and written English that a relative clause
can be reduced to a compound adjective and placed in front of the antecedent noun.
…N1 (,) + who/which/that + be/have/last/… + Cardinal + N2…
= …Cardinal-N2(sing) + N1
Practical steps of reduction:
Step 1: Identify the relative clause starting with a relative pronoun “who/which/that”,
and containing a phrase formed from a cardinal and a noun.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun “who/which/that” from the relative clause.
Step 3: Leave out the verb “be/have/last/…” from the relative clause.
Step 4: Form the compound adjective from a cardinal and a noun in the relative clause
by placing a hyphen between them, the noun must be in the singular form.
Step 5: Place the compound adjective in front of the antecedent noun.
Ex: Full Sentence:
They have a house which has five rooms.
Step 1: The relative clause is “which has twenty rooms”.

Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun-“which has five rooms”.
Step 3: Leave out the verb-“has five rooms”.
Step 4: Form the compound adjective-“ five-room”.
Step 5: Place the compound adjective before the antecedent noun-“ five-room house”.
Reduced Sentence:
They have a five-room house.
V. Reduced relative clauses in the form of paraphrases:
It is also common in English that a reduced relative clause can be in the form of
a paraphrase, a statement that expresses something that somebody has written or said
using different words, especially in order to make it easier to understand. When the
verb “have” meaning possession, we can omit relative pronoun and “have” and use
with(+) or without(-).
… who/which/that + have(+/-) + N(Phr)… = …with/ without + N(Phr)…
Practical steps of reduction:
Step 1: Identify the relative clause in the form
“…who/which/that + have(+/-) + N(Phr)”
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun “who/which/that” from the relative clause.
Step 3: Leave out the verb “have(+/-)” from the relative clause.
Step 4: Use “with/without” in front of the noun/noun phrase of the relative clause.
“With” is used for the affirmative form of the verb “have”, and “without” for
the negative.
Ex: Full Sentences: 1. The man likes bikes which has new wheels and tires.
2. He puts new tires on bikes which don’t have good tires.
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Step 1: The relative clause is: 1. “which has new wheels and tires”
2. “which don’t have good tires”
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun:
1. “which has new wheels and tires”
2. “which don’t have good tires”
Step 3: Leave out the verb “have(+/-)”:
1. “has new wheels and tires”.
2. “don’t have good tires”
Step 4: Use “with/without” in front of the noun/noun phrase where it is suitable.
1. with new wheels and tires (affirmative)
2. without good tires (negative)
Reduced Sentences:
1. The man likes bikes with new wheels and tires.
2. He puts new tires on bikes without good tires.
VI. Reduced relative clauses in the form of infinitive phrases:
This form of reduced relative clause is very familiar to learners due to its
frequent appearance, however, mistakes are unavoidable because they fail to recognize
the major factors related to and only applicable to this form.
Relative clauses can be changed to infinitive phrases when they follow the
antecedents with ordinal numbers, the phrase “the only”, or the superlative.
An infinitive phrase can be a reduction of a relative clause when this clause
express necessity/duties/ purposes/ permission. In this case, the main clause has the
verb “have” and the relative clause contains modal verbs such as can, could, must,
have to,…; or the sentence usually starts with “Here + be”/ “There + be”.
A reduced relative clause can be in the form of either active or passive infinitive
phrase, which depends on whether the form its main verb is active or passive.
1. Reduced relative clauses in the form of active infinitive phrases:
…the first/ last/ only/ most/…+ N + who/which/that + V(active)+ …

= …the first/ last/ only/ most/…+ N + (for + O) + to Vinf + …
Practical steps of reduction:
Step 1: Identify the relative clause starting with “who/which/that”, with its main verb
in the active form, and either its antecedent standing after the ordinal number/
“the only”/ the superlative, or it expresses necessity/ duties/ purposes
/permission.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun “who/which/that”, the subject, and the modal
verb (if there is a modal verb).
If there is a preposition before the relative pronoun, move it to the end of the
relative clause before omitting the relative pronoun.
Step 3: Change the form of the main verb in the relative clause to “to Vinf”, then add
the phrase “for + O” in front of “to Vinf” if the subject of the main clause and
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that of the relative clause are not the same. The object following “for” comes
from the subject omitted with the modal verb of the relative clause.
Ex: Full Sentences:
1. Jimmy is the youngest person who takes part in the marathon.
2. They need a large yard in which they can dry rice.
3. Here are some accounts that you must check.
Step 1: The relative clause is:
1. “who takes part in…”, standing after its antecedent with the superlative.
2. “in which they can dry rice”, expressing necessity, the relative pronoun stands

