What is a relative clause?

We use relative clauses to give extra information about something. We can get more information into a sentence without the need to start a new one.
There are two types of relative clauses: defining and non-defining:
‘Saris which are made of silk are expensive.’= defining relative clause
‘Saris, which are made of silk, are expensive.’ = non-defining relative clause
*The first sentence tells us that silk saris are expensive (we can guess there are other saris made of cheaper materials). This is a defining relative clause.
*The second sentence tells us that saris are expensive and that they are ALL made of silk. The information between the two commas ‘,which are made of silk,’is extra information and can be taken out and the sentence meaning remains the same ‘Saris are expensive’. This is a non-defining relative clause. This type of clause is common in written English. In spoken English a pause is used instead of a comma.
Relative Pronouns
In both defining and non-defining relative clauses we us the following relative pronouns:
Who= is for people: ‘The person who lives next door is a doctor.’
Whose = is used to show ownership/possession ‘The woman whose son you met.’
Whom = object pronoun, although ‘who’ can be used in informal Englsih.’I saw the man whom you saw at the party’.
Which= is used for things: ‘The car which you bought is cool.’
That = Can be used informally instead of ‘who’ and ‘which’.

Relative Adverbs
Relative adverbs are used like relative pronouns:
When = is used for a time. ‘The time when I last saw you.’
Where = is used for a place ‘The place where I used to live.’
Why = is used for a reason ‘The reason why I am late.’

Reducing Relative Clauses

If the pronoun ("that", "who", "which") is the object of the verb, it can be omitted.In defining relative clauses, when the pronouns 'that', 'who' and 'which' are the objects of the verb can be taken out and the meaning of the sentence stays the same.
Look:
'The man (that) I work with collects snakes.
''The person (who) I spoke to knows you.
''The shop (which) she likes has closed down.
'When the pronoun is the subject of the sentence it must be used:
'The shop which hired her has closed down.

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FILL IN THE GAPS WITH THE CORRESPONDING PRONOUNS:
I got married ___ I was 27.
Our love of fast cars is the reason ___ we bought a Porsche.
Sarah is the woman ___ was wearing the red dress.
The taxi ride,____ brought me here, was very cheap.
Tom, ___ girlfriend is a model, is standing over there.
My company has a cafe ___ I use at lunchtime.
A post office is a place ___ we can buy stamps.
It is my brother ___ lives in Brighton, not me.
A calculator is something ___ we use to do maths problems on.
Christmas is the time ___ people give gifts in my country.
The doctor, ___ name is Frank, is away today.

TAKEN FROM: http://learnenglish.ecenglish.com/what-a-realtive-clause#comment-517

PASSIVE VOICE.

HOW THE PASSIVE IS FORMED:

http://www.english-4u.de/passive.html

PASSIVE VOICE IN PRESENT,PAST AND FUTURE TENSES.

TAKEN FROM: http://www.english-4u.de/passive_ex3.htm

1 English ----------------(speak) all over the world. (Present tense)
2 This quarrel ---------------------(forget) in a few years' time. (Future tense)
3 My pencil case------------------------- (steal). (Present perfect)
4 We---------------------------- (never / beat) at badminton. (Present perfect)
5 This shirt----------------------- (make) in France. (Past tense)
6 The dogs----------------------------- (keep) in house. (Present tense)
7 Her new book ----------------------(publish) next month. (Future tense)
8 Milk -------------------------(use) to make butter and cheese. (Present tense)
9 They ----------------------(take) to school. (Past tense)
10 Not a sound ---------------------(hear). (Past tense)
11 Some ink------------------ (spill) on the carpet. (Present perfect)
12 The thieves----------------------------(catch) by the police. (Past tense)
13 The homework------------------------- (correct) by the teacher. (Future tense)
14 Her ring ---------------------(find) under the bed. (Past tense)
15 I -------------------------------(offer) an interesting job. (Past tense)
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Answer key:

