Relative Clause – Exercise 2

Relative Clause – Defining & Non-Defining

A. Defining
Relative clauses which define the noun are called defining relative clauses. Defining relative clauses are essential
to the sentence as they specify who or what is being referred to.
1. A woman who robbed a bank has been arrested.
(The relative clause defines ‘a woman’ and without it, the meaning of the sentence would be obscure)
2. There is a package which has not been attended to for several hours.
(The relative clause defines ‘a package’ and without it, the meaning of the sentence would be obscure)
3. The girl who lost her keys managed to get in the house.
(The relative clause defines ‘The girld’ and without it, the meaning of the sentence would be obscure)

B. Non-defining
Relative clauses which describe the noun are called non-defining relative clauses. Non-defining relative clauses
are not essential to the sentence as they give extra information about the noun being referred to.
1. My brother, who has been living in Germany for the last two years, will get married next year.
(The relative clause defines ‘a woman’ and without it, the meaning of the sentence would be obscure)
2. Michael Jackson, who passed away in 2009, still holds the record for the best selling album.
(The relative clause defines ‘a package’ and without it, the meaning of the sentence would be obscure)
3. We went to Lego Land, which has a huge car park.
(The relative clause defines ‘The girld’ and without it, the meaning of the sentence would be obscure)

In general, defining relative clauses are not marked with commas, whereas non-defining relative clauses are
separated off in writing by commas.

Exercise 1
Underline the relative clause and indicate whether they are defining or non-defining.
Example: I met the teacher who won the teacher of the year award. Defining
1. Janice called the guy whom she met online. ______________________
2. The computer which I bought last week is broken already. ______________________
3. Sam’s dog, which she has had for a few years, died last week. ______________________
4. I ran a marathon, which I never thought I would ever do. ______________________
5. Do you remember my old boss who moved onto a new job last year? ______________________
6. Lions, which mostly live in Africa, are close to extinction. ______________________
7. The baby who the hospital staff found was reunited with its mother. ______________________
8. The employee who sells the most cars will win the bonus incentive. ______________________
Exercise 2.
Join the independent clauses to form a complex sentence with a relative clause. Mark off the non-defining relative
clauses with commas.

1. J.K Rowling wrote a new book. J.K. Rowling lives in London.

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2. I bought the television. You told me about it.

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3. The children wanted to go to Disney World. Disney World is located in Orlando, Floria.

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4. The singer decided to cancel the show. The show had been sold out months in advance.

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5. The show host apologized for the comment. The comment had offended many viewers.

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6. The train was absolutely packed. The train was going to London.

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7. Tom Cruise is going to be a father again. Tom Cruise starred in Mission Impossible and Jerry Maguire.

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8. The city mayor has decided to step down. The city mayor has been in the role for 8 years.

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9. London Olympics is regarded as a huge success. London Olympics cost just under £9 billion.

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10. The company was sold for $40 million. The company developed mobile apps.

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 Answer Key
Exercise 1
1. Defining
2. Defining
3. Non-defining
4. Non-defining
5. Defining
6. Non-defining
7. Defining
8. Defining
Exercise 2
1. J.K Rowling, who lives in London, wrote a new
book.
2. I bought the television which You told me about.
3. The children wanted to go to Disney World,
which is located in Orlando, Floria.
4. The singer decided to cancel the show, which
had been sold out months in advance.
5. The show host apologized for the comment
which had offended many viewers.
6. The train, which was going to London, was
absolutely packed.
7. Tom Cruise, who starred in Mission Impossible
and Jerry Maguire, is going to be a father again.
8. The city mayor, who has been in the role for 8
years, has decided to step down.
9. London Olympics, which cost just under £9
billion, is regarded as a huge success.
10. The company, which developed mobile apps,
was sold for $40 million.