after a preposition.
3. “that you must check”, expressing a duty.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun, the subject, and the modal verb; and move the
preposition to the end of the relative clause if necessary:
1. “who takes part in the marathon”
2. “which they can dry rice in”
3. “that you must check”
Step 3: Change the form of the main verb in the relative to “to Vinf”, put the phrase
“for + O” in front of “to Vinf” if necessary:
1. “ to take part in…”
2. “ to dry rice in”
3. “for you to check”
Reduced Sentences: 1. Jimmy is the youngest person to take part in the marathon.
2. They need a large yard to dry rice in.
3. Here are some accounts for you to check.
2. Reduced relative clauses in the form of passive infinitive phrases:
…the first/ last/ only/ most/…+ N + who/which/that + V(passive)+ …
= …the first/ last/ only/ most/…+ N + to be Vpp + …
Practical steps of reduction:
Step 1: Identify the relative clause starting with “who/which/that”, with its main verb
in the passive form, and either its antecedent standing after the ordinal
number/ “the only”/the superlative, or it expresses necessity/ duties/
purposes/ permission.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun “who/which/that” from the relative clause.
Step 3: Change the form of the passive verb in the relative clause to “to be Vpp”, then
put the rest part of the relative after “to be Vpp”.
Ex:
Full Sentence:
That tree was the only one which was blown down in the storm last night.
Step 1: The relative clause is “which was blown down in the storm last night”,

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standing after its antecedent with the phrase “the only”.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun-“which was blown down in the storm…”
Step 3: Change the form of the passive verb in the relative to “to be Vpp”:
“ to be blown down in the storm last night”
Reduced Sentence:
That tree was the only one to be blown down in the storm last night.
VII. Reduced relative clauses in the form of present participle phrases:
A relative clause with the active form of the main verb can be reduced to a
present participle phrase in cases that follow:
- its main verb is in a progressive tense.
- its main verb expresses a permanent situation, long action or frequent event.
- its main verb expresses a wish/ hope/desire…
… who/which/that + V(active) +… = …V-ing Phr…
Practical steps of reduction:
Step 1: Identify the relative clause starting with a relative pronoun “who/which/that”
and containing an active verb in the cases mentioned above.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun “who/which/that” from the relative clause.
Step 3: Change the verb form of the relative clause to “Ving”. If the verb is in a
progressive tense, only omit the be verb from its form. If the verb is in another
tense, change its form to its infinitive form, then add “ing” to form “Ving”
Ex: Full Sentence:

1. The student who is singing on the stage comes from my school.
2. We stood on the bridge which connected the two halves of the city.
3. Minh, who wants to get a pay rise, is trying his best to work.
Step 1: The relative clause with an active verb is:
1. “who is singing on the stage”.
(present progressive)
2. “which connected the two halves of the city”. (permanent situation)
3. “who wants to get a pay rise”.
(wish)
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun:
1. “who is singing on the stage”.
2. “which connected the two halves …”.
3. “who wants to get a pay rise”.
Step 3: Change the verb form of the relative clause to “Ving”.
1. “singing on the stage”.
2. “connecting the two halves of the city”.
3. “wanting to get a pay rise”.
Reduced Sentence: 1. The student singing on the stage comes from my school.
2. We stood on the bridge connecting the two halves of the city.
3. Minh, wanting to get a pay rise, is trying his best to work.
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Note: A present participle phrase cannot be used to replace a relative clause expressing

a single completed past action. In this case, it is better to keep the full relative clause.
Ex: Full Sentence:
The police wanted to interview the people who saw the accident.
The Reduced Sentence that follows is not correct.
The police wanted to interview the people seeing the accident.
VIII. Reduced relative clauses in the form of past participle phrases:
A relative clause with the passive form of the main verb can be reduced to a past
participle phrase.
… who/which/that + V(passive) +… = …Vpp Phr…
Practical steps of reduction:
Step 1: Identify the relative clause starting with a relative pronoun “who/which/that”
and containing a passive verb.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun “who/which/that” from the relative clause.
Step 3: Change the verb form of the relative clause to “Vpp” by omitting the verb
“be” and other auxiliary verbs that the relative clause may have.
Ex: Full Sentence:
Two boy who was attacked by a dog was taken to hospital.
Step 1: The relative clause with an active verb is “who was attacked by a dog”.
Step 2: Leave out the relative pronoun-“who was attacked by a dog”.
Step 3: Change the verb form of the relative clause to “Vpp” by omitting the verb “be”
- “was attacked”.
Reduced Sentence: Two boy attacked by a dog was taken to hospital.
In general, it is rather easy for students to practise doing exercises required to
apply a certain form of the relative clause reduction. However, mixed exercises related
to all the relative clause reduction forms are really a big challenge to them. It is
advisable that students should try to recognize the distinctive features of each form
because these important determinants will help them choose a suitable way to reduce a
relative clause.
C. Common Types of Applied Exercises:
To help students systematically consolidate and memorize the knowledge of the

