Choose the best option to complete each sentence, then check your answers.
The newly established research institute, ___ primary objective is to study deep-sea biodiversity, has received substantial funding from international conservation groups.
The relative pronoun 'whose' indicates possession for both people and inanimate objects (the institute's primary objective). 'Which its' and 'that its' incorrectly duplicate the possessive pronoun, and non-defining relative clauses after commas cannot use 'that'.
Urban planners must address the extent ___ rapid population growth impacts local infrastructure and public transportation networks.
The noun 'extent' collocates specifically with the preposition 'to', forming 'to which' in relative clauses. Using plain 'which' leaves the required preposition missing, making the clause ungrammatical.
The government recently introduced stricter regulatory policies on industrial emissions, ___ has forced major manufacturing firms to upgrade their facilities.
A non-defining relative clause modifying an entire previous action requires 'which' following a comma. 'That' cannot be used in non-defining clauses, 'what' cannot refer to an expressed antecedent, and 'this' creates an ungrammatical comma splice.
The conference provided a rare collaborative forum ___ international economists could debate the long-term impacts of global trade tariffs.
The relative adverb 'where' (or 'in which') is required because the clause describes a situation or context in which the debate takes place. 'Which' is wrong because 'forum' is an adverbial place/setting here, not a direct object of the verb 'debate'.
The university interviewed thirty international scholarship candidates, several ___ had already published articles in peer-reviewed journals.
When expressing a subset of a human group after a quantifier like 'several', 'of whom' is required in a relative clause. 'Of them' creates an ungrammatical comma splice, and 'of which' refers only to non-human antecedents.
The archaeological team discovered an ancient burial site, the artifacts ___ were remarkably well-preserved despite centuries of exposure.
The formal structure 'the + noun + of which' indicates possession regarding non-human objects (the artifacts of the site). 'Of that' cannot follow a preposition or a comma in relative clauses.
The research team interviewed several local artisans, all of ___ had preserved traditional weaving techniques passed down through generations.
Prepositions in relative clauses referring to people require the object relative pronoun 'whom'. 'All of who' is grammatically incorrect, 'which' cannot refer to artisans, and 'them' creates a comma splice.
Sustainable agriculture encompasses various innovative techniques, the most effective ___ is precision irrigation.
Partitive relative clauses expressing a superlative selection from a non-human group use 'the most [adjective] + of which'. 'Of that' cannot be used after prepositions in relative clauses.
The coastal town constructed a state-of-the-art desalination plant, ___ generates over fifty million liters of drinking water daily.
The relative pronoun 'which' acts as the subject of the verb 'generates'. 'Where' and 'in which' are incorrect because the clause requires a subject pronoun, not a place adverbial (the plant itself does the generating).
The lead investigator questioned the senior analysts with ___ the chief financial officer had allegedly communicated prior to the audit.
When a relative pronoun immediately follows a preposition like 'with' and refers to people, standard grammar strictly requires the object form 'whom'. 'Who' and 'that' cannot directly follow a fronted preposition.
The report highlights ___ many climatologists consider to be the primary driver of rapid polar ice loss.
This sentence requires a nominal relative pronoun (a free relative clause) meaning 'the thing which', which is 'what'. 'Which' and 'that' are incorrect here because there is no explicit noun antecedent preceding the relative pronoun.
The legal framework ___ the multinational corporation operates has undergone significant reforms over the past decade.
The verb phrase 'operate under a framework' requires the fronted prepositional relative structure 'under which'. Reversing the word order to 'which under' or combining 'where under' is grammatically invalid.
The experimental treatment will continue for six weeks, ___ the clinical team will evaluate the patient's overall progress.
'At which point' is a standard connective relative phrase indicating a specific temporal landmark. 'At that time' forms an ungrammatical run-on/comma splice, and 'which point' lacks the required temporal preposition 'at'.
The criteria ___ the scholarship committee evaluates applications are published on the official university portal.
Applications are evaluated 'by' certain criteria, requiring the fronted prepositional structure 'by which'. Placing the preposition after the pronoun as in 'which by' or 'that by' violates correct standard word order.
The late twentieth century was an era ___ sudden technological advances fundamentally altered global communications.
An 'era' is a period of time, requiring 'during which' (or 'when') to introduce the relative clause. Plain 'which' is ungrammatical because 'era' is an adverbial time setting, not the direct object of 'altered'.
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Relative clauses are essential grammatical structures for candidates aiming for IELTS Band 6.5 and above. They allow you to combine ideas smoothly, add precise detail, and construct complex sentences that demonstrate advanced grammatical range and accuracy. Mastering defining and non-defining clauses—along with formal relative structures such as prepositional relative pronouns and possessive forms—is particularly crucial for achieving a high score in Task 2 Writing and Speaking Part 3.
Beyond productive skills, a solid understanding of relative clauses directly enhances your performance in IELTS Reading and Listening. Academic passages and formal audio recordings frequently feature dense relative structures to post-modify nouns and establish complex relationships between concepts. Recognizing how relative pronouns function helps you accurately track key information and avoid common misinterpretations under timed exam conditions.
This test evaluates your command of defining and non-defining relative clauses using who, which, that, whose, where, nominal relative pronouns, and prepositional structures in formal academic contexts. Work through each item carefully to test your precision and identify areas for further refinement.
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