Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses explained in Khmer - Key uses, forms, examples and exercise

Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Q : What are the relative clauses?

A:  They are the dependent clauses that are basically used as adjectives to modify nouns.

Q : What do the relative clauses grammatically begin with?

A : Grammatically, they begin with the relative pronouns.

Q : How many types can the relative clauses technically be divided into?

A : Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Relative Pronouns

Form: [ Sub + v + noun + relative pronoun + (sub) + V ………] 

• That : people and things
• Where : places
• When : times
• Who : people
• Whom : people (object)
• Whose : people (possession)
• Which : things and animals
• Why : reasons

Examples

• Chocolate, which many people adore, is fattening.
• People who are smart follow the rules.
• I can remember the time when cell phones didn't exist.
• Charlie has a friend whose daughter lives in China.
• The wine that vintners produce in Tuscany is not cheap.
• The reason why Sandra went to law school is that she didn't want to be a doctor.

Defining Relative clause

Defining relative clause is used to give essential information to the noun preceding it. Without a defining relative clause the sentence will not make a complete sense. See the examples below.

This is the book that has a lot of helpful English grammar lessons.

Let's break down the complex sentence above. As we can clearly see that there are two clauses in the example. The first clause is : This is the book, the second clause is : that has a lot of helpful English grammar lessons.

"that has a lot of helpful English grammar lessons.." is the defining relative clause that gives essential information to the noun "book" it tells us more about the book. If we remove the defining relative clause, the sentence "This is the book." It means that a general book not a cat, or dog or a pen.

Defining Relative Clause ជាប្រយោគដែលយើងប្រើប្រាស់ដើម្បីផ្តល់ពត៍មានសំខាន់ ជាក់ទៅកាន់នាមដែលនៅខាងមុខវា ដូនក្នុងឧទាហរណ៍ខាងលើ ប្រសិនបើយើងលប់ DRC ចោលនោះ ប្រយោគទាំងមួលប្រែរថា ៖ This is the book. នេះជាសៀវភៅ យើងមិនដឹងថាជសៀភៅអ្វីអោយជាក់ទាក់ទេ វាគ្រាន់តែជាសៀភៅទូរទៅ១ក្បាលប៉ុណ្ណោះ។ ប៉ុន្តែនៅពេលដែលយើង ដាក់ DRC ចូលប្រយោគទាំងមូលមានន័យគ្រប់គ្រាន់៖ នេះជាសៀវភៅដែលមានគន្លឹះមេរៀនវេយ្យាករណ៍អង់គ្លេសជាច្រើន។ 

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

- Here are some cells which have been affected.

- They should give the money to somebody whom they think needs the treatment most.

Spoken English

In defining relative clauses we often use that instead of who, whom or which. This is very common in informal speaking:

- They’re the people that want to buy our house.

- Here are some cells that have been affected.

Which Vs that

Which and that can sometimes be confusing since they can be used alternatively in some cases but let's differentiate as below.

That

- It can only be used in Defining Relative Clause.

- It refers to things.

- It cannot be used to refer to people.

- It cannot be used after a comma

Which

- It cab be used in both Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clause.

- It can be used to to refer to things but no people.

- It can be used after a comma.

Subject or object

The relative pronoun can be the subject or the object of the verb:

• They’re the people who bought our house. 
• They’re the people who she met at Jon’s party. 
• Here are some cells which show abnormality
• Here are some cells which the researcher has identified. 

No relative pronoun

We often leave out the relative pronoun when it is the object of the verb:

• They’re the people she met at Jon’s party.
• Here are some cells the researcher has identified.

Warning:

In writing, we don’t use commas in defining relative clauses:

• This is a man who takes his responsibilities seriously.
• Not: This is a man, who takes his responsibilities seriously.

Non-Defining Relative Clause

Give extra information about the person or thing. It’s not essential to understand who or what is being referred to. 

Non-Defining Relative Clause ប្រើដម្បីបន្ថែមពត៍មានទៅកាន់នាមដែល​នៅខាងមុខវា។​ វាជាពត៍មានបន្ថែមប៉ុណ្ណោះ វាមិនចាំបាច់ខ្លាំដូជ Defining Relative Clause ទេ។ យើងប្រើប្រាស់ សញ្ញាក្បាស ហើយជាទូទៅ នាមដែល NDRC  ជានាមដែលជាក់លាក់ មានន័យថាវាជាឈ្មោះរបស់ មនុស្ស សត្វ ទីកន្លែង ឬជាអ្វីដែលអ្នកនិយាយ និងអ្នកស្តាប់ស្គាល់។ 

• Dara, who I work with, is also doing his own business.
• My eldest son, whose work takes him all over the world, is in Hong Kong at the moment.
• Angkor Wat, which is one of the wonders of the world, is visited by millions of tourists every year. 

Defining or Non-Defining Relative clauses

Sometimes defining and non-defining relative clauses can look very similar but have different meanings.

• His brother, who works at the supermarket, is a friend of mine.
• (He has only one brother, and that brother works at the supermarket.)
• His brother who works at the supermarket is a friend of mine.
• (He has more than one brother. The one I’m talking about works at the supermarket.)