above forms of reduced relative clauses, practising with different types of applied
exercises would probably be one of the best ways. The exercises designed on various
levels will encourage students gradually to overcome the challenge facing them. Below
are samples of types of applied exercises.
Solving exercises and questions related to each certain form of reduced relative
clauses may not be a very complicated task, however, mixed ones can hardly be easy
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for students to get right answers. To deal with these complex exercises effectively,
they should find out the relative clause in each sentence first, then identify what type of
relative clause it is and what significant feature(s) it has to select to apply a suitable
form of reduced relative clauses mentioned in Part B.
I. Applied exercises following a certain form of reduced relative clauses.
Exercise 1: Reduce the following sentences to nouns or noun phrases.
1. Hanoi, which is the capital of Vietnam, is a major trade center in the country.
2. I read a book by Mark Twain, who is a famous American author.
3. The pyramids, which were the monumental tombs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs,
were constructed more than 4,000 years ago.
Exercise 2: Reduce the following sentences to preposition phrases.
1. My office, which is on the second floor of the building, is very small.
2. The path that is at the end of the street leads to the river.
3. The people who were in the botanical garden had much pleasure.
Exercise 3: Reduce the following sentences to adjectives or adjective phrases.

1. My teacher of Literature, who is clever, has a sharp tongue.
2. Fruit that is fresh tastes better than old, soft, mushy fruit.
3. The manager wants to see the architect who is responsible for the project.
Exercise 4: Reduce the following sentences to compound adjective phrases.
1. The students have four short breaks which last 5 minutes.
2. Have you ever seen a dog which has six legs?
3. The Soviet cosmonaut who was 27 years old was the first human in space in 1961.
Exercise 5: Reduce the following sentences to paraphrases.
1. I like the people who have a great sense of humor.
2. His wife did not want to live in a house which did not have a private reading room.
3. We all praised the collection which has a variety of old stamps.
Exercise 6: Reduce the following sentences to infinitive phrases.
1. We had a river in which we could swim.
2. This is the best book which you can read on the long flight.
(Grade 11 Examination of Quality Survey, Mai Anh Tuan High School, school-year 2015-2016)

3. I was the only one who realized him.
Exercise 7: Reduce the following sentences to present participle phrases.
1. They called a lawyer who lived nearby.
2. The man that is wearing a blue jumper is in the garden.
3. The woman who wants coffee is over there.
Exercise 8: Reduce the following sentences to past participle phrases.
1. We live in a house which was built by my grandfather.
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Mai Anh Tuan High School

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2. The money that was found in the street has been given to charity.
3. The robber who was seen by David ran away.
II. Mixed exercises following all the reduced relative clause forms.
Exercise 9: Reduce the following sentences to phrases.
1. I really loved the flowers which were grown in London.
2. The man who had one eye looked at the children angrily.
3. He is the only man who can solve this problem.
4. Mr. Jackson, who is a professor, is travelling in the Mideast this year.
Exercise 10: Write sentences with full relative clauses using the words/phrases
given. Then reduce the relative clauses to phrases.
1. My/radio/very old/recently/stop/work.
2. The clothes/be/leave/behind/be/at/ reception desk.
3. Brighton/be/on/south coast/be/popular/holiday/resort.
4. I/not/like/people/not/have/sense/responsibility.
Exercise 11: Reorder the words/phrases given to make sentences with full relative
clauses. Then reduce the relative clauses to phrases.
1. Dr. Stanton/,/the university/will come/the president/of/soon/is/here/,/who.
2. The/finishes/person/first/be/will/winner/the/who.
3. Sue/the/at/stayed/hotel/had/which/swimming/pools/two.
4. They/house/the/in/that/was/lived/in/built/1995.
Exercise 12: Choose the best sentence that is made from these given words.
1. bridge/build/50 years ago/collapse/last storm/./
A. The bridge built 50 years ago was collapsed in the last storm.
B. The bridge which built 50 years ago was collapsed in the last storm.
C. The bridge built 50 years ago has collapsed in the last storm.
D. The bridge built 50 years ago collapsed in the last storm.
(Trial Examination of English, Phan Chau Trinh High School, Da Nang, 2012)

