Welcome to the World of Relative Clauses!

In Part 5 of the TOEIC (Incomplete Sentences), you have about 20 seconds per question. Many students lose time because sentences look long and "scary." The secret to mastering these long sentences is understanding Relative Clauses. These clauses act like "staples" that join two pieces of information together. Once you see the "staple," the sentence becomes much easier to read! In this chapter, we will learn how to identify these clauses and how the TOEIC tries to trick you with "reduced" versions.

1. What is a Relative Clause?

A relative clause gives us more information about a noun (a person, place, or thing). Instead of two short, choppy sentences, we use Relative Pronouns to make one professional sentence.

Example:
Sentence A: I have a supervisor.
Sentence B: She speaks five languages.
Combined: I have a supervisor who speaks five languages.

The Key Relative Pronouns for TOEIC

  • Who: Used for people (subject). The manager who signed the contract is out today.
  • Whom: Used for people (object). The client whom I called yesterday was very happy.
  • Which: Used for things or animals. The manual which is on your desk explains the software.
  • That: Used for people or things (informal). The items that were ordered have arrived.
  • Whose: Used for possession (belonging to). The employee whose car is blocking the exit must move it.

Quick Tip: On the TOEIC, Whose is a favorite trap. It must always be followed immediately by a noun (e.g., whose car, whose application, whose idea). If there is a verb right after the blank, Whose is usually the wrong answer!

2. Subject vs. Object Relative Clauses

The TOEIC Part 5 often tests whether you can identify if the relative pronoun is acting as a Subject or an Object. This determines which word you should choose.

Subject Relative Clauses

In these sentences, the relative pronoun is followed by a verb. It "earns" marks because it completes the action.

The technician who repaired the copier did a great job.
(Who is the subject for the verb "repaired")

Object Relative Clauses

In these sentences, the relative pronoun is followed by a noun or pronoun. The action is being done to it.

The proposal which the board approved is very expensive.
(The board is the subject; they approved the proposal)

The "Weak" vs. "Improved" Contrast:
Weak (Wrong Answer): The candidate who he applied for the job was qualified. (Never use a subject pronoun like 'he' or 'it' right after a subject relative pronoun!)
Improved (Correct Answer): The candidate who applied for the job was qualified.

3. Reduced Relative Clauses: The TOEIC High-Score Secret

To save time and sound more professional, English speakers often "reduce" clauses by removing the relative pronoun and the "be" verb. This is extremely common in Part 5 questions!

Active Reduction (-ing)

If the noun is doing the action, use the -ing form (Present Participle).
Full: The man who is working at the front desk is Mr. Lee.
Reduced: The man working at the front desk is Mr. Lee.

Passive Reduction (-ed)

If the action is done to the noun, use the -ed form (Past Participle).
Full: The report which was submitted yesterday was excellent.
Reduced: The report submitted yesterday was excellent.

Did you know? This is one of the most frequent question types in Part 5. You will see a blank after a noun and have to choose between an -ing or -ed word.
Example: The seminar _______ by Dr. Smith was very helpful.
(A) conducting
(B) conducted
(C) conducts
Explanation: The seminar didn't "conduct" itself; it was "conducted" by someone else. Choose the passive -ed form!

4. Common TOEIC Traps and How to Avoid Them

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first; many students make these mistakes. Here is how to stay ahead of the "distractors":

  • Trap 1: Redundant Pronouns. The test might offer "The lady who she is...". This is always wrong. If you have "who," you do not need "she."
  • Trap 2: Subject-Verb Agreement. If the relative pronoun is the subject, the verb must match the noun before it.
    Correct: The students who are...
    Incorrect: The students who is...
  • Trap 3: Using "Who" for things. Always check if the noun is a person or a thing. "The company who..." is incorrect; it must be "The company which..." or "The company that..."

5. Strategy and Pacing

To keep your pace high in Part 5, follow this 3-Step Process when you see a potential relative clause question:

  1. Find the Main Verb: Locate the real verb of the sentence. This helps you see where the "extra" information (the relative clause) starts and ends.
  2. Check for a Connector: If the sentence already has two verbs, you must have a relative pronoun or a reduced participle to join them.
  3. Identify the Relationship: Is the noun doing the action (-ing) or receiving the action (-ed)? This choice alone can gain you 5-10 points on your total grammar score.

Key Takeaways Summary

1. Relative pronouns (who, which, that, whose) connect information to a noun.
2. "Whose" always needs a noun immediately after it.
3. Reduced clauses are common: use -ing for active actions and -ed for passive actions.
4. Timing is key: If you see a noun followed by a blank and then a prepositional phrase (like "by..." or "at..."), look for a participle (-ing/-ed) first!
5. No double subjects: Never use who + he/she/they together.

Keep practicing these structures! Recognizing relative clauses quickly is like having a "map" of the sentence; it helps you navigate through complex business English without getting lost.