1 English is spoken (speak) all over the world. (Present tense)2 This quarrel will be forgotten (forget) in a few years' time. (Future tense)3 My pencil case has been stolen (steal). (Present perfect)4 We have never been beaten (never / beat) at badminton. (Present perfect)5 This shirt was made (make) in France. (Past tense)6 The dogs are kept (keep) in house. (Present tense)7 Her new book will be published (publish) next month. (Future tense)8 Milk is used (use) to make butter and cheese. (Present tense)9 They were taken (take) to school. (Past tense)10 Not a sound was heard (hear). (Past tense)11 Some ink has been spilt (spill) on the carpet. (Present perfect)12 The thieves were arrested by the police. (Past tense)13 The homework will be corrected (correct) by the teacher. (Future tense)14 Her ring was found (find) under the bed. (Past tense)15 I was offered (offer) an interesting job. (Past tense)

PASSIVE AND ACTIVE EQUIVALENTS.

Notice that the tense of the verb to be in the passive voice is the same as the tense of the main verb in the active voice.

Example: to keep
EACH VERB TENSE IS FOLLOWED BY ACTIVE VOICE FORM AND THEN PASSIVE VOICE FORM.

• Simple present keep(s) - am/is/are kept
• Present continuous is keeping - am/is/are being kept
• Simple past kept - was/were kept
• Past continuous was keeping - was/were being kept
• Present perfect have kept -have/has been kept
• Past perfect had kept - had been kept
• Simple future will keep - will be kept
• Going to-future is going to keep - am/is/are going to be kept
• Modals: can keep -can be kept // should keep - should be kept //could keep - could be kept

Some example sentences with other verbs:
Active: I had told the students to study hard but...
Passive: The students had been told to study hard but...
Active: My 3rd year students have understood the passive at last!!!!!!!!
Passive: The passive has been understood by my 3rd year students at last!!!!!!!!!
Active: They are repairing the road.
Passive: The road is being repaired.
Active: Shakespeare wrote Hamlet and Macbeth.
Passive: Hamlet and Macbeth were written by Shakespeare.
Active: I was telling an interesting story to the students when someone interrupted!!
Passive: The students were being told an interesting story when someone interrupted!!
Active: Students can remember topics easily when they're relevant for them.
Passive: Topics can be easily remembered by students when they are relevant for them.

N.B. :ADAPTED FROM A WEBSITE BUT MOST EXAMPLE SENTENCES MADE BY THIS TEACHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE PASSIVE VOICE.

The relationship between the agent (the one who performs the action) and the action (verb) is called voice. English has two voices--active and passive.
In the active voice, the grammatical subject performs the action of the verb:

-Cervantes wrote Don Quixote.
In the passive voice, the grammatical subject receives the action--something is done to the grammatical subject:

-Don Quixote was written by Cervantes.

The meaning of the two sentences is the same. The difference is in emphasis or point of view. In the active sentence, the attention of the reader is focused on the agent or person who performs the action (Cervantes, in the example). The agent receives more emphasis or attention.
In the passive sentence, the attention of the reader is focused on the receiver of the action (Don Quixote, in the example).

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Formation of the Passive Voice.

The transformation of an active sentence into a passive sentence is a three-step process:

1. Move the object of the active sentence to subject position in the passive sentence.

2. Change the verb to passive form (two parts).

3. Move the subject of the active sentence to object position preceded by the preposition by (optional).

Example:
In order to change the active verb to its corresponding passive form, we need to do two things:

1. Put the verb to be in the same tense as the verb in the active sentence. In this example the verb is in the simple past, so we use the past tense of be.
2. Use the past participle of the verb in the active sentence.(=THE MAIN VERB)
The passive verb, therefore, has two parts. The verb to be indicates the tense, and the past participle indicates the action.

Only sentences containing direct objects can be made into passive sentences because the direct object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. If the sentence does not have a direct object, you cannot change it into a passive sentence.

