English Grammar Lesson | Adjective Clause or Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses

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

• give essential information about someone or something
• a defining relative clause usually comes immediately after the noun it describes.

- 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.

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.

• 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.)

📚 Relative Clauses: Defining vs Non-Defining

🎯 What are Relative Clauses?

Relative clauses are parts of sentences that give us more information about a noun. They usually start with words like who, which, that, whose, where, when.

🔍 Defining Relative Clauses

Purpose: They give essential information that identifies which person or thing we're talking about. Without this information, the sentence wouldn't make complete sense.

Key Points:

• No commas around the clause
• Essential information - can't be removed
• Can use "that" instead of "who/which"

Example: The book that I borrowed is very interesting.
(Which book? The one I borrowed - this information is essential)

Example: People who exercise regularly are usually healthier.
(Which people? Those who exercise regularly)

💬 Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Purpose: They give extra information that is nice to know but not essential. The sentence would still make sense without this information.

Key Points:

• Commas before and after the clause
• Extra information - can be removed
• Cannot use "that" - must use "who/which"

Example: My brother, who lives in Paris, is a chef.
(I only have one brother, so "who lives in Paris" is extra information)

Example: The Eiffel Tower, which was built in 1889, is in Paris.
(We know which tower - the extra information about when it was built is not essential)

🏋️ Practice Time!

Choose whether each sentence contains a defining or non-defining relative clause:

Question 1:

"The students who studied hard passed the exam."

Defining relative clause

Non-defining relative clause

Question 2:

"My car, which is red, needs a wash."

Defining relative clause

Non-defining relative clause

Question 3:

"The house that we visited yesterday was beautiful."

Defining relative clause

Non-defining relative clause

Question 4:

"Shakespeare, who wrote Hamlet, was born in 1564."

Defining relative clause

Non-defining relative clause

Question 5:

"I need a pen that works properly."

Defining relative clause

Non-defining relative clause

Question 6:

"The woman _____ lives next door is a doctor."

who

which

whose

Question 7:

"The book _____ I'm reading is fascinating."

which

who

whom

Question 8:

"The student _____ bag was stolen reported it to the police."

whose

who

which

Question 9:

"The restaurant _____ we had dinner was excellent."

where

which

who

Question 10:

"The person _____ you spoke to is my manager."

whom

who

whose

Question 11:

"Do you remember the day _____ we first met?"

when

where

which

Question 12:

"The laptop _____ screen is cracked needs repair."

whose

which

that

Question 13:

"The city _____ I was born has changed a lot."

where

which

when

Question 14:

"The movie _____ won the Oscar was directed by Christopher Nolan."

which

who

where

Question 15:

"The teacher _____ everyone respects is retiring next year."

whom

who

whose

Question 16:

"The year _____ I graduated was very special."

when

where

which

Question 17:

"The artist _____ paintings are displayed here is famous worldwide."

whose

who

which

Question 18:

"The building _____ they're constructing will be 50 stories tall."

which

where

who

Question 19:

"The park _____ we used to play as children is now a shopping mall."

where

which

when

Question 20:

"The moment _____ I realized my mistake was too late."

when

where

which

Score: 0/20

🎯 Quick Memory Tips

Remember:

• Commas = Extra info (non-defining)
• No commas = Essential info (defining)
• "That" can only be used in defining clauses
• If you can remove the clause and the sentence still makes sense, it's probably non-defining!