14. Relative clauses: defining and non-defining

Relative clauses: defining and non-defining

I bought a new car that is very fast.

I bought a new car, which is very fast.

Which sentence is CORRECT?

What is Relative Clause?

We can use relative clauses to join two English sentences or to give more information about something.

I bought a new car. It is very fast.

→ I bought a new car that is very fast.

She lives in New York. She likes living in New York.

→ She lives in New York, which she likes.

Defining and Non-defining

A defining relative clause tells which noun we are talking about

A non-defining relative clause gives us extra information about something. We don't need this information to understand the sentence.

Defining

• A defining relative clause tells which noun we are talking about:

• I like the woman who lives next door.

• If I don't say who lives next door, then we don't know which woman I mean.

Non-defining

• A non-defining relative clause gives us extra information about something. We don't need this information to understand the sentence.

• I live in London, which has some fantastic parks.

• Everybody knows where London is, so which has some fantastic parks is extra information.

Multiple Choice

True or False?

"Relative clauses give information about a person, an object, a place, etc..."

• Yes!

• No way!

• Mmm, I have no clue...

• What's a relative clause???

Multiple Choice

True or False?
"Relative clauses give information about a person, an object, a place, etc..."

• Yes!
• No way!
• Mmm, I have no clue...
• What's a relative clause???

Multiple Choice

What are the two types of relative clauses?

• Defining and Non-defining Relative Clauses.
• Essential and Aditional Relative Clauses.
• Subject and Object Relative Clauses
• Standard and Non-standard Relative Clauses.

Multiple Choice

This relative clause gives essential information about the person/thing/possession/place.

• Defining Relative Clause.
• Non-definining Relative Clause.
• Subject Relative Clause
• Standard Relative Clause.

Multiple Choice

This relative clause gives aditional information about the person/thing/possession/place.

• Defining Relative Clause.

• Non-definining Relative Clause.

• Aditional Relative Clause

• Standard Relative Clause.

Multiple Choice

We need this clause to know who or what we're talking about.

• Defining Relative Clause.
• Non-definining Relative Clause.
• Aditional Relative Clause
• Standard Relative Clause.

Multiple Choice

We need this clause to know who or what we're talking about.

• Defining Relative Clause.

• Non-definining Relative Clause.

• Aditional Relative Clause

• Standard Relative Clause.

Multiple Choice

This clause is separated with commas:

• Defining Relative Clause.

• Non-defining Relative Clause.

Multiple Choice

This clause is NOT separated with commas:

• Defining Relative Clause.

• Non-definining Relative Clause.

Multiple Choice

If the NON-defining relative clause comes at the end of the sentence, we only use ONE comma.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Clare, who I work with, is doing the London marathon this year.

• Defining

• Non-defining

Multiple Choice

They’re the people who want to buy our house.

• Defining

• Non-defining

Defining relative clauses:

1. The relative pronoun is the subject:

We can use who, which, or that.

We use who for people and which for things.

We can use that for people or things.

The relative clause can come after the subject or the object of the sentence. We can't drop the relative pronoun.

Defining relative clauses examples:

• Clause after the object of the sentence:

• She has a son who/ that is a doctor.

• We bought a house which/ that is 200 years old.

• I sent a letter which/ that arrived three weeks later.

• I'm looking for a secretary who/ that can use a computer well.

Defining relative clauses examples:

• Clause after the subject of the sentence:

• The people who/ that live on the island are very friendly.

• The man who/ that phoned is my brother.

• The camera which/ that costs £100 is over there.

• The house which/ that belongs to Julie is in London.

Defining relative clauses:

2. The relative pronoun is the object:

In this case, we can drop the relative pronoun if we want to.

Again, the clause can come after the subject or the object of the sentence.

Defining relative clauses examples:

• Clause after the object of the sentence:

• She loves the chocolate (which/ that) I bought.

• We went to the village (which/ that) Lucy recommended.

• John met a woman (who/ that) I had been to school with.

• The police arrested a man (who/ that) Jill worked with.

Defining relative clauses examples:

• Clause after the subject of the sentence:

• The bike (which/ that) I loved was stolen.

• The university (which/ that) she likes is famous.

• The woman (who/ that) my brother loves is from Mexico.

• The doctor (who/ that) my grandmother liked lives in New York.

Non-defining relative clauses:

• We don't use that in non-defining relative clauses, so we need to use which if the pronoun refers to a thing, and who if it refers to a person.

• We can't drop the relative pronoun in this kind of clause, even if the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause.

Non-defining relative clauses:

• Clause after the subject of the sentence:

• My boss, who is very nice, lives in Manchester.

• My sister, who I live with, knows a lot about cars.

• My bicycle, which I've had for more than ten years, is falling apart.

• My mother's house, which I grew up in, is very small.

Non-defining relative clauses:

• Clause after the object of the sentence:

• Yesterday I called our friend Julie, who lives in New York.

• The photographer called to the Queen, who looked annoyed.

• Last week I bought a new computer, which I don't like now.

• I really love the new Chinese restaurant, which we went to last night.

Prepositions and relative clauses

If the verb in the relative clause needs a preposition, we put it at the end of the clause.

Examples

• The music is good. Julie listens to the music.

• → The music (which/ that) Julie listens to is good.

• My brother met a woman. I used to work with the woman.

• → My brother met a woman (who/ that) I used to work with.

Examples

• The country is very hot. He went to the country.

• → The country (which/ that) he went to is very hot.

• I visited the city. John comes from the city.

• → I visited the city (that/ which) John comes from.

• The job is well paid. She applied for the job.

• → The job (which/ that) she applied for is well paid.

Whose

Whose is always the subject of the relative clause and can't be left out. It replaces a possessive. It can be used for people and things.

The woman is coming tonight. Her car is a BMW.

→ The woman whose car is a BMW is coming tonight.

The house belongs to me. Its roof is very old.

→ The house whose roof is old belongs to me.

Where / when / why

I live in a city. I study in the city.

→ I live in the city where I study.

→ I live in the city that / which I study in.

→ I live in the city in which I study.