Los estudiantes que estudian mucho aprobarán el examen.
English: The students who study a lot will pass the exam.
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- B2
- Unit
- Oraciones complejas y subordinadas
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
In Spanish, 'oraciones relativas especificativas y explicativas' are two types of relative clauses. They add information about a noun. 'Especificativas' specify which person or thing we are talking about, while 'explicativas' add extra, non-essential information.
When to use it
Use 'oraciones relativas especificativas' when you need to identify or specify which thing or person you mean. Use 'oraciones relativas explicativas' to add extra information about a noun that is already clear.
Key forms
- que, quien, cuyo, donde + verbo
- Las oraciones especificativas: sin comas
- Las oraciones explicativas: entre comas
Examples
Mi hermano, que vive en Madrid, viene de visita.
English: My brother, who lives in Madrid, is coming to visit.
Las casas que tienen jardín son más caras.
English: The houses that have a garden are more expensive.
El coche, que es rojo, es muy rápido.
English: The car, which is red, is very fast.
Tips
- Remember: Use commas for explicativas, no commas for especificativas.
- Do not use 'que' to refer to a person after a preposition; use 'quien' or 'el que'.
- The information in especificativas is necessary; in explicativas, it's extra.
Exceptions and edge cases
- Sometimes, 'cuyo' is used to show possession, and its form changes with the noun's gender and number.
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