The Clubs We Join (J9A)
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EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that describes a person. In this sentence, 'who won the speech contest' modifies the noun 'the girl'. 'Who' acts as the subject of the relative clause.
I know the boy who plays the piano very well.
EN: The simple past tense (won) is used here within the relative clause to describe an action that was completed in the past.
She married the man who saved her life.
EN: Subject Relative Clause: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a relative clause that describes a person (the student). In this clause, 'who' acts as the subject of the verb 'sits'.
The teacher who lives next door is very friendly.
EN: Preposition of Place 'beside': 'Beside' is a preposition meaning 'at the side of' or 'next to'. It is used to indicate physical proximity.
Please sit beside me during the movie.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce an adjective clause (relative clause) that describes a non-human noun (the club). In this sentence, 'which' acts as the subject of the relative clause 'which meets every Friday'.
I bought a book which explains the history of art.
EN: The simple present tense is used here to describe a regular schedule or habit. The verb 'meets' is in the singular form because the subject 'which' refers to the singular noun 'the club'.
The train leaves every morning at six.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce an adjective clause (relative clause) that describes a non-human noun (in this case, 'the bag'). Since 'which' acts as the object of the verb 'lost' in the relative clause, it can optionally be omitted in informal English.
This is the book which I bought yesterday.
EN: The simple past tense (e.g., 'lost') is used to describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past, often accompanied by a past time expression like 'last week'.
They visited their grandparents last week.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a defining relative clause ('that I lost') which modifies the noun 'the bag'. In this clause, 'that' acts as the direct object of the verb 'lost'. When the relative pronoun is the object of the relative clause, it can optionally be omitted in informal English (e.g., 'the bag I lost').
The book that I borrowed from the library is very interesting.
EN: The subject of the main clause is 'the bag' (singular), which is modified by the relative clause 'that I lost'. Therefore, the main verb must agree with the singular subject, using 'is' instead of 'are'. Make sure not to get confused by the pronoun 'I' right before the verb.
The coffee that you made is cold.
EN: Subject Relative Clause: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a relative clause that describes a person (the subject of the clause). In this sentence, 'who helped us' describes 'The boy'.
The girl who won the race is my sister.
EN: Subject-Verb Agreement with Relative Clauses: When a relative clause modifies a singular subject ('The boy'), the main verb of the sentence must also agree with that singular subject ('is').
The book which is on the table belongs to me.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' is used here as a subject relative pronoun to introduce an adjective clause ('that changed my mind') modifying the noun 'book'. It connects two ideas: 'I read a book' and 'The book changed my mind'.
She bought a computer that works very fast.
EN: The idiom 'change one's mind' means to adopt a different opinion or decision. The verb 'change' is in the past tense ('changed') to match the past tense verb 'read' /rɛd/ in the main clause.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used as a subject relative pronoun to introduce an adjective clause (relative clause) that modifies a person (in this case, 'the teacher'). Since 'who' acts as the subject of the relative clause, it is immediately followed by the verb 'teaches'.
I met a doctor who lives in New York.
EN: The verb 'teach' is a ditransitive verb, which means it can take two objects: an indirect object (the person receiving the action, 'us') and a direct object (the thing being taught, 'science').
Mr. Green teaches them English.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' is used here as a subject relative pronoun to introduce an adjective clause ('that takes great photos') modifying the noun 'the phone'. Since 'the phone' is singular, the verb in the relative clause 'takes' must also be singular.
This is the book that inspires me the most.
EN: The verb 'take' is collocated with 'photos' to mean capturing images. The adjective 'great' is used to describe the high quality of the photos.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that describes a person. In this sentence, 'who speaks five languages' modifies the noun 'a man'. Since 'who' acts as the subject of the relative clause, it is followed directly by the verb 'speaks'.
I know a girl who plays the piano beautifully.
EN: Subject-Verb Agreement in Relative Clauses: When a relative pronoun (who/which/that) is the subject of a relative clause, the verb must agree in number with its antecedent (the noun being modified). Here, 'who' refers to 'a man' (singular), so the verb 'speaks' takes the singular ending '-s'.
They are the students who study hard every day.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that describes a non-human noun (the movie). In this sentence, 'which' acts as the object of the verb 'saw' in the relative clause 'which we saw'. Because it is an object relative pronoun, it can optionally be omitted in informal English.
The book which you lent me was very interesting.
EN: The past simple tense of the verb 'to be' (was) is used here because the main action and the state of being (the movie being amazing) occurred in the past. The subject of 'was' is the singular noun 'The movie'.
The weather yesterday was beautiful.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a defining relative clause ('who work hard') that modifies the subject noun 'People'. In this clause, 'who' acts as the subject of the verb 'work'.
