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Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-Defining

This document discusses defining and non-defining relative clauses. [1] Defining relative clauses provide essential information about a person or thing, joining two ideas into one sentence using a relative pronoun like "who" or "which". [2] Non-defining relative clauses provide extra information about someone or something and are set off by commas. [3] Relative pronouns like "who", "which", and "that" are used differently in defining and non-defining clauses.

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Alejandra Ferreyra
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28 views

Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-Defining

This document discusses defining and non-defining relative clauses. [1] Defining relative clauses provide essential information about a person or thing, joining two ideas into one sentence using a relative pronoun like "who" or "which". [2] Non-defining relative clauses provide extra information about someone or something and are set off by commas. [3] Relative pronouns like "who", "which", and "that" are used differently in defining and non-defining clauses.

Uploaded by

Alejandra Ferreyra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Relative Clauses

DEFINING AND NON-DEFINING


What is a relative clause?

 When we want to join two different ideas that refer to the same person, thing, place,
etc., we can use this type of grammatical structure.
 We make just one sentence and we use a linking word, called a relative pronoun /
adverb, to connect the two ideas.

Example:
He is the colleague. He got promoted last week. (2 ideas that refer to the same person)

He is the colleague WHO got promoted last week. (1 sentence joining the two ideas)

RELATIVE CLAUSE
Defining relative clauses

 Defining relative clauses give us essential information – information that tells us who


or what we are talking about.

Examples:
The woman lives next door. She works in a bank. (2 ideas about the same person)

The woman who lives next door works in a bank. (1 sentence joining both ideas)

These are the flights. They have been cancelled. (2 ideas about the same thing)

These are the flights which have been cancelled. (1 sentence joining both ideas)
Relative pronouns

 We use 'who' for people and 'which' for things. We can use 'that' for people or
things.

There was a one-year guarantee which came with the TV.


The laptop that I bought last week has started making a strange
noise!
 Sometimes we can leave out the relative pronoun. For example, we can usually leave
out who, which or that if it is followed by a subject.

The assistant [that] we met was really kind.


   (we = subject, can omit that)
Non-defining relative clauses

 Non-defining relative clauses give us extra information about someone or something.


This information isn't essential for understanding who or what we are talking about.

Examples:
My grandfather goes swimming every day. He’s 87. (2 ideas about the same person)

My grandfather, who's 87, goes swimming every day. (1 sentence joining both ideas)

This house has just been opened to the public. It was built in 1883. (2 ideas about the same thing)

The house, which was built in 1883, has just been opened to the public. (1 sentence joining both ideas)
Relative pronouns

 We don't use 'that' in non-defining relative clauses, so we need to use 'which' if the
pronoun refers to a thing, and 'who' if it refers to a person. We can't drop the
relative pronoun in this kind of clause, even if the relative pronoun is the subject of
the clause.

Yesterday I met my new boss, who was very nice.

The house, which is very big, is also very cold!

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