Defining and non-defining relative clauses

1. RELATIVE CLAUSES
DEFINING & NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
Identifying & Non-Identifying Relative Clauses

2. A relative clause gives us information about
which particular person or
thing the speaker is referring to.
Relative Pronouns: who(m), which, whose, that introduce relative clauses.
The girl who works in the bakery is my cousin.
Relative Clause
(The Relative clause tells us which girl we are talking about.)
A kangaroo is an animal which lives in Australia.
Relative Clause

3. We use WHO/ THAT to refer to people
The lady who/ that lives next door has a lot of pets.
The boy who/ that I met at Lucy’s party was very handsome.
A doctor is a person who/ that treats sick people.
Charles Dickens is the man who/ that wrote Oliver Twist.

4. We use Which/ That to refer to things, objects or animals
A book is something which/ that people read.
Have you finished the book which/ that I gave you last week.
The food which/ that was served last week was delicious.
A flamingo is a bird which/ that lives in a warm climate.

5. We use whose instead of using possessive adjectives
(my, your, his, etc.)
with people, objects and animals in order to show possession
That’s the man. His car was stolen.
That’s the man whose car was stolen.
That’s the woman whose house caught fire yesterday.
The woman is very happy. Her son got the highest grade in
the university exam.
The woman whose son got the highest grade in the university exam is happy.

6. Subject Position
RELATIVE PRONOUNS AS SUBJECT AND OBJECT
We don’t omit the relative pronoun when it is the subject
pronoun of the relative clause, that is when there is not a noun
or subject pronoun between the relative pronoun and the verb
I met a girl. She is from Japan. I met a girl who/ that is from Japan.
(The relative pronoun is the subject and there isn’t a pronoun or noun between
the relative pronoun and ‘is’.)
The dog – it ran away – is mine. The dog which/ that ran away is mine.
Have you spoken to the man? He sent you flowers
Have you spoken to the man who/ that sent you flowers.

7. Object Position
We can omit the relatıve pronoun when it is the object of the relative clause,
that is when there is a noun or a subject pronoun between the relative
pronoun and the verb.
That’s the hat. I bought it last week. That’s the hat(which/ that) I bought last week
(The relative pronoun is the object, there is the subject pronoun between the
relative pronoun and the verb.)
Have you replied to all the letters (which/ that) you received.
What is the name of the man (who/ that) I saw you with yesterday.

8. POSITION OF PREPOSITIONS IN
RELATIVE CLAUSES
IN SPOKEN ENGLISH A PREPOSITION
IN A RELATIVE CLAUSE IS USUALLY
PLACED AT THE END OF THE CLAUSE,
AND THE RELATIVE PRONOUN IS
OMITTED.
A MORE FORMAL ALTERNATIVE IS TO
PUT THE PREPOSITION AFTER THE
RELATIVE PRONOUN.

9. When the object is a person:
The man I spoke to was very friendly.
(or) The man who/that I spoke to
was very friendly.
(or) The man to whom I spoke was
very friendly. (formal)
When the object is a thing:
The house I was born in is gone.
(or) The house that I was born in is
gone.
(or) The house in which I was born is
gone.(formal)
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10. RELATIVE ADVERBS
Where is used to refer to place, usually after nouns like
Town, hotel, street, country, etc. It can be replaced by
which/ that+preposition. In this case,
which/ that can be omitted.
Where, when, why are relative adverbs and can introduce relative clauses.
The hotel where we stayed was fantastic.
The hotel which/ that I stayed at was fantastic.
I always lock the drawer where I keep my jewellery.
A cemetery is a place where dead people are buried.

11. When is used to refer to time, usually after the nouns like
time, period, day, moment, summer, etc.
I remember the day when my son was born.
I will never forget the day when I first met him.
I will always remember the day when I graduated.

12. Why is used to give reason, usually after the word reason.
The reason why I can’t meet you tonight is that I am working overtime.
He had a fight with his best friend, that’s why he is very sad.
She has to go to the dentist tomorrow, that’s why she has asked me
to go to her house.
The reason why she is unhappy that she broke up with her boyfriend.

13. There are two kinds of Relative Clauses :
Defining & Non-Defining Relative Clauses
A Defining Relative Clause gives
necessary information and it is
essential to the meaning of the main
Sentence. The relative pronouns can
be omitted when they are objects of the
relative clause.
e.g People are fined. (which people?
We don’t know. The meaning of the
sentence isn’t clear.)
People who/ that park illegally are fined.
The film was boring. (Which film? We
don’t know. The meaning isn’t clear.)
The film which/ that I watched yesterday
was boring.
A Non-defining relative Clause gives
extra information and is not essential
to the meaning of the main sentence.
In non-defining relative clauses, the
relative pronouns can never never be
omitted and the pronoun that is never
used.
The relative clause needs commas.
e.g Jeffersons live next door.
(The meaning of the sentence is clear.)
The Jeffersons ,who own a Jaguar,
live next door.
My cat is called Monty.
(The meaning is clear)
My cat, which I found on the street,
is called Monty.
(The relative clause gives extra info.)

14. EXERCISES
EXERCISES
EXERCISES