2. Thermometer/something/measure/temperature/./
A. The thermometer is something that it measures temperature.
B. The thermometer is something used for measuring temperature.
C. The thermometer is something in which is used for measuring temperature.
D. The thermometer is something can be used for measuring temperature.
(Trial Examination of English, Thang Long Cultural Center, Hanoi, 2012)

3. Number/factor/relate/voice/reveal/personality/speaker/./
A. A number of factors that related to the voice revealed the personality of the speaker.
B. The number of factors related to the voice revealed the personality of the speaker.
C. A number of factors related to the voice reveal the personality of the speaker.
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Mai Anh Tuan High School

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D. A number of factors relating to the voice revealed the personality of the speaker.
(Trial Examination of English, Le Quy Don, Quang Tri, 2013)

Exercise 13: Make one sentence with a reduced relative clause from two sentences
given.
1. I didn’t talk to the man. The man was sitting next to me on the plane.
2. There are some words. These words are very difficult for us to translate.
3. Art Golding was a famous actor. He played the ship’s captain in “Iceberg”.
4. The book has just been published. It has 500 pages.
Exercise 14: Decide which can be reduced, then reduce them.

1. The company sent me a brochure which contained all the information I needed.
2. This is Mr. Carter, about whom I have told you.
3. The window which was broken in the storm last night has been repaired.
4. The accident in which nobody was injured was not very serious.
Exercise 15: Complete the sentences in PART II with reduced relative clauses by
using the information in PART I. Use commas if necessary.
(Practical English Usage, Michael Swan)

PART I:

1. It had a green cover. 2. He designs houses, buildings or bridges.
3. They are made in China.
4. It is the highest mountain in the world.
PART II: 1. Mt. Everest _____________________________ is in Himalayas.
2. Helen picked up the book _____________________________.
3. We don’t sell any goods_____________________________.
4. An architect is a person_____________________________.
Exercise 16: The following passage contains 10 unnecessary words. Find and write
down the words. (From English Examination for Grade 12 Gifted Students,
Thanh Hoa province, 2015-2016)

As you will see from my curriculum vitae, I have attended university, where I
studied English and Law. After finishing my course, I took a job in a travel agency in
Paris and now I organise few hours for people who wanting to go to Australia and the
United States. Although I enjoyed this very much, I feel I need to get more experience
and it would seems to me that working as a specialized tour guide in England would
help me for do that. I would rather work in an English-speaking country, as I need to
practise much conversation classes and at first I thought that I would find them
difficult. However, they turned out to be very enjoyable. I will have no any difficulty in
coming to England for an interview if you will let me know in plenty of the time. I

enclose details of my present employer who will be too pleased to send you a reference.
Exercise 17: Identify one error in each of the following sentences, and correct it.
1. My favourite teacher, was Ms. July, was always willing to help me after class.
2. It is important to be polite to people live in the same building.
3. Lady Astor was the first woman taking her seat in Parliament.
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Mai Anh Tuan High School

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4. Natural resources provide the raw material are needed to produce finished goods.
Exercise 18: Choose one underlined part that needs correcting.
1. I went to a reunion (A) for students educating (B) in the physics (C) department
during (D) the 1980s.(English 11 Exercises, Mai Lan Huong)
2. The 14th Asian (A) Games, holding (B) in Korea in 2002 (C), attracted (D) many
participants. (Grade 11 Examination of Quality Survey, Mai Anh Tuan High School, 2015-2016)
3. The stadium (A) is (B) in bad (C) condition needs to be (D) upgraded.
4. The first recorded (A) use of natural gas lighting (B) street lamps was (C) in the (D)
of Frederick, New York, in 1825. (Grade 12 Trial Test, Thang Long Cultural Centre, Hanoi
2013)

Exercise 19: Complete each sentence with a suitable word or phrase in the box.
arrested

the nearest planet

a glove maker

wanting

1. Mercury, _____ to the Sun, is also the smallest of the nine planets orbiting the Sun.
2. Any student not _______to go on the trip should inform the office.
3. Two-thirds of those _______ for car theft are under twenty years of age.
4. William Shakespeare’s father,_______, owned a shop in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Exercise 20: Complete each sentence with a suitable form of the word in the box.
interest

speak

teach

grow

1. Rice_____ in many countries is staple food throughout much of the world.
2. Did you met anyone _______at the party last night?
3. Professor Wilson, an excellent __, does volunteer work at the hospital for children.
4. Andrew,_______ Russian, applied for the job.
Exercise 21: Choose the best option to complete each sentence below.
1. ______ for their strong fiber include flax and hemp.
A. Plants are grown B. Plants grown C. Plants that grown D. To grow plants
(English Examination for Grade 12 Gifted Students, Thanh Hoa Province, 2015-2016)

