Comparing Defining and Non-defining Relative Clauses

A defining clause contains information that is necessary for complete clarity, while a non-
defining clause contains additional information that can be omitted without causing ambiguity.
Besides, the non-defining clauses are enclosed between commas and the defining clauses are not.

For examples:

“My friend who is a veterinarian stopped by the check on my dog.” The phrase “who is a
veterinarian” is a defining clause, because it serves to define which of my friends stopped by.

“My friend John Smith, who is a veterinarian, stopped by the check on the dog. Now the phrase
is non-defining; it adds additional information, but if it were omitted, we would still know who
stopped by.

“The book that is on the table is a copy of my favourite novel.” The phrase “that is on the table”
serves to identify the specific book being referred to. If it were omitted (“the book is my
favourite novel”), it would be unclear which book was meant

“The book Pride and Prejudice, a copy of which is on the table, is my favourite novel.” I could
omit the non-defining clause “a copy of which is on the table” and still be clear about which
book is my favourite.