Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-defining

Relative Clauses

We use relative clauses to give additional information about something without starting another sentence.

By combining sentences with a relative clause, your text becomes more fluent and you can avoid repeating certain words.

    

Defining Relative Clauses

Defining relative clauses (also called identifying relative clauses or restrictive relative clauses) give detailed information defining a general term or expression. Defining relative clauses are not put in commas.

Defining relative clauses are often used in definitions.

- A seaman is someone who works on a ship.

Object pronouns in defining relative clauses can be dropped. (Sentences with a relative clause without the relative pronoun are called Contact Clauses.)

- The boy (who/whom) we met yesterday is very nice.

Exercise:

Combine the sentences. Use who, which, whose, where or when.
Example:              Ivan is very good-looking. (He’s Helen’s brother.)
                                = Ivan, who is Helen’s brother, is very good-looking.

1. The book is about a murder on the Nile. (It was written by Agatha Christie.)
= ……………………………………………………………………………
2. The diamond necklace has been found by the police. (It was stolen last week.)
= …………………………………………………...………………………
3. Steven Spielberg lives in Hollywood. (He is a famous film director.)
= ……………………………………………….......………………………
4. My friend Isabel wants to do media studies. (Her father is a TV presenter.)
= …………………………………………………...………………………
5. The new club plays great music. (Jamie works there.)
= ……………………………………………………………………………
6. My holiday in Ibiza was wonderful. (I first met Jenny then.)
= ……………………………………………………………………………

7. The new band is very good. (It was formed last year.)

=………………………………………………… …………………………

Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Non-defining relative clauses (also called non-identifying relative clauses or non-restrictive relative clauses) give additional information on something, but do not define it. Non-defining relative clauses are put in commas.

Note: In non-defining relative clauses, who/which may not be replaced with that.

Object pronouns in non-defining relative clauses must be used.

- Jim, who/whom we met yesterday, is very nice.

Exercise:

Combine the sentences. Use who, which, that, where or when.
Example: That’s the school. I used to go to it.
                 = That’s the school that I used to go to.

1. There’s the girl. I was telling you about her.
= ………………………………………………………
2. That was the day. They got married then.
= …………………………………………………
3. She’s the girl. Her brother plays in the football team.
= …………………………………………………
4 That’s the café. I meet my friends there.
= …………………………………………………
5 This is the film. I’ve been waiting to see it for ages.
= …………………………………………………
6 Have you met the girl? She’s going out with Ted.
= …………………………………………………
7 These are the trainers. I bought them yesterday.
= …………………………………………………