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RELATIVE CLAUSES

Relative clauses – defining / non -defining

Which relative pronouns do you know?


which, who, that, where, when, whose, why

What do they generally refer to?


which > object
who > person
that > object, person
where > place
when > time
why > reason
Relative clauses – defining / non -defining

There are two types of relative clauses:


Defining Non-defining
They add essential information.
Without the relative clause, the
meaning of the sentence is
incomplete.

This is the car [ that / which* I want].


This is someone [that / who you would like to know].
This is the car [ that / which* is too expensive].
She’s someone [that / who hates chemistry and physics].

In American English only THAT is used for things in defining


Relative clauses (* These would be wrong in AE).
Exercise 1 (SB, p. 4
Relative clauses – defining / non -defining

Defining relative clauses


Sometimes, we can omit the pronoun in defining relative
clauses. Do you know when?

This is the car [(that/which)


that / whichI Iwant.
want].

This is someone [that


(that/who)
/ who you
you would
would like
like to
to know.
know].

This is the car [that


that/ /which
whichisistoo
tooexpensive.
expensive].

She’s someone [that


that //who
whohates
hateschemistry
chemistryand
andphysics.
physics].

We can omit the pronoun in defining relative clauses


when it is the OBJECT (not the SUBJECT).
Exercises 2-3 (SB, p. 40
Relative clauses – defining / non -defining

There are two types of relative clauses:


Defining Non-defining
They add non-essential information.
Without the relative clause, the
meaning of the sentence is still OK.

My best friend , whose father died not long ago, wants to go out
with my sister.
His father, who died in a car accident, left him a lot of money.
In his will, which was very short and clear, he left everything to his
two sons.
Relative clauses – defining / non -defining

Non-defining relative clauses


We always use commas around non-defining relative clauses.

Match the following main statements to their non-defining


clauses:

1) This church is haunted.


2) My son wants to be a professional magician.
3) Corsica is a beautiful island.

a) It’s very mountainous.


b) It’s very old.
c) He can already do a lot of tricks.

Exercise 6 (SB, p. 41)


Relative clauses – defining / non -defining

Relative clauses and prepositions: word order


Here you have some relative clauses with prepositions:

The man [ I told you about ] had had strange experiences


with aliens.
(The man about whom I told you had had …. = informal)

The object [they were looking at ] wasn’t a UFO.


(The object at which they were looking … = informal)

The rule is:

Prepositions that affect the relative pronoun come after the


VERB in the relative clause.
……………
Exercise 7 (SB, p. 41)

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