Students who study daily get better grades.
EN: Adverbs of frequency like 'usually' are typically placed before the main verb (in this case, 'succeed') but after the auxiliary verb or 'be' verb.
He usually drinks coffee in the morning.
EN: This sentence reflects the strong cultural value of 'work ethic' in English-speaking societies, where individual effort and hard work are traditionally seen as the primary drivers of personal success.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' is used to introduce an adjective clause (relative clause) modifying the noun 'clubs'. In this sentence, 'that' acts as the object of the verb 'join' in the relative clause. When the relative pronoun serves as an object, it can optionally be omitted in informal English.
This is the book that I bought yesterday.
EN: The modal verb 'can' is used to express ability or possibility. It is followed by the base form of the verb (in this case, 'join').
She can speak three languages fluently.
EN: In many English-speaking countries, extracurricular activities and school clubs (such as sports, music, drama, and debate) play a crucial role in student life and college admissions, encouraging students to explore diverse interests outside the classroom.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses (using ', which') are used to add extra, non-essential information about a noun. The sentence remains grammatically complete even if this clause is removed.
He lives in London, which is the capital of the UK.
EN: The preposition 'in' is used to indicate membership or participation in a group, club, or organization.
She is in the school choir.
EN: Subject Relative Clause (Adjective Clause): The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a clause that modifies the subject 'The teacher'. In this clause, 'who' acts as the subject of the verb 'leads'.
The student who won the race is my cousin.
EN: Subject-Verb Agreement with Relative Pronouns: When the relative pronoun 'who' refers to a singular noun ('The teacher'), the verb inside the relative clause must also be singular ('leads').
The man who lives next door is a doctor.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that describes a person or people (in this case, 'students'). 'Who' acts as the subject of the relative clause.
I know a teacher who speaks four languages.
EN: The verb 'help' can be followed directly by an object (noun/pronoun) to indicate who receives the assistance. In this sentence, 'helps' is in the simple present tense, matching the third-person singular subject 'She'.
He helps his brother with his homework every day.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' is used here as a subject relative pronoun to introduce an adjective clause ('that show our school spirit') modifying the noun 'posters'. Since 'posters' is plural, the verb 'show' in the relative clause is also in the plural form.
I bought a book that explains the history of art.
EN: The simple past tense ('made') is used to describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past ('Last week').
Yesterday we visited a museum that has many ancient artifacts.
EN: In American and many Western schools, 'school spirit' (enthusiasm and support for one's school) is highly valued. Students often express this through pep rallies, wearing school colors, and making posters for sports events or clubs.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used as a subject relative pronoun to introduce an adjective clause (relative clause) that modifies a plural human noun ('The students'). The clause 'who painted the best ones' describes which specific students we are talking about.
The people who live next door are very friendly.
EN: The pronoun 'ones' is a substitute pronoun used to avoid repeating a plural countable noun that has already been mentioned or is clear from the context (in this context, 'posters').
I don't like the blue shoes, but I love the red ones.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used as a subject relative pronoun to introduce an adjective clause (relative clause) that modifies a person (in this case, 'a boy'). The clause 'who plays in the music club' describes and provides more information about the boy.
I know a girl who speaks three languages.
EN: The adverb 'also' is used to add extra information. It typically goes before the main verb (except the verb 'be'). Here, it is placed before the main verb 'know'.
She also wants to join the art club.
EN: Subject Relative Pronoun 'who': Used to introduce a relative clause that describes a person. 'Who' acts as the subject of the relative clause, followed immediately by a verb.
She is the teacher who inspired me to study English.
EN: Causative/Resultative Verb 'make' + Object + Bare Infinitive: The verb 'make' can mean 'to cause someone to do something' or 'to bring about a state/action'. When followed by an object and a verb, the verb must be in its base form (bare infinitive).
The sad movie made everyone cry.
EN: Subject-Verb Agreement with Relative Pronoun: When the relative pronoun 'that' or 'who' acts as the subject of the relative clause, the verb that follows must agree in number with the antecedent (the noun being described). Here, 'places' is plural, so the relative pronoun 'that' takes the plural verb 'help' (not 'helps').
Books are tools that open our minds.
EN: The verb 'help' can be followed by an object and then either a bare infinitive (verb in base form without 'to') or a full infinitive (with 'to'). In this sentence, 'help us find' uses the bare infinitive 'find', which is very common in modern English.
She helped me finish my homework.
EN: The subject relative clause (adjective clause) introduced by 'who' is used to modify the noun 'person'. In this structure, 'who' acts as the subject of the relative clause, followed immediately by the verb 'organized'.
The teacher who inspired me has retired.
EN: The demonstrative adjective 'this' is used to point out a specific singular noun ('event') that is close in time or space to the speaker.
