Relative clauses with prepositions
🔍 1. Overview & key points
- A relative clause (Relativsatz) is used to modify a noun that comes before.
- When that noun relates to a preposition, the preposition must come before the relative pronoun in the clause.
❗ This is a point where B2 learners often make mistakes: placing the preposition incorrectly, choosing the wrong pronoun (dem, der, denen...), or writing the sentence order incorrectly.
🔹 Correct structure when a preposition is involved:
Main clause, preposition + relative pronoun … verb at the end.
(Main clause), (preposition + relative pronoun) … (verb at the end).
📘 2. Table of relative pronouns with prepositions
| Preposition | Dative Singular | Accusative Singular | Dative Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| mit | mit dem/der | – | mit denen |
| auf | – | auf den/die/das | – |
| über | – | über den/die/das | – |
| von | von dem/der | – | von denen |
| für | – | für den/die/das | – |
| bei | bei dem/der | – | bei denen |
⚠️ The relative pronoun changes according to the gender + number + case of the noun it replaces, NOT according to the subject!
📚 3. Examples of relative clauses with prepositions
🔸 A. With accusative (preposition with the verb)
Das ist der Mann, auf den ich warte.
– That is the man I am waiting for.
Ich habe ein Thema, über das ich sprechen möchte.
– I have a topic I would like to talk about.
Sie sucht ein Hotel, für das sie nicht zu viel bezahlen muss.
– She is looking for a hotel that she doesn’t have to pay too much for.
🔸 B. With dative
Das ist die Frau, mit der ich gesprochen habe.
– That is the woman I spoke with.
Der Computer, bei dem ich arbeite, ist alt.
– The computer I work at is old.
Der Student, von dem ich die Idee gehört habe, ist sehr klug.
– The student from whom I heard the idea is very smart.
🔸 C. Plural
The children, mit denen wir gespielt haben, waren sehr nett.
– The children we played with were very nice.
The problems, über die wir gesprochen haben, sind gelöst.
– The problems we talked about are solved.
🧠 4. Academic style & complex sentences
📌 This form appears frequently in academic writing, argumentative texts, and formal letters.
There are many aspects we must pay attention to.
– Es gibt viele Aspekte, auf die wir achten müssen.
The concepts the author works with are theoretically complex.
– Die Konzepte, mit denen die Autorin arbeitet, sind theoretisch komplex.
The company I did an internship at offers good working conditions.
– Das Unternehmen, bei dem ich ein Praktikum gemacht habe, bietet gute Arbeitsbedingungen.
🔧 5. Common mistakes
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Correct | 📌 Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| The woman, I have with her spoken. | The woman, with whom I have spoken. | Wrong order & form |
| The book, I have spoken about it. | The book, about which I have spoken. | Preposition must come before the pronoun |
| The colleague, I work with. | The colleague, with whom I work. | Redundant word, wrong preposition position |
📝 6. Quick summary
- A relative clause with preposition → preposition comes before relative pronoun.
- The relative pronoun changes according to the gender, number, case of the noun it replaces, NOT the subject.
- Common in academic writing, formal letters, essays.
- Frequent mistakes: wrong preposition position, redundant/misordered words, wrong case usage.