Grammar-Quizzes › Clauses › Relative Clauses › When & Where Clauses

When and Where Clauses

Add a modifying clause for time or location

flower child
 

 

When and Where  - object pronouns

WHEN - REPLACES AN OBJECT NOUN

When is a time-relative pronoun¹ that joins a modifying clause. In the example below, the clause modifies a noun phrase (the years) expressing a time, a temporal location.

move overwho modifies woman
The years when the "flower children" thrived were the 1960s.
                  The "flower children" thrived  then.

move overwho modifies woman
The day when the concert takes place is Sunday.
                  The concert takes place then.

move overwho modifies woman
The hour when the parade begins is 12:30 p.m.
                  The parade begins then.
WHERE - REPLACES AN OBJECT NOUN

Where is a location-relative pronoun that joins a modifying clause.  Below, the clause modifies a noun phrase (the city) which expresses a place, a physical location.

move overwho modifies woman
The city where "flower children" lived was San Francisco.
              The "flower children" lived  there.

move overwho modifies woman
The site where the concert will take place is Golden Gate Park.
              The concert will be held  there.

move overwho modifies woman
The street where the parade begins is Broadway.
              The parade takes place  there.
 

¹The second mention of any noun phrase is usually replaced by a pronoun in order to avoid wordiness. (Last year was a difficult one.) The same is true when a noun is mentioned a second time in the next clause. (Last year was a difficult. I arrive here then.) The pronoun when can be used to refer back to the time-noun in the main clause. Last year [when I arrived here] was a difficult year.

take place (v. exp.) – occurs, happens

site (N) – location

thrive (V) – live and grow, grow in numbers, expand, flourish

(Azar "Adjective Clauses" ch. 13) (Murphy  92-94) (Swan 494-8)  Works Cited

Also see Questions:  Interrogative Pronouns (who, what,  where, how?); Relative Clauses: Who/Whom Cls, When/Where Cls, Whose Cls; Subordinate ("Embedded") Clauses: Wh- Questions

 

 

 

When or Where Clause

Relate the clause to the time noun or place noun

 

 

When / Where

WHEN

When replaces the object noun in the modifying clause. The pronoun is fronted (moved to the front of the clause). Then the clause is placed directly after the noun that it modifies. When serves as a connector to the noun in the main clause.

The year was memorable. You were born in that year.

The year was memorable. You were born then.
  OBJECT of MOD CLS  

The year

you were born then
                   arrow-most of the changes to most of which 

was memorable.

 

when

 

The year

when you were born

was memorable.
WHERE

Where replaces the object noun in the modifying clause. The pronoun is fronted (moved to the front of the clause). Then the clause is placed directly after the noun that it modifies. Where serves as a connector to the noun in the main clause.

The city is beautiful. You live in the city.

The city is beautiful. You live there.
  OBJECT of MOD CLS  

The city

you live there
       arrow-most of the changes to most of which 

is beautiful.

 

where

 

The city

where you live

is beautiful.
 

memorable (Adj) – special in memory

 

 

 

 

Which Clause

Relate a time or place clause with at, in or on

 

 

A Time Which and A Place Which

A PLACE—WHICH

Where can replace a relative pronoun for location—at which, on which or in which.
AT—ADDRESS, RESIDENCE, BUILDING

The house at which I live is nearby.

The address I work is 310 Elm Street.

The library at which I study is downtown.
ON—FLOOR, STREET,  GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, PLANET

The floor on which I work is the twelfth.

The street on which I live is nearby.

The island on which I live is Puerto Rico.
IN—CITY, AREA, STATE, PROVINCE, COUNTRY

The room in which I work is here

The city in which I work is nearby

The country in which I pay taxes is Canada
A TIME—WHICH

When can replace a relative pronoun for location—at which, on which or in which.
AT—MOMENT, SECOND, HOUR

The moment at which he sent the text he fell.

The hour at which I eat lunch is 12:00–1:00 p.m.

The time at which I eat lunch is noon.
ON—DAY

The day on which I was born was snowy.

The day on which I was born was Tuesday.

The day on which I started school was June 1.
IN —MONTH, SEASON, YEAR, DECADE, CENTURY

The month in which I pay tax is April.

