Defining and Non-defining Relative Clauses

NON-DEFINING

In this sentence;

London is an interesting place to live.

We understand the subject, we know which London we are talking

about, so the sentence makes sense. We could (but don’t need to)
add more information;

London, which has a population of around seven million, is an

interesting place to live.

Because the extra information relative clause isn’t necessary to

understand the subject, we use commas to show it can be removed.
It is a non-defining relative clause. You cannot use “that” instead of
“which”
 DEFINING

In this sentence;

The man was from Scotland

We do not know which man is being talked about, we

need a clause telling us more about the subject;

The man who sold me my car was from Scotland

Because we need this clause to tell us which man we

mean, it has no commas. It is a defining relative clause,
and in this example we can use “that” instead of “who”;

The man that sold me my car was from Scotland

 ELIPSIS OF DEFINING RELATIVE OBJECT
PRONOUNS

In these two sentences, look at the defining relative

clauses, what is the subject verb and object of
each?

1) The man that sold me my car was from Scotland

2) The man that I bought my car from was from

Scotland

In which sentence can the pronoun be left out?

 S V O
1) The man that sold me my car was from Scotland
S V direct O
2) The man that I bought my car from was from
Scotland

OR:

S V direct O
2) The man I bought my car from was from
Scotland
Read the 3 short stories on this and the following 2 pages

I went walking in the hills in Scotland last

summer. You can walk for miles without
meeting anyone. One day, I met a man
walking up the only mountain in Scotland.
The man, who said he was from Glasgow,
was walking for charity.
 Story 2
I went in the bar and there were only two
men in there. One man was reading the
newspaper and the other man was talking
to the barman. The man who had the
newspaper looked up at me but said
nothing.
 Story 3
I met three teachers yesterday when I
went in the staffroom, but I only asked
your question to one of them, because the
teacher who I asked is a specialist in that
sort of thing.
 Questions:
1) Which sentences in the stories are
defining and which are non-defining?
(Which sentences have commas?)

2) Which sentences can you use "that" in?

3) In which sentence/s can you leave out the

pronoun?
 I went walking in the hills in Scotland last
summer. You can walk for miles without
meeting anyone. One day, I met a man
walking up the only mountain in Scotland.
The man, who said he was from Glasgow,
was walking for charity.

The clause in red is a non-defining clause

You cannot use "that" here.
You cannot leave out the pronoun?
 I went in the bar and there were only two
men in there. One man was reading the
newspaper and the other man was talking
to the barman. The man who/that had the
newspaper looked up at me but said
nothing.

The clause in red is a defining clause

You can use “that”
You cannot leave out who/that as it is the
subject of “had”
 I met three teachers yesterday when I
went in the staffroom, but I only asked
your question to one of them, because the
teacher (who/that) I asked is a specialist in
that sort of thing.

The clause in red is a defining clause

You can use “that”
You can leave out who/that as it is the
object of “asked”
 Concept Check: Match a letter to a number

A) The students, who all had

tickets, went into the museum.

B) The students who all had

tickets went into the museum.

1) Some of the students had tickets and some did not. Only
the students with tickets went into the museum.

2) All the students had tickets and all the students went into
the museum.
A & 2: Non-defining
A) The students, who all had
tickets, went into the museum.
2) All the students had tickets and all the students went into
the museum.

B & 1: Defining
B) The students who all had
tickets went into the museum.
1) Some of the students had tickets and some did not. Only
the students with tickets went into the museum.
 Defining/Non-defining Relative Clauses
REVISION

• 1) Can you use ‘that’ in non-defining relative

clauses?
• The Queen, ____ lives in Buckingham Palace, has three
sons.
• Some say that Tony Blair, ____ is Prime Minister, should
resign.

• 2) Can you use ‘that’ in defining relative clauses?

• The book ____ I bought yesterday cost over £10.oo.
• The person ____ told me about the show was also a
staff member.
• The house ____ I live in now is smaller than the old one.
• 1) Can you use ‘that’ in non-defining relative
clauses? NO
• The Queen, who lives in Buckingham Palace, has three
sons.
• Some say that Tony Blair, who is Prime Minister, should
resign.

• 2) Can you use ‘that’ in defining relative clauses?

YES
• The book thatI bought yesterday cost over £10.oo.
• The person that told me about the show was also a staff
member.
• The house that I live in now is smaller than the old one.
• 3) Can you always use that in defining
relative clauses?
• The house ____ I live now is smaller than the
old one.
• The cupboard in ____ he put the old
newspapers has collapsed.

• 4) Can you leave out the object pronoun in

non-defining relative clauses?
• The Queen, ____ everyone loves, has the
highest valued private art collection in the world.
• 3) Can you always use that in defining
relative clauses? NO
• The house where I live now is smaller than the
old one.
• The cupboard in which he put the old
newspapers has collapsed.

• 4) Can you leave out the object pronoun in

non-defining relative clauses? NO
• The Queen, ____ everyone loves, has the
highest valued private art collection in the world.
• 5) Can you leave out the subject pronoun in non-
defining relative clauses?
• The Queen, ____ opened the gallery, is also a patron.

• 6) Can you leave out the object pronoun in defining

relative clauses?
• The book ____ I bought yesterday was second-hand.

• 7) Can you leave out the subject pronoun in defining

relative clauses?
• The man ____ told me all about the book works in a
bookshop.
• 5) Can you leave out the subject pronoun in non-
defining relative clauses? NO
• The Queen, who opened the gallery, is also a patron.

• 6) Can you leave out the object pronoun in defining

relative clauses? YES
• The book I bought yesterday was second-hand.

• 7) Can you leave out the subject pronoun in defining

relative clauses? NO
• The man who told me all about the book works in a
bookshop.
 Relative Pronouns:
Pronoun representing “it” or “there”?

A) I have a house. I bought it. It’s nice

The house______(where/which) I bought is nice

B) I have a house. I live in it. It’s nice

The house _____(where/which) I live in is nice.

C) I have a house. I live there.

The house ______ (where/which) I live is nice.

 Relative Pronouns:
Pronoun representing “it” or “there”?

A) I have a house. I bought it. It’s nice

The house which I bought is nice

B) I have a house. I live in it. It’s nice

The house which I live in is nice.

C) I have a house. I live there.

The house where I live is nice.

 Noun Clauses & Relative Clauses: Add a clause using
which or what

1) S. V. O.
I know the book

2) S. V.
I know
 Noun Clauses & Relative Clauses: Add a clause using
which or what

1) S. V. O.
I know the book which

2) S. V.
I know what
Now try using ‘which’ or ‘what’ here

1) ________ you did was wrong.

2) I saw_____ he bought.
3)We like____ you did.
4) I saw the book_____ he put in his bag.
5) The book____he bought cost £1.
6) I bought _____ you told me to buy.
1) What you did was wrong.
2) I saw what he bought.
3)We like what you did.
4) I saw the book which he put in his bag.
5) The book which he bought cost £1.
6) I bought what you told me to buy.