Cláusulas y Pronombres Relativos en Inglés

Curso de Inglés Intermedio B1: Pronombres y Cláusulas Relativas

Contenido del curso

Introduction

1
Cláusulas y Pronombres Relativos en Inglés Intermedio
02:34 min

Relative pronouns and clauses

Essential vocabulary

Real and hypothetical situations

Using "to" and "for"

More ways to communicate in the past

Conclusions

27
Resumen de Cláusulas y Pronombres Relativos en Inglés
01:35 min

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Cláusulas y Pronombres Relativos en Inglés

Curso de Inglés Intermedio B1: Pronombres y Cláusulas Relativas

Clase 3 de 27

Clase 3 / 27

Recursos

Understanding how sentences connect and expand is one of the most powerful skills you can develop in English. Relative clauses and relative pronouns allow you to combine ideas, sound more natural, and build more sophisticated sentences. Before getting into those concepts, though, it is essential to understand what a clause actually is and why not all clauses work the same way.

What is a clause and why does it matter?

A clause is a grammatical unit that contains two essential elements: a subject (someone or something doing the action) and a verb (the action itself) [0:30]. If you have those two pieces, you have a clause. However, not every clause carries the same weight in a sentence.

Consider these two examples:

You can play video games.
After you finish your homework.

The first one makes complete sense on its own. The second one feels incomplete — something is missing [1:15]. This difference is what separates the two main types of clauses in English.

What is the difference between dependent and independent clauses?

An independent clause is a clause that makes sense by itself. It expresses a complete idea and can stand alone as a sentence [2:05]. For example: You can play video games. That idea needs nothing else.

A dependent clause, on the other hand, requires additional information to make sense. After you finish your homework leaves you wondering: what happens after that? You need to attach it to an independent clause, such as: You can play with your friends after you finish your homework [2:30].

One important distinction to remember: independent clauses can also be called sentences, but dependent clauses cannot be considered sentences on their own [3:00].

How do you combine two independent clauses?

Imagine you have two complete ideas:

John is an English teacher.
He works at Platzi.

Both are independent clauses — they make perfect sense separately [3:30]. But when you want to combine them into a single, more natural sentence, you can use a relative pronoun: John is an English teacher who works at Platzi [4:05].

The word who in this sentence is the relative pronoun. It replaces the subject of the second clause ("he" or "John") so you do not have to repeat it. Because John is a person, the correct relative pronoun here is who [5:00]. Other relative pronouns exist for different situations, but who is the go-to choice when referring to people.

What is a relative clause and when do you use relative pronouns?

The second part of the combined sentence — who works at Platzi — is no longer an independent clause. It becomes a relative clause because it is connected to a relative pronoun and depends on the main clause for meaning [5:30].

Relative pronouns serve three purposes [6:00]:

Connect clauses. They join two ideas into one fluid sentence.
Give additional information. They let you expand on the subject without starting a brand-new sentence.
Replace the subject. They prevent repetition of a name or personal pronoun.

Knowing this terminology is not just academic. When you look up grammar rules in a dictionary or search engine and it tells you to use an "independent clause" after a certain structure, you will understand exactly what that means [5:50].

Can you tell if a clause is dependent or independent?

Practice is the best way to internalize these differences. Try classifying these four clauses [7:00]:

Before you go to school. — Dependent clause. It needs more context to form a complete idea.
She always eats cereal for breakfast. — Independent clause. It expresses a whole idea on its own.
If we finish on time. — Dependent clause. There is a condition that requires a result.
I can call you later. — Independent clause. No additional information is needed.

Notice a pattern: dependent clauses often begin with words like before, after, if, or when — signals that something else must follow [8:05].

The best way to strengthen this skill is to write your own examples. Create different groups of words and analyze whether they are dependent or independent. Once you can make that distinction confidently, combining ideas with relative pronouns will feel completely natural. Share your examples and practice sentences so others can learn alongside you.

Maria Alejandra Liscano

Hace 5 años

Independent clause: No need another clause to have full meaning. Dependent clause: Need more information to make sense.

