Key learning points

1. Relative clauses add information about the noun in a main clause, without starting another sentence.
2. German uses definite articles as the relative pronouns, preceded by a comma and followed by word order 3.
3. In two-verb clauses, the finite (conjugated) verb goes to the end of the sentence.
4. Question words, such as 'wo', 'warum' and 'wann' can also be used as pronouns in relative clauses.
5. Use 'was' to mean 'that' or 'which' when referring to a whole clause, rather than to a specific noun.

Keywords

• Relative clause - adds information about the noun in the main clause

• Relative pronoun - a pronoun that introduces a relative clause, e.g., 'who', 'that', 'which'

• Definite article - the words ‘der’, ‘die’, ‘das’, meaning ‘the’

• Word order 3 (WO3) - the verb is sent to the end of the sentence or clause

Common misconception