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Examples of Passive Forms
The students write reports. Reports are written by the students.
The students wrote reports. Reports were written by the students.
The students will write reports. Reports will be written by the students.
The students are writing reports. Reports are being written by the students.
The students were writing reports. Reports were being written by the students.
The students have written reports. Reports have been written by the students.
The students had written reports. Reports had been written by the students.
The students are going to write reports. Reports are going to be written by the students.
The students can write reports. Reports can be written by the students.
The students could write reports. Reports could be written by the students.
The students should write reports. Reports should be written by the students.
The students must write reports. Reports must be written by the students.
The students may write reports. Reports may be written by the students.
The students might write reports. Reports might be written by the students.
The students have to write reports. Reports have to be written by the students.
The students ought to write reports. Reports ought to be written by the students.
The students should have written reports.Reports should have been written by the students.
The students would have written reports. Reports would have been written by the students.
The students could have written reports. Reports could have been written by the students.
The students will have written reports. Reports will have been written by the students.
The students must have written reports. Reports must have been written by the students.
The students may have written reports. Reports may have been written by the students.
The students might have written reports. Reports might have been written by the students.
The students ought to have written reports. Reports ought to have been written by the students.

NOTE: Although it is theoretically possible to use the passive voice with the perfect progressive forms, they are hardly ever used. The student is advised NOT to use the perfect progressive passive forms. They are considered to be poor style and difficult to understand.

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Omission of by.
It has been estimated that only 15 to 20 percent of passive sentences mention the agent (in a phrase with by). We do NOT normally use the by-phrase in the following cases:
1. When the agent is unknown.
*My car was stolen. ( I do not know who stole it.)
*This table was made in England. (I do not know who made it.)
2. When the agent is obvious or unimportant.
*A lot of rice is eaten in Japan. (Obviously by the Japanese.)
*Oranges are grown in California and Florida. (Obviously by orange growers.)
*An incision is made around the optic nerve and the optic nerve is released.(This example is a good illustration of using the passive to emphasize a procedure or process. It is obvious that a surgeon performs the operation. What is important here is what the surgeon must do, not the surgeon himself.)
3. When we do not want to mention the agent.
*The administration admitted that mistakes were made in its handling of the affair.(The administration does not want to blame anybody, or perhaps does not want to accept responsibility, so the by-phrase is not used.)
4. When the agent has been mentioned previously.
*Don Quixote was written by Cervantes. It was finished in 1616.(It was finished by Cervantes, who has already been mentioned.)
5. When the agent is very general.
*His writings are now widely accepted and can no longer be described as controversial.(by his readers in general)
*Antibiotics should not be considered as a replacement for aseptic procedures.(by doctors in general)
*His theories have never been refuted or even attacked.(by anyone)

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WARNING
Some sentences change meaning when transformed into the passive. Be careful with general statements such as:
*Beavers build dams.(True - This is normal activity for beavers.)
*Dams are built by beavers.(False - Humans also build dams, not only beavers.)

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Inclusion of by.
The agent with by is usually expressed
1. When the agent is new information.
*This is a true story and was told to me by my mother when I was a little boy.
*A: I really like the red paint on your car.B: Thanks. It was painted by my friend Bob.
2. When the agent is not human.
*In a shunt motor, speed is usually controlled by a rheostat connected in series with the field windings.
*Most standardized tests are corrected by a computer.
3. When the agent is well known and should be included because it is important information.
*The fountain in Lyon, located in front of Lyon's city hall, was designed by Bartholdi, the designer of the Statue of Liberty.

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Impersonal "it" with passive.