The season in which I vacation is summer.

The years in which I worked were 2017-2018.
 

Also see Prepositions for Time (in, on, at) and Prepositions for Place (in, on, at).

 

 

 

 

When/Where-Clause

Punctuation

The Haight Ashbury section
 

 

Identifying Clause vs. Nonidentifying Clause

IDENTIFYING CLAUSE

no comma usedA clause that identifies the noun before it (tells you which one) is not set off with commas. The object pronoun when or where may be omitted, however, some verbs may require a preposition to be included.

The area where the "flower children" lived  was a neighborhood in San Francisco.

The area in which the "flower children" lived  was a neighborhood in San Francisco.

The area __ the "flower children" lived in  was a neighborhood in San Francisco. (The verb live requires adding/keeping the preposition in.)

The years when the "flower children" thrived  was a colorful decade.

The years in which the "flower children" thrived  was a colorful decade.

The years ___the "flower children" thrived  was a colorful decade.
 

NONIDENTIFYING CLAUSE

use a commaA clause that adds extra, nonidentifying information is set off with comma(s). The object pronoun when or where is required (cannot be omitted)  in a nonidentifying clause.                                                            

The Haight,  where the "flower children" lived,  was a neighborhood in San Francisco.

The Haight,  in which the "flower children" lived, was a neighborhood in San Francisco.

*The Haight, __ the "flower children" lived in,  was a neighborhood in San Francisco.

The 1960s,  when the "flower children" thrived, was a colorful decade.

The 1960s,  in which the "flower children" thrived, was a colorful decade.

*The 1960s, ___ the "flower children" thrived, was a colorful decade.
 

*not used / ~borderline or questionable usage

An identifying clause adds information or narrows the noun to a specific one, group or lot.  The clause helps by telling us which one. No commas are used.  It is also called restrictive, essential , or necessary clause. See That vs. Which   Some or All.

A nonidentifying clause adds extra information about a noun already identified by other means, for example, by name, by shared knowledge or context. The clause, a comment, is set off with commas (before and, if necessary, after the clause). It is also called nonrestrictive, nonessential,  or unnecessary clause. See Commas (adding comments).

live (V) – [1] be alive: He is not dead; he lives! Long live the Queen! [2] dwell, reside: He lives at 231 Ellsworth. He lives on the corner. He lives in San Francisco. (Live is a verb that is complemented (completed) by a prepositional phrase such as in, on, or at. See Verb + Preposition and Verb+Prep List.

¹An object relative pronoun cannot be omitted from (left out of) a nonidentifying clause.

 

 

 

Practice 1

The Right Time or Place

map
 

 

Change when or where to a which-clause

  1. Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence. 
  2. Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check" or the "Check 1-10" button at the bottom.

 

1.
Monday is the day when we begin the work week.


(Optionally omit "the day".)

2.
Midnight is the time when the date changes.
(Optionally omit "the time".)

3.
Three-fifty Main street is the address where you can write me.

(Optionally omit "the address".)

4.
The lake where we swam was clean and clear.

5.
2001 was the year when the new century began.
(Optionally omit "the year".)

6.
Seven o'clock is the time when I get up.

7.
California is the state where I live.

8.
Parking lot D is the place where I parked my car.

(Optionally omit "the location".)

9.
Summer is the time when people enjoy warmer weather.

(Optionally omit "the season".)

10.
The backyard is the place where we can relax outside.

(Optionally omit "the area".)

 
 

 

 

 

Practice 2

The Ferry Building

The San Francisco Ferry Building
 

 

Read the Context

Every day hundreds of people pass through the San Francisco Ferry Building, a place where a variety of products and services are available. The San Francisco Ferry Building is the place where commuters catch their ferries at. It is also a place where people come to walk and watch activity on the bay. The area inside in which people shop for food is also where people can find restaurants and shops. Shops where you can buy meat, cheese, bread, mushrooms, plants, coffee, herbs, and so on.

