DELE B2 Relative Clauses Spanish: Practice Test & Review
Relative clauses are one of the highest-frequency structures in B2 reading and writing. They let you combine two sentences into one by replacing a repeated noun with a relative pronoun. At B1 you learned que. At B2 you need the full system: quien, el cual, el que, and cuyo, each with its own register and syntactic rules.
This page gives you a five-part practice quiz: an evaluation set to see where you stand, three practice sets to drill the forms and uses, and a challenge set to confirm mastery. The grammar review below covers the pronoun system, specifying versus non-specifying clauses, and the prepositions that trigger each form.
Relative clauses appear in every B2 reading passage, often stacked two or three deep. Master the pronoun system and you can parse any sentence the exam throws at you. Ready? Start with the evaluation set below.
Grammar Guide
The Rule
Relative clauses combine two sentences by replacing a repeated noun with a relative pronoun. Spanish has five relative pronouns: que, quien, el cual, el que, and cuyo. Each has its own register and syntactic rules. The choice depends on whether the antecedent is a person or a thing, whether the clause is specifying or non-specifying, and whether a preposition is involved.
The Pronoun System
| Pronoun | Used for | Register | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Que | People and things | Neutral | The default. Most common in speech. |
| Quien / Quienes | People only | More formal | Required after prepositions for people. |
| El cual / La cual / Los cuales / Las cuales | People and things | Formal | Preferred in non-specifying clauses. |
| El que / La que / Los que / Las que | People and things | Neutral | Similar to el cual but more common in speech. |
| Cuyo / Cuya / Cuyos / Cuyas | Possession | Formal | Agrees with the noun it modifies, not the antecedent. |
Que — The Default
Que is the most common relative pronoun. It works for both people and things, in both specifying and non-specifying clauses. When in doubt, use que.
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| El libro que compré es interesante. | The book that I bought is interesting. |
| La persona que me ayudó era amable. | The person who helped me was kind. |
Quien — After Prepositions for People
Quien is used for people, especially after prepositions. It has a plural form: quienes.
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| La chica con quien hablé es mi vecina. | The girl with whom I spoke is my neighbor. |
| El profesor a quien consulté me ayudó. | The professor to whom I consulted helped me. |
Quien is not used for things. For things after a preposition, use que or el cual.
El Cual and El Que — Agreeing Forms
El cual, la cual, los cuales, and las cuales agree in gender and number with the antecedent. They are preferred in non-specifying clauses, especially after commas, because they are clearer than que.
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| El informe, el cual fue escrito por María, está en la mesa. | The report, which was written by María, is on the table. |
| Los problemas, los cuales son muchos, no tienen solución fácil. | The problems, which are many, do not have an easy solution. |
El que, la que, los que, and las que work the same way but are more common in speech.
Cuyo — Possession
Cuyo expresses possession and agrees with the noun it modifies, not with the antecedent. It is formal and common in written Spanish.
| Example | Translation |
|---|---|
| El escritor cuyas novelas he leído vive en Madrid. | The writer whose novels I have read lives in Madrid. |
| La empresa cuyo director renunció está en crisis. | The company whose director resigned is in crisis. |
Cuyo is never used with an article. It is always followed directly by the noun it modifies.
Specifying vs Non-Specifying Clauses
A specifying clause identifies which person or thing you mean. It does not use commas and restricts the antecedent. A non-specifying clause adds extra information about a person or thing already identified. It uses commas and does not restrict the antecedent.
| Type | Commas | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specifying | No | Los alumnos que estudian aprueban. | Only the students who study pass. |
| Non-specifying | Yes | Los alumnos, que estudian mucho, aprobaron. | All the students passed, and they study a lot. |
In non-specifying clauses, el cual is more formal than que, and it avoids ambiguity when the clause is long.
Prepositions
When a relative pronoun follows a preposition, the choice matters.
| Preposition | People | Things |
|---|---|---|
| a | a quien / al que | al que |
| con | con quien / con el que | con el que |
| de | de quien / del que | del que |
| en | en quien / en el que | en el que |
| por | por quien / por el que | por el que |
Quien is never used for things. El que and el cual work for both.
Fixed Expressions
| Expression | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| El que / La que | The one who / that | Common in speech |
| Lo que | What / the thing that | Neuter, refers to an idea or situation |
| Quien más / Quien menos | Some more, some less | Idiomatic |
| Cuyo nombre | Whose name | Formal possession |
| Con quien sea | With whomever | Indefinite |
Common Mistakes
Using quien for things.
Incorrect: El libro con quien estudié es mío.
Correct: El libro con el que estudié es mío.
Quien is only for people.
Using que instead of cuyo for possession.
Incorrect: El escritor que sus novelas son famosas vive aquí.
Correct: El escritor cuyas novelas son famosas vive aquí.
Cuyo expresses possession. Que cannot.
Making cuyo agree with the antecedent instead of the noun.
Incorrect: La empresa cuyo director… (if the company is feminine but director is masculine, cuyo agrees with director)
Correct: La empresa cuyo director…
Actually, cuyo always agrees with the noun that follows it, not the antecedent. If the noun is masculine singular, use cuyo. If feminine plural, use cuyas.
Forgetting commas in non-specifying clauses.
Incorrect: Madrid que es la capital tiene mucha historia.
Correct: Madrid, que es la capital, tiene mucha historia.
Non-specifying clauses require commas.
Quick Decision Chart
| Ask yourself | Answer | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Is this the default relative pronoun? | Yes | Que |
| Is the antecedent a person after a preposition? | Yes | Quien / quienes |
| Is this a formal non-specifying clause? | Yes | El cual / la cual / los cuales / las cuales |
| Does the relative pronoun express possession? | Yes | Cuyo / cuya / cuyos / cuyas |
| Is the antecedent a thing after a preposition? | Yes | El que / el cual (never quien) |
| Is the clause non-specifying? | Yes | Use commas |
Two Sentences That Show the Difference
El libro que compré es interesante.
The book that I bought is interesting.
Specifying clause: identifies which book. No commas.
El libro, que compré ayer, es interesante.
The book, which I bought yesterday, is interesting.
Non-specifying clause: adds information. Commas required.
La chica con quien hablé es mi vecina.
The girl with whom I spoke is my neighbor.
Quien after a preposition, for people.
El escritor cuyas novelas he leído vive en Madrid.
The writer whose novels I have read lives in Madrid.
Cuyo agrees with novelas (feminine plural).
