5 exercises — master defining vs non-defining relative clauses, correct pronoun choice (who/which/that/whose), and reduced clause forms in technical English.
0 / 20 completed
1 / 20
Choose the sentence that correctly uses a defining relative clause in a technical context.
A defining (restrictive) relative clause identifies which specific thing is meant — it is essential to the meaning and uses NO commas. "The microservice that handles authentication" specifies which microservice. Option A uses commas, making it a non-defining clause — only correct if there is only one microservice. Option C is a dangling participial phrase. Option D uses "what" incorrectly (only used in noun clauses like "This is what I meant").
2 / 20
The load balancer, ___ distributes traffic across all pods, failed during the peak usage window.
This is a non-defining (non-restrictive) relative clause — identified by the commas surrounding it. Non-defining clauses use "which" (for things), never "that." "That" is reserved for defining clauses. "What" cannot introduce a relative clause. "Who" is used for people only. In technical documentation, non-defining clauses add extra information about something already uniquely identified: "The load balancer" is a specific system, so the clause is additional information.
3 / 20
The engineer ___ refactored the payment module last quarter has now moved to a different team.
"Who" is the subject relative pronoun for people. The engineer is the subject of "refactored," so the subject pronoun "who" is correct. "Whom" is the object pronoun (correct in "the engineer whom we promoted," not as the subject of "refactored"). "Which" refers to things, not people. "Whose" indicates possession ("the engineer whose PR was reverted").
4 / 20
The database ___ schema was migrated to the new format is now fully operational.
"Whose" indicates possession and is used for both people and things in formal English. "The database whose schema was migrated" = the database's schema was migrated. "Which" and "that" cannot introduce a possessive relationship — they would need to be followed by a verb, not a noun. "Whom" is an object pronoun for people only. In technical writing, "whose" is commonly used with inanimate objects: "the function whose return value is null," "the server whose uptime exceeded 99.9%."
5 / 20
Which sentence correctly uses a reduced relative clause in technical documentation?
A reduced relative clause omits the relative pronoun and auxiliary verb: "which was logged" → "logged." This is extremely common in technical writing for concision: "The error logged by the monitoring tool" is shorter and cleaner than "The error which was logged by the monitoring tool." Both are grammatically correct, but reduced clauses are preferred in API docs, READMEs, and incident reports. Option C has an erroneous "it." Option D uses the wrong participle form ("logging" implies active voice, but the error is passively logged).
6 / 20
Sarah from the DevOps team sent this Slack message: 'The new API endpoint, /v2/metrics, which returns aggregated CPU usage data, is experiencing high latency. We need to investigate why.' Which part of the sentence best demonstrates a relative clause?
This question tests the understanding of *non-defining* relative clauses. The clause 'which returns aggregated CPU usage data' provides additional information about the API endpoint but doesn't define or restrict its identity. The incorrect options either describe a general feature or state a necessity without adding specific detail, demonstrating a misunderstanding of how relative clauses function to elaborate on nouns.
7 / 20
Mark is writing the description for a Pull Request. He wants to accurately convey that the updated code handles rate limiting. Which of the following sentences best uses a relative clause?
This focuses on using a relative clause to provide context and reference a standard. The correct option uses 'as defined in RFC 6498' to specify *how* the rate limiting is achieved, adding crucial technical detail. The other options are too vague or simply state the fact of rate limiting without explaining its basis.
8 / 20
David left this code review comment: 'The error handling for failed database queries should be improved. The function, process_data(), ___ logs the error to a dedicated log file.' Which relative clause is missing?
This tests the correct placement of a relative clause modifying a specific noun. The missing relative clause is 'logs the error…', which needs to directly modify process_data(). Placing it before or after creates an unclear sentence structure and disrupts the flow of information about the function's behavior.
9 / 20
You are writing documentation for a new microservice. Which sentence correctly uses a relative clause to describe its primary purpose?
This assesses the ability to use a relative clause to provide a detailed explanation of the service's function. 'which handles user authentication' clearly identifies *how* the service operates and provides a key piece of information for users. The other options are too brief or simply state the service's role without elaboration.
10 / 20
Emily is documenting an API response. Which sentence best uses a reduced relative clause?
This question focuses on reduced relative clauses (also known as bracketed relative clauses). 'The response contained the data that we requested.' is the correct structure. The other options either include unnecessary detail or fail to use a correctly structured relative clause – demonstrating an understanding of how to condense information efficiently in technical documentation.
