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Year 11 - Spanish

Un revolucionario: relative pronouns 'el que' and 'el cual'

Popular culture: Figuras históricas

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils use relative pronouns 'lo que', 'el que', 'el cual' in subject relative clauses, and revisit relative clauses using wh- pronouns 'que', 'donde', 'cuando'. Pupils refresh irregular preterite verb stems.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use the relative pronouns 'el que' and 'el cual' in the context of describing a revolutionary figure.

Key Notes

  • 'El que', 'la que', 'los que' and 'las que' mean 'that', 'which' or 'who' and often appear after a preposition.
  • 'El que', 'la que', 'los que' and 'las que' agree in gender and number with the noun.
  • 'El cual', 'la cual', 'los cuales' and 'las cuales' mean 'that', 'which' or 'who' and often appear after a preposition.
  • 'El cual', 'la cual', 'los cuales' and 'las cuales' agree in gender and number with the noun.
  • 'El cual' tends to appear in more formal contexts than 'el que'.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • relative pronoun: pronoun that introduces a relative clause
  • el que, la que: relative pronoun meaning 'that', 'which' or 'who' for a singular or uncountable noun
  • los que, las que: relative pronoun meaning 'that', 'which' or 'who' for a plural noun
  • el cual, la cual: relative pronoun meaning 'that', 'which' or 'who' for a singular or uncountable noun
  • los cuales, las cuales: relative pronoun meaning 'that', 'which' or 'who' for a plural noun

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • 'El que' and 'el cual' are completely interchangeable.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.

'El que', 'la que', 'los que' and 'las que' mean 'that', 'which' or 'who' and often appear after a preposition. 'El que', 'la que', 'los que' and 'las que' agree in gender and number with the noun.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'relative pronoun'

pronoun that introduces a relative clause. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: 'El que' and 'el cual' are completely interchangeable. Correction: 'El cual' tends to appear in more formal contexts than 'el que'.

More Lessons In This Unit

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