Session 39
August 8, 2026 · Intermediate
- Relative clauses (who
- which
- whose
- where)
- possessive pronouns
- hospital upgrade & a family gathering
1 Corrections
How you said it, the natural version, and why. These are your own sentences.
How you said it
We have been planning to change from many years.
The natural version
We have been planning to change for many years.
For a length of time with the present perfect, use for — "for many years," not "from."
How you said it
The consultant who I had worked with him for years.
The natural version
The consultant who I had worked with for years.
The relative word (who / that) already replaces the object — don't add him again. (Same: "Dr. Essam who I have known him for 25 years.")
How you said it
You treated her for lunch.
The natural version
You treated her to lunch.
treat someone to something — a meal, a gift, a trip.
How you said it
We introduced a new policy. In which employees can work remotely.
The natural version
We introduced a new policy under which employees can work remotely.
under which / which joins the two ideas into one sentence — it can't begin a new one.
How you said it
The employee who everyone had assumed he would resign was promoted.
The natural version
The employee who everyone had assumed would resign was promoted.
After who, don't repeat the subject he — just "who … would resign."
How you said it
It was a very exhausting work.
The natural version
It was very exhausting work.
Work is uncountable — no "a," and "works" is never correct here. (Use job if you need "a.")
How you said it
I had operation at 8 AM.
The natural version
I had an operation at 8 AM.
An operation is countable — it needs the article an.
1b Already right
These needed no correction at all.
I spoke to a woman whose company had recently been investigated.
Perfect — whose neatly combines the two sentences into one.
2 Grammar tips
where / what
where for a place; what = "the thing that" (no noun before it).
the place where we met; remember what I said.
exhausted vs exhausting
-ed = how you feel; -ing = the thing that causes the feeling.
The day was exhausting, so I was exhausted.
its = of it (no apostrophe)
its shows possession; it's = "it is."
the machine and its hardware.
Possessive pronouns
mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs replace "my/your… + noun." No noun after them.
This phone is mine. How was yours?
who / which / that
who for people, which for things, that for either. It links a describing clause to a noun.
the friend who helped me; the car which he bought.
whose (possessive relative)
Use whose for "belonging to" — it replaces his/her/their + noun.
the man whose car is a Ferrari; a woman whose company was investigated.
Don't repeat the pronoun
The relative word already replaces the object — never add him/it/her again.
✗ the man who I know him → ✓ the man who I know.
in which / under which
A more formal way to join with a preposition — it makes ONE sentence.
a policy under which you can work remotely = a policy where you can…
3 New words and phrases
4 Pronunciation
- ·exhaustedThe "exh" sounds like ig-z; the h is silent.
- ·whoseSounds exactly like who's; the "w" is silent.
5 Practice sentences
01My day was exhausting — I had an operation at 8 AM and barely slept.
02The hospital equipment is outdated, and its maintenance is very expensive.
03We've been planning to replace it for many years, but we didn't have the funding.
04Now we're in the final stage of renewing all the facilities.
05I saw a friend who was with me in the same school.
06Last week I met a man whose car is a Ferrari.
07Can we meet at the place where we met last time?
08The consultant who I have known for 25 years gave me great advice.
09This phone is mine — how was your day, and how was yours?
10After lunch, we drank matteh, ate sweets, and gossiped about people.
11We threw a small party and used fireworks to celebrate Mahmoud passing the 12th grade.
12I welcome constructive criticism, but destructive criticism helps no one.
6 Model sentences
Read these out loud three times.
The equipment is outdated, so its maintenance is cutting a deep hole in our pocket.
We've been planning this change for years, but we never had the liquidity.
I met a woman whose company had recently been investigated for misconduct.
The employee who everyone assumed would resign was eventually promoted.
We introduced a new policy under which employees can work remotely three days a week.
I treated my family to lunch, and later we threw a party with fireworks.
This success is mine, but the credit is also theirs.
A good manager gives constructive criticism, not destructive criticism.
7 Mini-dialogue
- A
You look tired. How was your day?
- B
Exhausting. I had an operation at 8 AM, and I barely slept.
- A
And the big hospital project?
- B
We're in the final stage. The old equipment is outdated, and its maintenance was cutting a deep hole in our pocket.
- A
So you finally found the funding?
- B
Yes. It's a machine which we've wanted for years.
- A
That's wonderful. Mine is a much smaller clinic, so I understand the pressure.
- B
Thank you. Honestly, this success is ours — the whole team's.
Read A, say B's line yourself, then check.
8 Homework
- Relative clauses: Combine into one sentence — "I met a doctor. His son studies with me." (use whose). Write 5 like this using who, which, whose, where, what.
- Fix the extra pronoun: Rewrite correctly — "the man who I saw him," "the book which I read it," "the friend who I called her."
- Possessive pronouns: Write 5 sentences using mine, yours, his, hers, and theirs.
- Speaking: Say these words out loud three times each and record yourself — exhausted, maintenance, manufacture, facilities, whose.
- Writing: Describe your most exhausting day in 6 sentences, using an operation, outdated, funding, and final stage.
- Vocabulary: Write one sentence with constructive criticism and one with destructive criticism.
9 Self-check
The biggest thing today was relative clauses. I now know not to repeat the pronoun — I used to say "the man who I know him," but it's just "the man who I know." I want to keep practicing who, which, and especially whose.
Possessive pronouns are clearer now — "this phone is mine," "how was yours?" I also need to remember that work is uncountable, so "a very exhausting work" should be "very exhausting work."
One thing I want to check next time: when to use "where" versus "in which," and how to combine two long sentences smoothly, like the ones about the policy and the consultant.