11 / 20
Sarah from the DevOps team sent this Slack message: 'The new API endpoint, /v2/metrics, which returns aggregated CPU usage data, is experiencing high latency. We need to investigate why.' Which part of the sentence best demonstrates a relative clause?
This question tests the understanding of *non-defining* relative clauses. The clause 'which returns aggregated CPU usage data' provides additional information about the API endpoint but doesn't define or restrict its identity. The incorrect options either describe a general feature or state a necessity without adding specific detail, demonstrating a misunderstanding of how relative clauses function to elaborate on nouns.
12 / 20
Mark is writing the description for a Pull Request. He wants to accurately convey that the updated code handles rate limiting. Which of the following sentences best uses a relative clause?
This focuses on using a relative clause to provide context and reference a standard. The correct option uses 'as defined in RFC 6498' to specify *how* the rate limiting is achieved, adding crucial technical detail. The other options are too vague or simply state the fact of rate limiting without explaining its basis.
13 / 20
David left this code review comment: 'The error handling for failed database queries should be improved. The function, process_data(), ___ logs the error to a dedicated log file.' Which relative clause is missing?
This tests the correct placement of a relative clause modifying a specific noun. The missing relative clause is 'logs the error…', which needs to directly modify process_data(). Placing it before or after creates an unclear sentence structure and disrupts the flow of information about the function's behavior.
14 / 20
You are writing documentation for a new microservice. Which sentence correctly uses a relative clause to describe its primary purpose?
This assesses the ability to use a relative clause to provide a detailed explanation of the service's function. 'which handles user authentication' clearly identifies *how* the service operates and provides a key piece of information for users. The other options are too brief or simply state the service's role without elaboration.
15 / 20
Emily is documenting an API response. Which sentence best uses a reduced relative clause?
This question focuses on reduced relative clauses (also known as bracketed relative clauses). 'The response contained the data that we requested.' is the correct structure. The other options either include unnecessary detail or fail to use a correctly structured relative clause – demonstrating an understanding of how to condense information efficiently in technical documentation.
16 / 20
Sarah from the DevOps team sent this Slack message: 'The new API endpoint, /v2/metrics, which returns aggregated CPU usage data, is experiencing high latency. We need to investigate why.' Which part of the sentence best demonstrates a relative clause?
This question tests the understanding of *non-defining* relative clauses. The clause 'which returns aggregated CPU usage data' provides additional information about the API endpoint but doesn't define or restrict its identity. The incorrect options either describe a general feature or state a necessity without adding specific detail, demonstrating a misunderstanding of how relative clauses function to elaborate on nouns.
17 / 20
Mark is writing the description for a Pull Request. He wants to accurately convey that the updated code handles rate limiting. Which of the following sentences best uses a relative clause?
This focuses on using a relative clause to provide context and reference a standard. The correct option uses 'as defined in RFC 6498' to specify *how* the rate limiting is achieved, adding crucial technical detail. The other options are too vague or simply state the fact of rate limiting without explaining its basis.
18 / 20
David left this code review comment: 'The error handling for failed database queries should be improved. The function, process_data(), ___ logs the error to a dedicated log file.' Which relative clause is missing?
This tests the correct placement of a relative clause modifying a specific noun. The missing relative clause is 'logs the error…', which needs to directly modify process_data(). Placing it before or after creates an unclear sentence structure and disrupts the flow of information about the function's behavior.
19 / 20
You are writing documentation for a new microservice. Which sentence correctly uses a relative clause to describe its primary purpose?
This assesses the ability to use a relative clause to provide a detailed explanation of the service's function. 'which handles user authentication' clearly identifies *how* the service operates and provides a key piece of information for users. The other options are too brief or simply state the service's role without elaboration.
20 / 20
Emily is documenting an API response. Which sentence best uses a reduced relative clause?
This question focuses on reduced relative clauses (also known as bracketed relative clauses). 'The response contained the data that we requested.' is the correct structure. The other options either include unnecessary detail or fail to use a correctly structured relative clause – demonstrating an understanding of how to condense information efficiently in technical documentation.
What will I practise in "Relative Clauses in Technical Writing — Grammar Exercises"?
Practise defining and non-defining relative clauses, relative pronouns (who, which, that, whose), and reduced relative clauses in IT and engineering English.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 20 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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Where can I find more Grammar exercises?
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How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
Who writes these exercises?
Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.