2. Neil Armstrong was the first astronaut _____ onto the moon.
A. to step
B. stepping
C. stepped

D. steps

(Grade 11 Trial Test, Mai Anh Tuan High School, school-year 2015-2016)

3. They are going to make ______ excursion next month.
A. a two-weeks
B. two-weeks
C. two weeks’

D. a two-week

(English Examination for Grade 10 Gifted Students, Mai Anh Tuan High School, 2015-2016)

4. The man ______ the bank is a millionaire. (Textbook, English 11)
A. is entering
B. entering
C. to be entered D. to enter
Exercise 22: Choose the sentence which is closest in meaning to the printed one(s).
1. Einstein, who failed his university entrance exam, discovered relativity.
A. Einstein, failed his university entrance exam, discovered relativity.
B. Einstein, that failed his university entrance exam, discovered relativity.
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Mai Anh Tuan High School

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School-year: 2015-2016
C. Einstein, failing his university entrance exam, discovered relativity.
D. Einstein, his university entrance exam, discovered relativity.
2. We all praised the cake which was baked by my mother.
A. We all praised the cake that was baked by my mother.
B. We all praised the cake was baked by my mother.
C. We all praised the cake baked by my mother.
D. Both A and C are correct.
3. David was the first student who came to class yesterday.
A. David was the first student came to class yesterday.
B. David was the first student coming to class yesterday.
C. David was the first student to come to class yesterday.
D. David was the first student to class yesterday.
4. He read The Old Man and the Sea, which is a novel written by Ernest Hemingway.
A. He read The Old Man and the Sea, a novel written by Ernest Hemingway.
B. He read The Old Man and the Sea, is a novel written by Ernest Hemingway.
C. He read The Old Man and the Sea that is a novel written by Ernest Hemingway.
D. He read The Old Man and the Sea, it is a novel written by Ernest Hemingway.
5. My grandparents’ lake house was built in 1953. It was completely destroyed by the
forest fire.
A. My grandparents’ lake house was built in 1953 and completely destroyed by the
forest fire.
B. My grandparents’ lake house, built in 1953, was completely destroyed by the forest
fire.
C. My grandparents’ lake house was built in 1953, so it was completely destroyed by
the forest fire.
D. The forest fire destroyed my grandparents’ lake house was built in 1953.
Exercise 23: Write a new sentence with a full relative clause from each sentence
with a reduced relative clause below. (inspired from the book “Ôn tập và bồi
dưỡng học sinh giỏi trung học phổ thông môn Tiếng Anh” by Le Van Canh-Nguyen Quoc Tuan)

1. The people in this village are very poor.
2. My aunt, a widow, loves to play badminton.
3. The nurses working in this hospital are very kind.
4. The wind, blowing strongly a minute ago, has died down.
Exercise 24: Rewrite each of the following sentences in such a way that it means the
same as the sentence printed before it, using the word(s) given.
1. A big red car was parked outside the house.
(parked)
 There was_________________________________________________.
2. I play with the children who often swim in the river near my house. (swimming)
 I play ____________________________________________________.
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Mai Anh Tuan High School

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3. John’s flat, in the same block as mine, is much larger.
(which)
 John’s flat _________________________________________________.
4. We were taking the first train to London that left at 6.00.
(to leave)
 We were __________________________________________________.
Exercise 25: Talk or write about a certain topic, trying to use as many relative
clauses or phrases as possible.
1. Write about your collection of books/stamps. (based on the topic of unit 13- English 11)

2. Many species are in danger. What should be done to protect them?
(based on the topic of unit 10- English 12)

3. Write about a sport that you like most. (based on the topic of unit 12- English 12)
4. In about 140 words, write a paragraph about the benefits of reading books.
The following prompts might be helpful to you:
- Widening knowledge, - Improving language, - Relaxing
(National General Certificate of Secondary Education Examination of English, 2015)

In the teaching process, to warm up the learning atmosphere and to avoid the
students feeling that lessons are too difficult and complicated, types of the abovementioned exercises are designed in the form of games such as Lucky Numbers, Who
will be the Millionaire?, Role-plays, Picture-description, Head and Tail,…. Thus, the
students seem to learn the lessons at their ease, and acquire knowledge better.

