Prepositions in Relative Clauses ESL Lesson Plan (B2, 60 Minutes)

Who it is for. Upper-intermediate students who use defining and non-defining clauses accurately. They avoid prepositions in relative clauses or use them wrongly (the hotel which we stayed, the man to who I spoke), use what instead of which for whole clauses (He was late, what annoyed me), and their writing is wordy.

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

Main aim. To develop students' use of prepositions in relative clauses (informal: the hotel we stayed in; formal: the hotel in which we stayed, to whom), sentence relatives with which, and reduced relative clauses with -ing and past participles (the road leading to the fort, a temple built in 1592).

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can write a 150-word travel guide entry using all three structures, e.g. The Fort, built by the Portuguese in 1588, is a place in which history comes alive. Visitors arriving early can enjoy the sunrise, which is unforgettable.

• Subsidiary aim. To develop concise, descriptive writing.
• Subsidiary aim. To raise awareness of register (formal / informal).

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

• which can refer to a whole clause, often to comment on it: The train was late, which meant we missed the boat. (not what)

• Active → -ing: the road that leads to the fort → the road leading to the fort.
• Passive → past participle: a temple which was built in 1592 → a temple built in 1592.
• Common in guides, news and academic writing because they are concise.

• Sentence relatives have a pause before which and a falling intonation: We missed the boat, | which was a shame ↘.

• The hotel in which we stayed was by the sea. Did we stay in the hotel? (Yes.) · Is this formal or informal? (Formal.) What's the informal version? (the hotel we stayed in.)
• The train was late, which meant we missed the boat. What does which refer to: the train or the fact that it was late? (The fact that it was late.)
• a temple built in 1592 Did the temple build something? (No, it was built.) Active or passive meaning? (Passive.)

The travel guide entry includes all three structures used accurately. No in that / to who or ..., what ... errors. 6 out of 8 or better on Handout 2, Exercise A.

Did students choose the right register for prepositions? Did the reduced clauses make the writing more concise?

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

GALLE FORT: Where History Meets the Sea

Galle Fort, built by the Portuguese in 1588 and later strengthened by the Dutch, is the town in which most visitors to the south coast spend at least a day. The narrow streets, lined with colonial houses, are full of cafés, boutiques and galleries.

Start your visit on the ramparts, from which you can see the whole bay. Visitors arriving early in the morning will see local fishermen at work, which is an unforgettable sight. The lighthouse, standing at the southern tip of the fort, is the most photographed building in Galle.

The Fort is home to around 400 families, most of whom have lived there for generations. Ask any of the shopkeepers you talk to, and they'll tell you stories about the history of their houses.

In the evening, walk along the walls as the sun goes down, which is the best time of day to be there.

Answer the questions.

• Who built Galle Fort? ______________________________
• What can you see from the ramparts? ______________________________
• What can early visitors see? ______________________________
• How long have most of the families lived in the Fort? ______________________________

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Language reference

A. Rewrite in a formal style.

B. Reduce the relative clauses.

• This is the hotel we stayed in. → This is the hotel ______________________________
• She's the woman I gave the money to. → She's the woman ______________________________
• That's the company my father works for. → That's the company ______________________________
• The guide had 30 tourists, and most of them were from Germany. → The guide had 30 tourists, ______________________________
• The beach we swam at was beautiful. → The beach ______________________________
• He apologised. That surprised everyone. → He apologised, ______________________________
• There are four temples in the town. Two of them are very old. → There are four temples in the town, ______________________________
• Is this the topic you're interested in? → Is this the topic ______________________________
• The bus that goes to Kandy leaves at 6. → ______________________________
• The paintings which were found in the cave are 1,500 years old. → ______________________________
• Visitors who arrive after 5 pm cannot enter. → ______________________________

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Correct the mistakes. One sentence is correct.

• The house in that I grew up is now a museum. ______________________________
• The man to who I spoke was very helpful. ______________________________
• It rained all day, what ruined our picnic. ______________________________
• The temple building in the 12th century is still in use. ______________________________
• This is the restaurant which we ate last night. ______________________________
• The students, all of who passed, celebrated together. ______________________________
• The road leading to the beach is very narrow. ______________________________
• The book written by my teacher it is very popular. ______________________________

Choose one place. Write a travel guide entry (about 150 words).

Place 1: Sigiriya

Place 2: Ella

Place 3: Jaffna

Your entry:

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

• rock fortress; built by King Kashyapa, 5th century
• 1,200 steps to the top; famous frescoes painted on the rock
• views over the jungle; best at sunrise
• crowded at midday; take water
• small hill town; surrounded by tea plantations
• Nine Arch Bridge, built in 1921; trains cross it several times a day
• Little Adam's Peak: easy hike, amazing views
• cafés popular with backpackers
• northern city; rich Tamil culture
• Nallur Kandaswamy Temple; festival every August with thousands of visitors
• Jaffna Fort, built by the Portuguese, later rebuilt by the Dutch
• famous for crab curry and mangoes

Handout 1

Handout 2, Exercise A

Handout 2, Exercise B

Handout 3

Common errors to watch for

• The Portuguese (later strengthened by the Dutch). · 2. The whole bay. · 3. Local fishermen at work. · 4. For generations.
• in which we stayed. · 2. to whom I gave the money. · 3. for which my father works. · 4. most of whom were from Germany. · 5. at which we swam was beautiful. · 6. which surprised everyone. · 7. two of which are very old. · 8. in which you're interested?
• The bus going to Kandy leaves at 6. · 2. The paintings found in the cave are 1,500 years old. · 3. Visitors arriving after 5 pm cannot enter.
• The house in which I grew up / The house (that) I grew up in ... · 2. The man to whom I spoke ... · 3. It rained all day, which ruined our picnic. · 4. The temple built in the 12th century ... · 5. This is the restaurant where we ate / in which we ate / (that) we ate in last night. · 6. The students, all of whom passed, ... · 7. Correct. · 8. The book written by my teacher is very popular.