We use relative pronouns when:

Connect clauses
Give additionall information.
Replace the subject

Dependent
Independent
Dependent
Independent

Link the following clauses using the corresponding relative pronoun.

She works for a businessman (the man lives in London). R= She works for a businessman who lives in London
They called a lawyer (the lawyer lived nearby). R= The called a lawyer who lived nearby
I sent an email to my dad (my dad lives in Canada). R= I sent an email to my dad who lives in Canada
The customer liked the food (the food was very tasty). R= The customer liked the which was very tasty
We broke the laptop (the laptop belonged to my mom). R= We broke the laptop which belonged to my mom
I dropped my phone (the phone was new). R= I dropped my phone which was new
She loves movies (the movies have happy endings). R= She loves movies that have happy endings
They live in a little town (the little town is in the north of Chile). They live in a little town which
The man is in the garden (the man is wearing a red hat). The man who is in the garden is wearing a red hat
The girl works in a factory (the girl is from Austria). The girl, who is from Austria, works in a factory

Obed Paz

Hace 5 años

thank you, the chart helped me a lot.

Huáscar Suárez Chávez

Hace 5 años

Thank you for the summary!

Comentarios (251)251 comentarios

Juan Jose Sepulveda Calderon

Hace 4 años

victor gfreg

Jhon Carvajal

Team Platzi

Christopher Cid beroiza

Emmanuel Chávez Mera

Hace 3 años

Reinaldo Gutierrez

Brian David Pajares Correa

Laura Chavez

Marcela Alejandra Madrid López

Braylin Alexander Jiménez Reynoso

Hace 4 meses

Wilmer Leonel Arteaga Gaitán

Hace un año

Daniel Bustamante Castaño

Hace 2 años

Diana Carina Amaya Alarcon

Santiago Salleg

silfredo mario

Kelvin Ariel Guzmán Amaya

Luis Pernillo

Hector Chaclan

Carlos Julian Penagos

Andrea Elizabeth Pereira Aguilar

Neyda Linette Márquez Navarro

Hace un mes

Marcela Yamileth Cruz Alvarez

SANDRA LILIANA GOMEZ SARMIENTO

Introduction

Cláusulas y Pronombres Relativos en Inglés Intermedio

Relative pronouns and clauses

Conceptos básicos de gramática inglesa: cláusulas y pronombres

Cláusulas y Pronombres Relativos en Inglés

Uso de Pronombres Relativos en Inglés

Uso de Cláusulas Relativas en Conversaciones en Inglés

Essential vocabulary

Uso de "Placeholders" en Conversaciones Informales

Uso de "One" y "Ones" como Propwords en Inglés

Uso de la preposición "by" en inglés: funciones y ejemplos

Cómo usar "both" y "and" en inglés para conectar elementos

Identificación y uso de "phrasal verbs" en inglés

Prefijos para Negaciones en Inglés: Uso y Ejemplos Prácticos

Verbos Causales en Inglés: Let, Make, Help y Get

Comprensión Auditiva: Conversaciones Cotidianas en Español

Práctica de conversación en inglés (contexto cotidiano)

Real and hypothetical situations

Uso de "the" con adjetivos para generalizar personas

Uso de "can" para expresar verdades generales en inglés

Uso del Segundo Condicional en Situaciones Hipotéticas

Using "to" and "for"

Objetos directos e indirectos en oraciones en inglés

Expresar propósitos en inglés: uso de "to" y "for"

Práctica de conversación en inglés (contexto profesional)

More ways to communicate in the past

Uso del Presente Perfecto Continuo en Inglés

Diferencias y usos de "until", "till" y "'til" en inglés

Permisos en el pasado con "be allowed to"

Pasado Simple Pasivo: Estructura y Ejemplos Prácticos

Intenciones Pasadas: Uso de "Was/Were Going To" en Inglés

Práctica de Escucha y Pronunciación con Historia de Jack

Conclusions

Resumen de Cláusulas y Pronombres Relativos en Inglés

Cláusulas y Pronombres Relativos en Inglés