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Understanding Relative Clauses

There are two types of relative clauses: defining relative clauses (DR) and non-defining relative clauses (NDR). DRs identify a specific noun by providing essential information, while NDRs provide non-essential secondary information. DRs do not require commas, can omit object pronouns, and use who, which, that as pronouns. NDRs always use commas, cannot omit pronouns, and use who, which, that as pronouns to refer to the entire preceding clause. Relative pronouns like whose, what, why, when, where can be used in both DRs and NDRs.

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34 views10 pages

Understanding Relative Clauses

There are two types of relative clauses: defining relative clauses (DR) and non-defining relative clauses (NDR). DRs identify a specific noun by providing essential information, while NDRs provide non-essential secondary information. DRs do not require commas, can omit object pronouns, and use who, which, that as pronouns. NDRs always use commas, cannot omit pronouns, and use who, which, that as pronouns to refer to the entire preceding clause. Relative pronouns like whose, what, why, when, where can be used in both DRs and NDRs.

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Crissy85
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RELATIVE CLAUSES

 There are two kinds of relative clauses:

a) defining relative clauses (DR)

b) non-defining relative clauses (NDR)


a) Defining relative clauses
1 Defining relative clauses qualify a noun and tell us

exactly which person or thing is being referred to.


 She likes people who are good fun to be with.

2 If the pronoun is the object of the relative clause, we

can leave it.


 Did you like the present that I gave you?

 Did you like the present ( ) I gave you.


3 If pronoun is the subject of relative clause, then

we cannot leave it out.


 I met a man who works in advertising.

4 Pronouns used with defining relative clauses are:


 Subject - who and that for person; that and which

for thing.
 Object – usually we do not use pronoun, but if we

are – that can be used.


 That is usually more used than which after
superlatives, and words such as only, every(thing);
some(thing); and any(thing).
 That’s the funniest film that was ever made.
 The only thing that I’ll help you is rest.

 It is also more used after - It is...


 It is a film that will be very popular.

 Prepositions are usually used at the end of the


relative clause.
 Come and meet the people I work with.
 This is the book I was telling you about.
b) Non defining relative clauses
1 Non defining relative clauses add:
a) secondary information to a sentence.
 My friend Andrew, who is Scottish, plays the

bagpipes. (it is just extra information about Andrew)

b) comment about the first part of the sentence


 My friend Claire is from England, which shows

that I do know someone from a different country.


2 Relative pronouns CANNOT be left out of NDR clauses.
 His last book, which received a lot of praise, has been

a great success. (relative pronoun as subject)


 His last book, which I couldn’t understand at all, has

been a great success. (relative pronoun as object)

3 Possible pronouns are:


 Subject - who and which

 Object - who (whom) and which


(whom is not very common.)
4 Preposition can come at the end of a clause, but in a more

formal, written style, prepositions come before the noun.


 He talked about theories of market forces, which I’d

never even heard of. (at the end)


 The privatization of railways, to which the present

government is committed, is not universally popular.


(before the pronoun)

 Notice that we always use commas in NDR

clauses!!!
Which, whose, what, why, when, where
1 Which in NDR clauses is used to refer to the whole of

the sentence before.


 She arrived on time, which amazed everybody.

2 Whose can be used in both DR and NDR clauses.


 That’s the woman whose son was killed recently.

 My parents, whose only interest is gardening, never

go away on holiday.
3 What is used in DR clauses and it means – the

thing that.
 Has she told you what’s worrying her?

4 Why is used in DR clauses and means – the reason

why.
 I don’t know why we’re arguing.
5 When and where can be used in both DR and

NDR clauses.
 Tell me when you expect to arrive. DR

 The hotel where we stayed was excellent. DR

 We go walking on Mondays, when the rest of the

world is working. NDR


 He works in Oxford, where my sister lives. NDR

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