I really enjoyed this movie.
EN: Non-defining relative clauses (also called non-restrictive relative clauses) are used to add extra, non-essential information about a noun. They are separated from the main clause by commas, and the relative pronoun 'who' is used for people. Unlike defining relative clauses, 'that' cannot be used here.
I called my brother, who lives in New York.
EN: The verb 'teach' is a ditransitive verb, which means it can take two objects: an indirect object (usually a person, 'us') and a direct object (usually a thing, 'English'). The typical pattern is 'teach + indirect object + direct object'.
Mr. Smith teaches them history.
EN: In English-speaking academic environments, teachers are typically addressed by their title (Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr.) followed by their last name (e.g., 'Ms. Chen'). Addressing a teacher simply as 'Teacher' is considered unnatural in English.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that describes a non-human noun (in this case, 'a wallet'). It acts as the subject of the relative clause.
She bought a book which has many beautiful illustrations.
EN: The word 'inside' is used here as an adverb meaning 'on the inner part' or 'within'. It modifies the verb phrase 'has no name' to specify the location of the missing name.
The box was empty inside.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' (or 'which') is used to introduce an adjective clause (relative clause) that modifies a noun. In this sentence, 'that Leo lost yesterday' modifies the noun 'the wallet'. Since 'that' serves as the direct object of the verb 'lost' in the relative clause, it can optionally be omitted in informal English.
Is this the book that you bought last week?
EN: The simple past tense is used to describe actions that were completed at a specific time in the past. In this sentence, 'lost' is the past tense of 'lose', and it is paired with the past time adverb 'yesterday'.
They visited the museum yesterday.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' is used here to introduce a defining relative clause ('that I lost') which modifies the subject noun 'the wallet'. In this clause, 'that' acts as the direct object of the verb 'lost'. Because it serves as an object, 'that' can optionally be omitted in informal speech.
The book that I borrowed yesterday is very interesting.
EN: The main subject of the sentence is 'the wallet', which is a singular noun. Therefore, it takes the singular form of the linking verb 'is' to connect it to the subject complement 'brown', despite the intervening relative clause.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used as a subject relative pronoun to introduce a defining relative clause ('who joined the trip') that describes the plural noun 'The students'. This clause specifies which students are being referred to.
The people who live next door are very friendly.
EN: The idiom 'have fun' (past tense 'had fun') means to enjoy oneself or experience pleasure. It is followed by no preposition when used generally, but can be followed by an -ing verb to describe the enjoyable activity (e.g., 'had fun playing').
We had fun at the amusement park yesterday.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce an adjective clause (relative clause) that describes a non-human noun ('a hobby'). In this sentence, 'which' acts as the subject of the relative clause 'which keeps me active'.
She bought a book which explains the history of art.
EN: The verb 'keep' can be followed by an object and an adjective (keep + object + adjective) to express the idea of maintaining someone or something in a specific state or condition.
Running every morning keeps him healthy.
EN: The sentence uses an imperative structure, which starts directly with a base verb ('Try') to give a suggestion, advice, or command. The subject 'you' is implied.
Take the subway to save time.
EN: The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a defining relative clause ('that meets on Mondays') to modify the noun 'the dance class'. In this clause, 'that' acts as the subject.
I like the book that lies on the table.
EN: In English-speaking countries, using 'on Mondays' (plural) indicates a recurring schedule every Monday, which is a common way to describe weekly classes or routines.
EN: The relative pronoun 'who' is used to introduce an adjective clause (relative clause) that modifies a plural noun ('People'). Since 'People' is plural, the verb inside the relative clause ('try') must also be in the plural form (without -s).
Students who study daily get better grades.
EN: The comparative adverb 'faster' is the comparative form of 'fast'. It modifies the verb 'learn' to show a higher speed or rate of learning.
She runs faster than her brother.
EN: This sentence reflects a common growth mindset valued in modern Western education and professional environments, where experimentation and embracing new challenges are seen as key drivers of personal development.
EN: The relative pronoun 'which' is used to introduce a relative clause (adjective clause) that describes a non-human noun (in this case, 'advice'). Since 'which' acts as the object of the verb 'remember' in the relative clause, it can optionally be omitted in informal speech.
This is the book which I bought yesterday.
EN: The modal verb 'will' is used here to express a strong determination or promise to do something in the future. It is followed by the base form of the verb 'remember'.
I will help you with your homework tonight.
EN: In English-speaking cultures, expressing gratitude for advice with strong commitment (using 'will') shows high respect and appreciation for the speaker's wisdom, reinforcing social bonds.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
A competition in which people give speeches.
To adopt a different opinion or decision.
The feeling of pride and loyalty that students and alumni have for their school.
To cause someone to find something funny and laugh.