When we mention the words or thoughts of people in general, we often use an impersonal "it" structure:
It is assumed that the user is familiar with cut-and-paste techniques.
It is believed that Cervantes' life as a slave from 1575 to 1580 became the source of inspiration for some episodes in Don Quixote.
It is estimated that 90% of the visible universe is composed of hydrogen.
It is expected that the student will be able to finish all the course requirements within two years. It is known that ultraviolet radiation absorption generates free radicals in damaged cells.
It is thought that Titan, Saturn's largest moon, may possess bodies of liquid ethane.
It is understood that this application becomes a contract when signed by us.
It was agreed that students should be encouraged to buy wireless cards with any new laptops.
It was decided that applicants must be fluent in English.
It was felt that the meeting should be held in a neutral country.
In one study, it was found that spiced apple scent improved performance on a high-stress task.
It was reported that a car had been vandalized while parked in front of the police station.
It was rumored that he had fought with the French resistance during World War II.

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Stative Verbs
Stative verbs are verbs which refer to states instead of actions. Some stative verbs are not normally used in the passive. Examples are deserve, desire, fit, have, hear, lack, like, resemble, suit, etc.
*Steve has a beautiful car. (NOT A beautiful car is had by Steve.)
*He resembles his father. (NOT His father is resembled by him.)
*We lack the necessary funds. (NOT The necessary funds are lacked by us.)
Many stative verbs are used in the passive, however. These include verbs such as .admire, adore, astonish, believe, contain, detest, despise, dislike, envy, forget, hate, keep, love, prefer, etc.
*The criminal is believed to be in the area.
*He was loved by all who knew him.
*The matter was soon forgotten.

The problem for the student is that there are no exact rules that will tell him when to use or avoid stative verbs in the passive. Sometimes these verbs are only used in the passive in special way. Take the verb like, for example:
*I like mushroom pizza. (NOT Mushroom pizza is liked by me.}
*He was liked by everyone.

The best way to learn about stative verbs and the passive is by experience. Read extensively in English and notice which stative verbs are, or are not, used in the passive, as well as how and when they are used.

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By vs. With.

By is used with the agent, whereas with is usually used to refer to a tool or instrument.

He was killed by a mob/a mountain lion/a drunk driver.
He was killed with a blunt object/a rifle/a single shot.

Verbs with Direct and Indirect Object (Ditransitive Verbs)
Many verbs take an indirect and direct object. Consider a verb such as give, which has two patterns:

*My father gave me this ring.
*My father gave this ring to me.
We can make the direct object the subject of the passive sentence:

*This ring was given (to) me by my father. (with or without to)
Or we can make the indirect object the subject of the passive sentence:
*I was given this ring by my father.

TAKEN FROM: http://www.angelfire.com/wi3/englishcorner/grammar/rules/passive.html

Elementary English for Beginners. Part 1.

from :
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Study Skills for Beginners

This is a simple routine to use to make studying English every day a habit that you enjoy and will help you learn English quickly.

PRACTISE SOME COMMON PHRASAL VERBS.

Have you --found out if you won the competition yet?
I need to --get away from work and take a holiday.
My daughter is a great cook, she really --takes after her mother.
Could you --hold on a moment while I see if Marek is in his office?
She promised to --cut down her cigarette smoking to six a day.
He spent the entire night thinking and in the end --came up with a brilliant idea.
Donata --looked after my cats while I was away on holiday.
We're not ready yet, we are going to have to --put off the meeting until next week.
I'm --looking for Simon's address. Do you know it?
Mary --turned up twenty minutes late for the party.
If you really want to lose weight, you need to --give up eating desserts.
Let's --go over the grammar one more time before the test.
I was --looking for an old t-shirt when I --came across this photograph of my high school class.
Look Magda, I've --put up with your bad behaviour long enough!
You don't think I believe that ridiculous story you --made up, do you?
I think you need to --take up a new hobby to help you relax.
Jacek and Gosia --broke up last week. They just weren't happy together.
We'd better stop soon. Otherwise, we'll --run out of petrol.
Unfortunately, I had to --tell off Bob because of his poor performance recently.
Our flight was delayed, but we finally --took off shortly after midnight.
Could you speak up, please? i find it hard to hear what you are saying!!!

Teenagers tend to look up to their favourite singers or actors.

ADAPTED FROM: http://www.world-english.org/phrasalverbs.htm