PART III: CONCLUSION
I. Study results:
In my English teaching process at Mai Anh Tuan High School, I have gradually
provided the students a system of knowledge of English and useful suggestions for
practice that step by step help them get familiar with and consolidate the theory of the
relative reduction as well as improve their practical skills. Various goals have been set
for different students based on their own levels of English. After applying the method
to English teaching for some time, I notice that most of the students have had a
thorough grasp of basic knowledge and certain skills to solve problems related to the
reduction of relative clauses. However, it is quite difficult for weak students to
understand and to apply these skills in practice because to practise well with these
skills, the students must have a wide range of knowledge covering various contents in
English. Thus, through my lessons, I constantly help the students revise and
consolidate the knowledge that they have learnt and improve their practical skills.
Below are some achieved results of the study after being applied to English
teaching and revision in classes 12D and 12K at Mai Anh Tuan High School in the

school-year 2015-2016. These results are based on the 10 question tests related to
typical forms of relative clauses at different levels of difficulty the students did at
different points in time during this school year.
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Mai Anh Tuan High School

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Teaching Experience Initiative
School-year: 2015-2016
1. Test results at the beginning of the school-year 2015-2016:
(before applying the initiative)
Class

No. of
student
s

Number of correct answers to questions related to
the reduced relative clause forms-(%)
0

1-2

3-4

5-6

7-8

9-10

12D

40

6
(15%)

11
(27.5%)

11
(27.5%)

10
(25%)

2
(5%)

0
(0%)

12K

46

5
(10.9%)

15
(32.6%)

12
(26.1%)

11
(23.9%)

3
(6.5%)

0
(0%)

2. Test results at the end of the 1st semester of the school-year 2015-2016:
(after applying the initiative for a semester)
Class

No. of
student
s

Number of correct answers to questions related to
the reduced relative clause forms-(%)
0

1-2

3-4

5-6

7-8

9-10

12D

40

2
(5%)

9
(22.5%)

13
(32.5%)

12
(30%)

4
(10%)

0

(0%)

12K

46

1
(2.2%)

11
(23.9%)

13
(28.3%)

15
(32.6%)

6
(13%)

0
(0%)

3. Test results in the middle of the 2nd semester of the school-year 2015-2016
(after applying the initiative for a semester and a half)
Clas
s

No. of

student
s

Number of correct answers to questions related to
the reduced relative clause forms-(%)
0

1-2

3-4

5-6

7-8

9-10

12D

40

1
(2.5%)

5
(12.5%)

12
(30%)

16
(40%)

5
(12.5%)

1
(2.5%)

12K

46

0
(0%)

7
(15.2%)

15
(32.6%)

16
(34.8%)

7
(15.2%)

1
(2.2%)

4. Test results at the end of the 2nd semester of the school-year 2015-2016:
(after applying the initiative for the whole school-year)
Clas
s

No. of
student
s

Le Thi Lan Anh

Number of correct answers to questions related to
the reduced relative clause forms-(%)
0

1-2

3-4

5-6

Mai Anh Tuan High School

7-8

9-10
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Teaching Experience Initiative
12D
40
0
2
(0%)
(5%)
12K

46

0
(0%)

2
(4.3%)

11
(27.5%)

School-year: 2015-2016
17
7
3
(42.5%)
(17.5%)
(7.5%)

11
(23.9%)

18
(39.1%)

10
(21.7%)

5
(10.9%)

The results mentioned above have indicated that the number of students who
have had more correct answers to questions related to the reduced relative clause forms
has been gradually increasing through time and the number of students who have had a
few correct answers has been declining. Although the initial results seem not to be very
impressive, I would like to share this teaching experience initiative in the hope that it
could help contribute a little to improving the quality of teaching English at the upper
secondary education. Moreover, I do wish that the study would be of some value to
both teachers and students in their English teaching and learning process.
II. Suggestions:
Obviously, the study still has certain limitations. Thus, it would be my pleasure
to get as many pieces of contributive advice or suggestions as possible to better and
help it become more productive in the English teaching and learning process at high
schools in the future.
I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for all the constructive ideas!
Thanh Hoa, June 10th 2016.
The author

Le Thi Lan Anh

Le Thi Lan Anh

Mai Anh Tuan High School

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Teaching Experience Initiative

