Micro-listening
Relative adverbs: choose with confidence
How do you choose between where, when and why?
Choose 'where' for a place, 'when' for a time, and 'why' for a reason. For example, 'That was the year when we moved abroad.' The clause after each relative adverb needs its own subject and verb. Use 'which' or 'that' when the preceding noun is the subject or object of the clause.
Key points
- Use 'where' for physical locations and settings.
- Use 'when' for points or periods of time.
- Use 'why' mainly after the noun 'reason'.
- Relative adverbs need a separate subject in the clause.
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At a glance
| Form | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| where | Connects a place to an action there. | We found the park where children play. |
| when | Connects a time to an event. | I remember the evening when we met. |
| why | Introduces an explanation after 'reason'. | Nobody knows the reason why prices rose. |
| which or that | Acts as the clause's subject or object. | She visited the museum that opened recently. |
The full explanation
Relative adverbs link a noun to a clause that describes it. The word where relates to a physical location or setting. The word when relates to a point or span of time. The word why relates to an underlying motive or reason. Each connector tells the listener how the clause explains the noun before it.
We reserved a meeting space where everyone can sit together.
Why it works: Where links the noun space to an action happening inside that location.
2 more examples
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October was the month when our team finished the renovation.
When links the time noun month to the event that occurred during that period.
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The manager clarified the reason why our shift changed.
Why introduces the clause that explains the cause behind the noun reason.
Read the full guide
Try the listening exercise
Identify whether you describe a place, time, or reason
Before picking a connector, look at the noun standing right before the blank. If that noun names a physical area, a calendar point, or a motive, you need a relative adverb. Learners often hesitate because they look at the whole sentence at once. Focus only on the head noun and ask what category it belongs to in the real world.
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I walked past the clinic where my sister works.
Why it works: Clinic is a building, so where provides the location for the work.
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Call me at a time when you are free.
Why it works: Time names a moment on the schedule, so when connects the availability.
Your turn
Which relative adverb correctly completes: 'Do you remember the day ___ we signed the lease?'
Answer: when
Show the answer
Answer: when
The noun 'day' specifies a point on the calendar, which requires 'when' to connect the action.
Use where to describe actions in a physical setting
Use where when the relative clause tells what someone does inside or at the location. The place can be a concrete building, a city, or an open environment. Notice that where acts like a preposition plus a noun phrase, meaning at that place or in that place. Therefore, the clause that follows must have its own subject performing an action there.
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We returned to the cafe where we studied last spring.
Why it works: Studying happened inside the cafe, making where the natural choice.
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This is the warehouse where drivers unload fresh produce.
Why it works: Unloading occurs inside this facility, so where connects the noun to the action.
You can practise this again in Who or Whom: Choose with Confidence and Relative pronouns: choose the right word.
Your turn
Select the sentence that uses 'where' correctly.
Answer: This is the factory where technicians build small engines.
Show the answer
Answer: This is the factory where technicians build small engines.
In this sentence, technicians perform an action inside the factory, which makes 'where' correct.
Use when to connect events to specific times
Select when after nouns that mark temporal intervals such as century, year, season, date, or minute. The clause following when describes what took place during that specific stretch of time. Native speakers often reduce the pronunciation of when in fast speech, but the word remains grammatically necessary whenever you connect an event to an explicit time noun.
-
Seven in the morning is the hour when traffic peaks.
Why it works: Hour names the point on the clock when the peak occurs.
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She recalls the winter when heavy snow blocked the highway.
Why it works: Winter names the season during which the snow fell.
Your turn
Which sentence accurately joins the time noun to the event?
Answer: Tuesday is the day when the delivery arrives.
Show the answer
Answer: Tuesday is the day when the delivery arrives.
Because Tuesday represents a point in time during which the arrival occurs, 'when' is the proper relative adverb.
Use why after reason to introduce an explanation
The relative adverb why almost exclusively pairs with the single noun reason. When you write or say 'the reason why', the following clause clarifies why something occurred. You can also say 'the reason that' or omit the connector in casual speech, but 'why' remains the standard relative adverb for explaining motives, decisions, or results in workplace communication.
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Traffic delay was the main reason why he arrived late.
Why it works: Why introduces the factual circumstance behind his arrival.
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Can you explain the reason why safety protocols changed?
Why it works: Why asks for the justification supporting the change.
Your turn
Choose the proper connector: 'Bad weather was the reason ___ our flight was delayed.'
Answer: why
Show the answer
Answer: why
The noun 'reason' takes 'why' to introduce the explanation of the delay.
Separate location clauses from subject descriptions
Do not use where simply because a noun is a building or geographic place. If the relative clause describes the building as a subject or direct object, you must use which or that. For example, in 'the house that burned down', the house is the thing doing the action, not a setting for another action. Use where only when someone does something at the place.
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He bought the house which sits near the lake.
Why it works: Which is required because the house itself acts as the subject of sits.
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He bought the house where his uncle lived.
Why it works: Where is required because his uncle performed the action of living inside the house.
Your turn
Complete the sentence correctly: 'We toured the museum ___ exhibits ancient coins.'
Answer: that
Show the answer
Answer: that
The museum itself is the subject that exhibits the coins, so the relative pronoun 'that' is required instead of 'where'.
Replace formal prepositions with simpler adverbs
In formal documents, writers often use prepositional phrases like in which, at which, or for which instead of relative adverbs. In ordinary speech and direct professional emails, replacing these heavy phrases with where, when, or why makes your sentences clearer. The relative adverb carries the prepositional meaning inside itself, so you do not need to construct awkward preposition phrases.
