What Are Defining And Non Defining Relative Clauses?
Defining and non-defining relative clauses are types of clauses that provide additional information about a noun.
Defining relative clauses give essential information necessary for the meaning of the sentence, while non-defining relative clauses add extra details that are not crucial to the sentence's main point.
Defining Relative Clauses
Defining relative clauses give essential information about the noun they modify. This information is crucial to the meaning of the sentence. Without the relative clause, the sentence would not be as clear.
Examples of defining relative clauses:
The book that you lent me was fascinating.
The teacher who lives next door is very kind.
This is the restaurant where we met.
The students who study hard will pass the exam.
The car that he drives is very old.
Common relative pronouns used:
Who (for people)
Which (for things)
That (for people and things)
Where (for places)
When (for times)
Rules for Defining Relative Clauses:
No commas are used to separate the clause from the rest of the sentence.
The relative pronoun can sometimes be omitted if it acts as the object of the clause.
Example: The book (that) you lent me was fascinating.
Common Mistakes with Defining Relative Clauses:
Using commas: Incorrect - The book, that you lent me, was fascinating.
Using the wrong relative pronoun: Incorrect - The car who he drives is very old.
Non-Defining Relative Clauses
Non-defining relative clauses add extra information that is not essential to the main point of the sentence. The sentence would still make sense without this additional information.
Examples of non-defining relative clauses:
My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting us.
The Eiffel Tower, which is in Paris, is very tall.
Dr. Smith, whose research is well-known, will be speaking tonight.
London, where I was born, is a very busy city.
July, when we have our annual holiday, is my favorite month.
Common relative pronouns used:
Who (for people)
Which (for things)
Whose (for possession)
Where (for places)
When (for times)
Rules for Non-Defining Relative Clauses:
Always use commas to separate the clause from the rest of the sentence.
The relative pronoun cannot be omitted.
"That" cannot be used as a relative pronoun.
Common Mistakes with Non-Defining Relative Clauses:
Omitting commas: Incorrect - My brother who lives in New York is visiting us.
Using "that" instead of "which" or "who": Incorrect - The Eiffel Tower, that is in Paris, is very tall.
Key Differences between Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses
Defining relative clauses are crucial to the sentence's meaning, while non-defining relative clauses add extra information. Punctuation also differs: non-defining clauses are set off by commas, whereas defining clauses are not.
Examples:
Defining: The car that is parked outside is mine.
Non-Defining: The car, which is parked outside, is mine.
Defining: The student who answered the question correctly received a prize.
Non-Defining: The student, who answered the question correctly, received a prize.
Practice and Exercises
Here are some exercises to practice identifying and using defining and non-defining relative clauses.
Exercise 1: Sentence Completion Complete the sentences with the appropriate relative clause.
The man __________ is my uncle.
My house, __________, needs painting.
The movie __________ won the award.
My laptop, __________, was stolen last week.
The park __________ is very popular.
Answer Key:
The man who is standing there is my uncle.
My house, which is very old, needs painting.
The movie that won the award.
My laptop, which was very expensive, was stolen last week.
The park where we play is very popular.
Exercise 2: Rewriting Sentences Rewrite the sentences to include a relative clause.
She bought a car. It is very fast.
I have a friend. He is a doctor.
The cake was delicious. I baked it yesterday.
This is the museum. It has the famous painting.
The festival is in July. It is very exciting.
Answer Key:
She bought a car that is very fast.
I have a friend who is a doctor.
The cake that I baked yesterday was delicious.
This is the museum that has the famous painting.
The festival which is in July is very exciting.
Exercise 3: Multiple-Choice Questions Choose the correct relative clause to complete the sentence.
The book, __________, is on the table. a. that I bought yesterday b. which I bought yesterday
The person __________ called me was very polite. a. who b. whose
The city, __________, is very old. a. that I visited b. which I visited
The company __________ I work for is great. a. where b. that
My neighbor, __________, is a great cook. a. who lives next door b. which lives next door
Answer Key:
b. which I bought yesterday
a. who
b. which I visited
b. that
a. who lives next door