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Relative Clauses - Explanation

This document discusses relative pronouns and relative clauses. It defines the relative pronouns who, which, whose, whom, and that and provides examples of their use. It also distinguishes between defining relative clauses, which provide essential information, and non-defining relative clauses, which provide additional non-essential information. Defining relative clauses are not set off by commas, while non-defining relative clauses are set off by commas.

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1K views1 page

Relative Clauses - Explanation

This document discusses relative pronouns and relative clauses. It defines the relative pronouns who, which, whose, whom, and that and provides examples of their use. It also distinguishes between defining relative clauses, which provide essential information, and non-defining relative clauses, which provide additional non-essential information. Defining relative clauses are not set off by commas, while non-defining relative clauses are set off by commas.

Uploaded by

teresabarbosa
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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RELATIVE CLAUSES

RELATIVE
USE example
PRONOUN

who subject or object pronoun for people I told you about the woman who lives
next door.

which subject or object pronoun for animals and things Do you see the cat which is lying on the
roof?

which referring to a whole sentence He couldn’t read which surprised me.

whose possession for people, animals and things Do you know the boy whose mother is a
nurse?

whom object pronoun for people, especially in non-defining I was invited by the professor whom I
relative clauses (in defining relative clauses we met at the conference.
colloquially prefer who)

that subject or object pronoun for people, animals and I don’t like the table that stands in the
things in defining relative clauses (who or which are kitchen.
also possible)

Defining Relative Clauses

Defining relative clauses give detailed information defining a general term or expression. Defining relative
clauses are not put in commas.

Imagine, Tom is in a room with five girls. One girl is talking to Tom and you ask somebody whether he knows this
girl. Here the relative clause defines which of the five girls you mean.

Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?

Defining relative clauses are often used in definitions.

A seaman is someone who works on a ship.

Non-Defining Relative Clauses (who/which may not be replaced with that)

Non-defining relative clauses give additional information on something, but do not define it. Non-defining
relative clauses are put in commas.

Imagine, Tom is in a room with only one girl. The two are talking to each other and you ask somebody whether
he knows this girl. Here the relative clause is non-defining because in this situation it is obvious which girl you
mean.

Do you know the girl, who is talking to Tom?

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