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The town in which I was born is quiet.
Why it works: Formal register using a preposition plus which.
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The town where I was born is quiet.
Why it works: Natural register using where to replace in which.
Your turn
Which sentence expresses 'the era in which they lived' in a more natural way?
Answer: the era when they lived
Show the answer
Answer: the era when they lived
'Era' represents a time period, so 'when' naturally replaces the formal phrase 'in which'.
Remove redundant prepositions from the clause end
A frequent error among intermediate learners is keeping a preposition at the end of a clause after using where or when. Because where already means 'in which' or 'at which', adding 'in' or 'at' at the end creates a grammatical double. Say 'the hotel where we stayed', never 'the hotel where we stayed at'. Check the end of your sentence to ensure no trailing prepositions remain.
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This is the branch where I bank.
Why it works: Correct: no trailing preposition follows bank.
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This is the branch that I bank at.
Why it works: Correct: that requires the preposition at to complete the phrase.
Your turn
Identify the sentence that contains a redundancy error.
Answer: I saw the office where my father works at.
Show the answer
Answer: I saw the office where my father works at.
Using 'where' together with 'at' at the end of the clause repeats the prepositional concept unnecessarily.
Check that your relative clause has a subject and verb
Relative adverbs cannot serve as the subject of the clause they introduce. A pronoun like who or which can be followed immediately by a verb, but where, when, and why must be followed by a new noun or pronoun subject. Before finalizing your sentence, verify that a subject stands directly between your relative adverb and the main verb of the clause.
-
We visited the laboratory where researchers test water.
Why it works: Researchers acts as the explicit subject following where.
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I remember the week when our team launched the website.
Why it works: Our team acts as the explicit subject following when.
Your turn
Which sentence maintains correct grammatical structure after the relative connector?
Answer: This is the studio which records audio.
Show the answer
Answer: This is the studio which records audio.
'Records' is a verb without a separate subject noun, so the relative pronoun 'which' must serve as the subject, not 'where' or 'when'.
Common mistakes
What learners often say, what to say instead, and why.
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Not this:
This is the hotel where we stayed at.Say: This is the hotel where we stayed.
'Where' already includes the meaning of 'at that place'.
-
Not this:
I remember the decade where my parents met.Say: I remember the decade when my parents met.
A decade is a period of time, so use 'when', not 'where'.
-
Not this:
That is the reason where she resigned.Say: That is the reason why she resigned.
'Why' is the relative adverb used to introduce an explanation after 'reason'.
-
Not this:
This is the bridge where crosses the river.Say: This is the bridge that crosses the river.
The bridge is the subject of 'crosses', so use 'that' or 'which'.
Before you go
Remember this
Match the connector to the exact job of the preceding noun. Where identifies location, when marks time, and why clarifies reasons. If the connector itself functions as a subject or direct object inside the clause, select a relative pronoun rather than an adverb.
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This is the cafe where everyone eats lunch.
The relative adverb where links the noun cafe to the action taking place there.
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At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
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At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
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At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listening 2 of 4
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Autumn is the season when our training begins.
The relative adverb when attaches the scheduled event to the time noun season.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- In American English this t sounds like a quick, soft d.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- In American English this t sounds like a quick, soft d.
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Listening 3 of 4
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Our company operates a central facility where operators pack every parcel. Managers chose that specific location because highway access allows trucks to reach regional hubs quickly.
Where links the noun facility to the packaging activity that takes place inside it.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The final t or d is barely said before the next consonant.
- In American English this t sounds like a quick, soft d.
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The executive committee selected an exhibition center where attendees can move between presentation halls with ease. Spring is the season when organizers welcome international guests, and everyone appreciates having spacious meeting zones. The venue also features an open dining area where everyone enjoys lunch together while discussing new research.
Where connects the venue locations to participant activities, while when identifies the seasonal timeframe of the event.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
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Describe a favorite neighborhood spot where you enjoy spending free time on weekends, explaining when you usually visit and the reason why you like it.
Use: relative adverbs: choose with confidence
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Questions about "Relative adverbs: choose with confidence"
Can I leave out the word why after the noun reason?
Yes. In standard spoken and informal written English, speakers frequently omit why or replace it with that. For example, 'That is the reason I called' sounds very natural. However, writing 'the reason why' is widely accepted and helps emphasize the causal link in formal contexts.
That is the reason why she left early.
That is the reason she left early.
How do I choose between where and which when describing a place?
Look at what happens after the connector. If an action happens at that location, use where. If the place itself is the subject doing an action or the direct object receiving an action, use which or that. Where requires an independent subject in its clause.
This is the building where we assemble parts.
This is the building which collapsed during the storm.
Why is it incorrect to say the town where I live in?
The relative adverb where already contains the prepositional meaning of 'in that place' or 'at that place'. Adding 'in' at the end of the clause repeats the preposition, which creates a grammatical redundancy. If you want to use the preposition 'in' at the end, use the relative pronoun which or that instead.
This is the town where I live.
This is the town that I live in.
Is there any difference between when and on which?
Both forms convey the exact same temporal meaning. The construction with a preposition like on which, in which, or at which belongs to formal legal, academic, or published writing. In ordinary conversation and workplace emails, when sounds much more direct and natural.
Friday is the day when we submit expenses.
Friday is the day on which we submit expenses.
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