Grammar Worksheet — Intro

Reduced Relative Clauses

C1 active, passive, and to-infinitive reductions of relative clauses
Explanation

Reduced relative clauses make noun phrases shorter and more formal.

Use an -ing form for active meanings and a past participle for passive meanings.

Use a to-infinitive after ordinal numbers, superlatives, and expressions such as the next, the only, or the first.

Form
UsePatternExample
Core formNoun + -ing phraseThe people waiting outside looked anxious.
VariationNoun + past participle phraseThe documents submitted yesterday were incomplete.
Advanced formNoun + to-infinitiveShe was the first person to raise the issue.

Only reduce a relative clause when the meaning remains clear.

Do not reduce non-defining relative clauses if the result sounds unnatural or ambiguous.

Examples
  1. The students applying for scholarships must submit references.
  2. The documents submitted yesterday were incomplete.
  3. The evidence presented in court changed the case.
  4. Anyone wishing to attend should register online.
  5. The next candidate to be interviewed is from Lisbon.
  6. The people affected by the decision were not consulted.
  7. The report containing the figures is on my desk.
  8. The first team to finish will present its findings.
Common Mistakes