Finite verb in final position
As relative clauses are subordinate clauses the finite verb goes to the end:Das ist die alte Frau, die in unserer Straße wohnt.Da sind Sylvia and Kurt, mit denen wir in den Urlaub
gefahrensind.Relative clauses are alwayspreceded by a comma.The relative pronoun was
Referring to a whole phrase
In order to refer to a phrase rather than just a noun the relative pronoun
was‘which’ introduces the relative clause:Sie arbeitet jetzt nur vormittags,wasich gut finde.
She now works only in the morning which I think is good.Sie möchten nach Australien fliegen,wassehr teuer ist.
They want to fly to Australia which is very expensive.In connection with alles, etwas, nichts
wasis also used when referring to the pronouns alles‘everything’,etwas
‘something’,nichts‘nothing’ in the main clause.Sie konnte sich an nichtserinnern,wasvor dem Unfall passiert war.
She couldn’t remember anything that had happened before the
accident.Alles,wassie sagte, machte Sinn.
Everything she said made sense.Das ist etwas,wasich nicht ausstehen kann.
That is something I cannot stand.- For more information on subordinate sentence structure, see
Unit 19.
154 Unit 20: Relative clauses