Lesson 7: Relative Clauses — The City Where I Grew Up (B2)
B2⏱ 5 min
Relative Clauses: The City Where I Grew Up
By Sourov Deb — Cambridge CELTA course completed — 120 supervised teaching hours and four written assignments validated to the required standard.
“Chittagong is the city where I was born. Sydney is the place where I reinvented myself.
La Réunion is the island where my daughter took her first breath.”
Each city shaped me — and relative clauses are how I talk about them.
La Réunion is the island where my daughter took her first breath.”
Each city shaped me — and relative clauses are how I talk about them.
🎯 Aim: Use defining and non-defining relative clauses with who, which, where, that to describe people and places.
What is a relative clause?
A relative clause gives extra information about a noun. It follows the noun and usually starts with a relative pronoun.
| Pronoun | Refers to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people | The teacher who helped me most was patient. |
| which | things | The book which I read changed my life. |
| where | places | Chittagong is the city where I grew up. |
| that | people/things | The friend that I called lives in Sydney. |
Defining vs Non-Defining
Defining — essential information, no commas:
The city where I was born is in Bangladesh. (tells us which city)
The city where I was born is in Bangladesh. (tells us which city)
Non-defining — extra information, use commas:
Chittagong, which is in Bangladesh, has a population of over 8 million.
More Examples
- Sydney is the place where I first felt free.
- La Réunion is an island that belongs to France.
- My daughter, who was born in La Réunion, speaks French and English.
- The café where we met is on the Champs-Élysées.
- That is the teacher whose feedback shaped my teaching style.
Practice Task
Fill in the gap with the correct relative pronoun: who / which / where / that / whose
- Dhaka is the city _____ I finished my university degree.
- She is the student _____ work impressed me the most.
- This is the café _____ serves the best coffee in town.
- The visa _____ I applied for took three months.
- He is the colleague _____ helped me find a flat in Paris.
Show Answers
- where
- whose
- that / which
- that / which
- who
💡 Takeaway: Use where for places, who for people, which/that for things. Add commas only for non-defining clauses.
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