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Understanding Relative Clauses

This document discusses two types of relative clauses: 1. Defining relative clauses provide specific information about a noun and use "who", "that", "which", or "that" as relative pronouns. 2. Non-defining relative clauses provide extra information about a noun, set off by commas, and use "who", "which", "whose", "where", "when", or "whom" as relative pronouns but not "that". The relative pronoun can be omitted in defining relative clauses when the thing defined is the object of the verb that follows it.

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15 views2 pages

Understanding Relative Clauses

This document discusses two types of relative clauses: 1. Defining relative clauses provide specific information about a noun and use "who", "that", "which", or "that" as relative pronouns. 2. Non-defining relative clauses provide extra information about a noun, set off by commas, and use "who", "which", "whose", "where", "when", or "whom" as relative pronouns but not "that". The relative pronoun can be omitted in defining relative clauses when the thing defined is the object of the verb that follows it.

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Minerva Gomez
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© All Rights Reserved
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RELATIVE CLAUSES

Definition: A relative clause provides us with more information about something in the
main clause. There are two types: defining and non-defining.

1. DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

(known as oraciones de relative especificativas in Spanish)

Definition: Defining relative clauses give more information about the noun, or they
make it more specific. In other words, defining clauses tell us “which” particular thing or “what
kind”·of thing is being referred to.

With defining relative clauses you may use who / that to refer to people and which / that to
refer to things.

**”that” is only used with defining relative clauses!

Example:

She is the woman who told me to come to talk to you.

(or you could say)

She is the woman that told me to come to talk to you.

2. NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

(known as oraciones de relative explicativas in Spanish)

Definition: Non-defining relative clauses give more information about the noun, but
the information they give us is extra information which is not necessary for the sentence to
make sense.

With non-defining relative clauses you may use “who”, “which”, whose”, “where”, “when” and
“whom”. Do not use “that”.

Notice that when you add extra information with a non-defining relative clause you mark this
information with a comma before and a comma after the clause.

Example:

Alex, who cuts my hair, has moved to another hairdresser’s.

(Alex is already defined by his name; the other information given is extra information.)
OMITTING RELATIVE PRONOUNS

Another interesting point to consider is that the relative pronoun can be omitted from defining
relative clauses when the thing defined is the object of the verb.

Example A:

My father really likes the bread (that/ which) they make in Galicia.

(object) (subject) (verb)

Notice that in this sentence “bread” is the object of the subject / verb following it. This
is an example of when you can omit the relative pronoun.

Look at the next set of examples.

Example B:

I always thank people for the help (that) they’ve given me.

(object) (subject) (verb)

(We can omit the relative pronoun here.)

Example C:

I always thank people who help me.

(subject) (verb) (object)

(In contrast, in example C we cannot omit the relative pronoun).

THINK! Another way of saying this is: you cannot omit the relative pronoun when they are
followed by a verb.

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