RELATIVE CLAUSES

- Defining relative clauses

- Non-defining relative clauses

 DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

• They give essential information about the subject

of the sentence.

Ex: The woman who lives next door is a doctor.

Barbara works for a company that makes furniture.
We stayed at the hotel (that) you recommended.
NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
• They give additional but non-essential information. In other
words, this information can be omitted without affecting the
sense of the sentence.
Ex: My brother Rob, who lives in Australia, is a doctor.
Colin told me about his new job, which he’s enjoying very much.
We stayed at the Park Hotel, which a friend of ours recommended.

• As these examples show, punctuation is used in non-defining

relative clauses. It’s very important to use commas accurately in
relative clauses, as inaccurate use may change the meaning of
the sentence.
Ex: The students who don’t like fish ate at the restaurant. – DEFINING
The students, who don’t like fish, ate at the restaurant. – NON-DEFINING
 RELATIVE PRONOUNS
DEFINING RELATIVE
EXAMPLES
CLAUSES
The boy who is playing is a national champion.
WHO / WHOM
PEOPLE The client to whom the letter was sent was French. (very formal)
THAT
The teacher (that)* I met is Head of English.

WHICH Colours which can be worn are black, blue and grey.
THINGS
THAT The book (that)* I recommended costs £8.50.

PEOPLE
We met some people whose car had broken down.
AND WHOSE
The car whose energy comes from solar panels is cheap.
THINGS

* The relative pronoun can be omitted when it is the object of the sentence. It must be
included when it is the subject of the sentence.
 RELATIVE PRONOUNS
NON-DEFINING
EXAMPLES
RELATIVE CLAUSES
PEOPLE WHO Ned, who plays the violin, is living above the music shop.

THINGS WHICH* The new brand of shampoo, which is selling well, is scented.

PEOPLE
Professor Smith, whose book had excellent reviews, is in town.
AND WHOSE
That car, whose bumper is destroyed, is for sale.
THINGS

* The pronoun ‘that’ cannot be used because there’s no linking of the clauses.
Ex: ****The new brand of shampoo, that is selling well, is scented.
 RELATIVE ADVERBS

DEFINING / NON-
DEFINING RELATIVE EXAMPLES
CLAUSES
PLACE WHERE The flats where I lived were downtown.

TIME WHEN Last summer, when I went to London, was my favourite.

REASON WHY That is the reason why we’re so successful.