The Ferry Building was built at a time there were no bridges in 1875. People had to take a train to the Berkeley or Oakland ferry terminals, there they would catch a ferry to San Francisco. When the Bay Bridge opened in 1936, the Ferry Building became an unnecessary place at which the ferries were forgotten. In the 1970s, when the traffic on the bridge made the commute difficult, ferry boat service resumed. Now the Ferry Building serves as an activity center where San Franciscans shop, eat, catch transportation, and relax near the water.

available (Adj) – easy to find or get

commuter (N) – a person traveling to and from a place of work

ferry (N) – a commercial service with terminals and boats for transporting persons, automobiles across small bodies of water.

resume (V) – restart

terminal (N) – station

variety (N) – having different kinds or types of things

 

 

 

 

Correct or Incorrect

  1. Decide whether the sentence is "correct" or "incorrect". Select your response—correct / incorrect.
  2. Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check" or the "Check 11-20" button at the bottom.

 

11.
Every day hundreds of people pass through the San Francisco Ferry Building, a place where a variety of products and services are available.

   

12.
The San Francisco Ferry Building is the place where commuters catch their ferries at.

   

13.
It is also a place where people come to walk and watch activity on the bay. 

   

14.
The area inside in which people shop for food is also where people can find restaurants and shops.

   

15.
Shops where you can buy meat, cheese, bread, mushrooms, plants, coffee, herbs, and so on.

   

16.
The Ferry Building was built at a time there were no bridges in 1875.

   

17.
People had to take a train to the Berkeley or Oakland ferry terminals, there they would catch a ferry to San Francisco.

   

18.
When the Bay Bridge opened in 1936, the Ferry Building became an unnecessary place at which the ferries were forgotten.

   

19.
In the 1970s, when the traffic on the bridge made the commute difficult, ferry boat service resumed.

   

20.
Now the Ferry Building serves as a center of activity where San Franciscans shop, eat, catch transportation, and relax near the water.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Practice 3

The Galata Bridge

Fisherman on Galata Bridge at Sunset
 

Read the Context

The Galata Bridge in Istanbul is a unique location in the world.  It spans the Golden Horn at a site in which a natural harbor forms. It is the exact place in which the Bosporus flows into the sea of Marmara.  It is also the place at which the old Istanbul meets the new. 

This is the fifth bridge in this location. The last bridge was destroyed in 1992 the year in which a fire badly damaged it. The bridge has three car lanes and one lane on which trams go.

In the evening, the time in which fisherman come to catch their evening meals, the bridge becomes a bustling place. Sunset is also the time at which the faithful are called to prayer. Tourists and locals walk along the first deck on which there are a number of restaurants and shops. Fisherman stand side by side at the railing at which they cast their lines into the water. Never is there a time at which the bridge is not completely occupied and bustling with people.

bustling (Adj) – busy, constantly moving

cast (V) – throw, especially in fishing He cast his fish net.

deck (N) – a floor or roadway on a bridge

harbor (N) – a location where boats enter away from strong wanter currents

line (N) – plastic-like string that winds around the reel on a fishing pole

locals (N) – local people who live nearby

occupied (Adj) – in use

railing (N) – the metal fence or barrier that keeps people from falling off

spans (V) – crosses; reaches across; goes across

unique (Adj) – one of a kind

 

 

 

Change the which-clause to a when or where clause.

  1. Edit the sentence(s) in the text box.
  2. Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check" or the "Check 21-30" button at the bottom.

 

21.
The Galata Bridge in Istanbul is a unique location in the world.  The bridge spans the Golden Horn at a site in which a natural harbor forms. 


22.
It is the exact place in which the Bosporus flows into the sea of Marmara.


23.
It is also the place at which the old Istanbul meets the new. 


24.
This is the fifth bridge in this location. The last bridge was destroyed in 1992 the year in which a fire badly damaged it.


25.
The bridge has three car lanes and a lane on which trams go.


26.
In the evening, the time in which fisherman come to catch their evening meals, the bridge becomes a bustling place.


27.
Sunset is also the time at which the faithful are called to prayer.


28.
Tourists and locals walk along the first deck on which there are a number of restaurants and shops.


29.
Fisherman stand side by side at the railing at which they cast their lines into the water.


30.
Never is there a time at which the bridge is not completely occupied and bustling with people.


 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

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Background Information

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