School-year: 2015-2016

APPENDICES
I. SUGGESTED ANSWERS
Exercise 1: 1. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is a major trade center in the country.
2. I read a book by Mark Twain, a famous American author.
3. The pyramids, the monumental tombs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs, were…
Exercise 2: 1. My office, on the second floor of the building, is very small.
2. The path at the end of the street leads to the river.
3. The people in the botanical garden had much pleasure.
Exercise 3: 1. My clever teacher of Literature has a sharp tongue.
2. Fresh fruit tastes better than old, soft, mushy fruit.
3. The manager wants to see the architect responsible for the project.
Exercise 4: 1. The students have four 5-minute short breaks.
2. Have you ever seen a six-leg dog?
3. The 27-year-old Soviet cosmonaut was the first human in space in 1961.
Exercise 5: 1. I like the people with a great sense of humor.
2. His wife did not want to live in a house without a private reading room.
3. We all praised the collection with a variety of old stamps.
Exercise 6: 1. We had a river to swim.
2. This is the best book (for you) to read on the long flight.
3. I was the only one to realize him.

Exercise 7: 1. They called a lawyer living nearby.
2. The man wearing a blue jumper is in the garden.
3. The woman wanting coffee is over there.
Exercise 8: 1. We live in a house built by my grandfather.
2. The money found in the street has been given to charity.
3. The robber seen by David ran away.
Exercise 9: 1. I really loved the flowers grown in London.
2. The one-eye man looked at the children angrily.
3. He is the only man to solve this problem.
4. Mr. Jackson, a professor, is travelling in the Mideast this year.
Exercise 10: 1. My radio, which is very old, has recently stopped working.
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 My very old radio has recently stopped working.
2. The clothes which were left behind are at the reception desk.
 The clothes left behind are at the reception desk.
3. Brighton, which is on the south coast, is a popular holiday resort.
 Brighton, on the south coast, is a popular holiday resort.
4. I do not like people who do not have a good sense of responsibility.
 I do not like people without a good sense of responsibility.
Exercise 11: 1. Dr. Stanton, who is the president of the university, will come here….
 Dr. Stanton, the president of the university, will come here soon.
2. The person who finishes first will be the winner.

 The person finishing first will be the winner.
3. Sue stayed at the hotel which had two swimming pools.
 Sue stayed at the hotel with two swimming pools.
4. They lived in the house that was built in1995.
 They lived in the house built in1995.
Exercise 12: 1. D 2. B 3. C
Exercise 13: 1. I didn’t talk to the man sitting next to me on the plane.
2. There are some words very difficult for us to translate.
3. Art Golding, a famous actor, played the ship’s captain in “Iceberg”.
4. The 500-page book has just been published.
Exercise 14: 1. The company sent me a brochure containing all the information….
3. The window broken in the storm last night has been repaired.
Exercise 15: 1. Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is in Himalayas.
2. Helen picked up the book with a green cover.
3. We don’t sell any goods made in China.
4. An architect is a person designing houses, buildings or bridges.
Exercise 16:
1. few (s2) 2. who (s2) 3. would (s3) 4. for (s3) 5. it(s5)
6. much(s6) 7. any (s8) 8. will (s8)
9. the (s8) 10. too (s9)
Exercise 17:
1. was Ms. July  (who was) Ms. July 2. live  living
3. taking  to take/ who took
4. are needed  needed
Exercise 18:
1. B 2. B 3. B 4. B
Exercise 19:
1. the nearest planet
2. wanting 3. arrested 4. a glove maker
Exercise 20:

1. grown
2. interesting
3. teacher 4. speaking
Exercise 21:.
1. B 2. A 3. D 4. B
Exercise 22:
1. C 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. B
Exercise 23:
1. The people who/that are in this village are very poor.
2. My aunt, who is a widow, loves to play badminton.
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Mai Anh Tuan High School

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3. The nurses who/that work in this hospital are very kind.
4. The wind, which was blowing strongly a minute ago, has died down.
Exercise 24: 1. There was a big red car parked outside the house.
2. I play with the children often swimming in the river near my house.
3. John’s flat, which is in the same block as mine, is much larger.
4. We were taking the first train to London to leave at 6.00.
Exercise 25:
Sample writing for topic 3. Write about a sport that you like most.
Of all the sports that have ever appeared in the world, football, the most
popular sport throughout the globe, may be the one I like most. Football, whose
equipment is a leather ball, is frequently played at a football field, a playground or a

stadium. There are two teams taking part in a match, with eleven players and a
goalkeeper in each team. Like water polo, the game begins with the ball in the centre
of the football field and both teams sprint for it from their own goal lines. The goalie,
taking the main responsibility for protecting their team’s goal, is the only to hold the
ball with both hands. The other players have to attack their opponent’s goal and make
as many scores as possible. They are also sportsmen trying to interfere with the rival’s
movements and helping their goalkeeper to keep their goal safe…

II. QUESTIONNAIRES (for tests)
TEST 1
Rewrite each sentence below, using a suitable form of reduced relative clauses.
1. Some people who live in Hong Kong earn a lot of money.
2. Football, which is a very popular sport, is really good for health.
3. David was the last student that arrived at the meeting.
4. We have some pictures books that children can read.
5. The girl who is ten years old is my daughter.
6. The first candidate that was interviewed was James.
7. There must be something that is wrong in this case.
8. The shop which is beside the bank sells ladies’ shoes.
9. The man who is standing in front of the post office is my brother.
10. I like books that were written by Nguyen Du.
Suggested Answers
1. Some people living in Hong Kong earn a lot of money.
2. Football, a very popular sport, is really good for health.
3. David was the last student to arrive at the meeting.
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Teaching Experience Initiative
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4. We have some pictures books for children to read.
5. The ten-year-old girl is my daughter.
6. The first candidate to be interviewed was James.
7. There must be something wrong in this case.
8. The shop beside the bank sells ladies’ shoes.
9. The man standing in front of the post office is my brother.
10. I like books written by Nguyen Du.
TEST 2
Rewrite each sentence below, using a suitable form of reduced relative clauses.
1. A person who serves in a shop is called a shop assistant.
2. John, who is my close friend, has gone abroad for further study.
3. She is the only woman who was appointed to the board.
4. Be sure to follow the instructions that are given at the top of the page.
5. Tom is looking at the picture which is beautiful.
6. The most interesting person that they could see was a gentleman.
7. He was the first man that escaped from the burning building.
8. They had lunch at the café which is opposite our office.
9. Where can I catch the bus that goes downtown?
10. Her family has a car which has four seats.
Suggested Answers
1. A person serving in a shop is called a shop assistant.
2. John, my close friend, has gone abroad for further study.
3. She is the only woman to be appointed to the board.
4. Be sure to follow the instructions given at the top of the page.
5. Tom is looking at the beautiful picture.
6. The most interesting person for them to see was a gentleman.

7. He was the first man to escape from the burning building.
8. They had lunch at the café opposite our office.
9. Where can I catch the bus going downtown?
10. Her family has a four-seat car.
TEST 3
Rewrite each sentence below, using a suitable form of reduced relative clauses.
1. He is talking to the lady who is in the red dress over there.
2. Do you know a nearby restaurant that has good food?
3. I have a class which begins at 8 a.m.
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Mai Anh Tuan High School

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4. Did you meet anyone that was interesting at the party last night?
5. The mistakes that you have to correct are very important.
6. Michael was the only one who realized me.
7. This is the bank which is robbed yesterday.
8. I was the last person that was chosen to participate in the workshop.
9. This year, you will have a holiday that lasts two months.
10. Linda’s grandfather, who is sick, has a very strong will.
Suggested Answers
1. He is talking to the lady in the red dress over there.
2. Do you know a nearby restaurant with good food?
3. I have a class beginning at 8 a.m.
4. Did you meet anyone interesting at the party last night?

5. The mistakes for you to correct are very important.
6. Michael was the only one to realize me.
7. This is the bank robbed yesterday.
8. I was the last person to be chosen to participate in the workshop.
9. This year, you will have a two-month holiday.
10. Linda’s sick grandfather has a very strong will.
TEST 4
Rewrite each sentence below, using a suitable form of reduced relative clauses.
1. Have you ever seen a cow which has six legs?
2. Arizona, which was once thought to be a useless desert, is a rapidly growing area.
3. The last photographs which were published in the newspaper were extraordinary.
4. Not all artists who are famous have spent years studying.
5. Animals that are born in a zoo generally adjust to captivity better than those that are
captured in the wild.
6. The floor is dusty but I haven’t got a brush with which I can sweep it.
7. Never put your faith in a person who does not have any constancy.
8. Mary, who is responsible for the company’s development, has managed it very well.
9. There are many exercises that have to be finished before school.
10. I was awaken by the laughter which came from the room next to mine at the motel.
Suggested Answers
1. Have you ever seen a six-leg cow?
2. Arizona, once thought to be a useless desert, is a rapidly growing area.
3. The last photographs to be published in the newspaper were extraordinary.
Le Thi Lan Anh

Mai Anh Tuan High School

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