Relative Clauses (Defining and Non-

defining)
When relative pronouns are used to add descriptive information to a sentence, that information can
be considered defining or Non-defining.

Defining or Non-defining basically means essential or non-essential.

But

How do we know if the information is essential or non-essential?

• Take a look at the sentence :

➢ The man who was wearing a hat, was about to fall.

In this sentence (who was wearing a hat) is considered essential information. It tells the listener that
we’re specifically referring to the man wearing a hat. Perhaps there are a group of men and I want to
be clear that mean the one with the hat.

If we remove (who was wearing a hat) the fundamental meaning of the sentence changes. We are
no longer specifically referring to the hat wearing man, we’re just referring to the man which could
mean any of those men. This is why in this sentence (who was wearing a hat) is considered defining.

Now, we’re going to make a very change to the punctuation of the sentence.

• Take a look at the sentence :

➢ The man, who was wearing a hat, was about to fall.

In this sentence (who was wearing a hat) has been put inside commas making it a Non-defining
relative Clauses. This means the clause is not essential to the meaning of the sentence; the
information in the clause is considered extra.

If you remove it, the meaning of the sentence doesn’t change. It might seem strange that a simple
comma can change the meaning of a sentence, but that the case with defining and non-defining
relatives clauses.

So

What you need to remember is:

• If the clause is between commas, it’s non-defining.

➢ “Bla bla, clause, bla.”
• If the clause is not between commas, it’s defining.
➢ “Bla bla clause bla.”

1
More details

what is a clause?
It is a group of words containing a subject and a verb which form a sentence or part of a sentence.

➢ I can’t cook very well but I make quite good pancakes.

what is a relative clause?

It starts with the relative pronouns: who, which, that, whose, where, when, whom and why.

➢ The man who called you is my dentist

Defining is essential information that we need to understand what or who is being referred to
➢ The dentist who treated me is my uncle.

Non-defining is extra information

➢ My uncle is a dentist, who plays at the same cricket club as you.

Defining
• no commas
➢ The dentist who treated me is my uncle

Non-defining
• Commas
➢ My uncle is a dentist, who plays at the same cricket club as you.

Defining & Non-defining may both begin with

• Defining :

who (for people)

➢ The woman who lives next door is a doctor.

which (for things)

➢ Brian works for a company which makes computers.

whose (instead of his/her or their)

➢ We met some people whose car had broken down.

2
where (for places)
➢ What is the name of the place where you went on holiday?

• Non-defining:

who (for people)

➢ My brother Tim, who lives in Scotland, is a doctor.

which (for things)

➢ Brian told me about his new job, which he is not enjoying very much.

whose (instead of his/her or their)

➢ Sam, whose car had broken down, was in a bad mood.

where (for places)

➢ Jane has just been to Oxford, where her dad lives.

• Defining

when (for times)

➢ I remember the day when I met you.
➢ I remember the day I met you.

whom(for people) as the object of a clause

➢ This is George whom you met last year.

• Non-defining

when (for times)

➢ This picture was taken yesterday, when it was raining.

whom(for people) as the object of a clause

➢ This morning I met Charles, whom I hadn't seen for ages.

3
 • defining

why (after the words the reason)

➢ The film was the reason why he became famous.
➢ The film was the reason he became famous.

that instead of who, whom or which

➢ The picture which hangs on the wall.
➢ The picture that hangs on the wall.

➢ The woman who he married.

➢ The woman that he married.

➢ This is George whom you met last year.

➢ This is George that you met last year.

• non-defining
➢ cannot use why

➢ cannot use that

• Defining

who/which or that can be omitted when they are the object of the clause
➢ The medicine which/that the doctor gave me should be taken twice a day.
➢ The medicine the doctor gave me should be taken twice a day

The medicine :object/ the doctor :subject

• Non-defining
➢ relative pronoun cannot be omitted

relative pronoun can define the subject or the object of the verb

• Defining

4
 ➢ The picture which hangs on the wall is old.

Picture /subject

➢ The man who she married object is Spanish.

Man /object

• Non-defining
➢ The building, which is very old, needs repairing.

The building :subject

➢ The boat's owner, who we've just seen, object loves meeting people.

The bot’s owner :objet

omit the object pronoun (her, him, it etc) in a relative clause

• Defining
➢ We know little about the woman that he married.

Not

➢ We know little about the woman that he married her.

• Non-defining
➢ This picture shows Bob's wife Lucy, who he married in 2011.

Not

➢ This picture shows Bob's wife Lucy, who he married her in 2011.

defining non-defining usually have any prepositions at the end of the clause

• Defining
➢ It's the one which he was responsible for at work

5
 • Non-defining .
➢ Sue, who my mother worked with, has become a teacher.

In formal English, sometimes have preposition at the beginning of the clause, followed by
which (for things) or whom (for people)
https://youtu.be/7AfKYUwlClo?si=U46hI6UVusJ62A7k

• Defining
➢ It's the one for which he was responsible at work.

• Non-defining
➢ Sue, with whom my mother worked, has become a teacher.

we cannot use that after a preposition in a relative clause

• Defining & Non-defining

➢ The room, in which the meeting was held, was too small.

Not

➢ The room, in that the meeting was held, was too small.

• Defining
➢ writing and speaking

• non-defining
➢ writing

6
Exercise :

Choose the correct sentence.

➢ Have you ever been back to the town, that you were born in?
➢ Have you ever been back to the town that you were born in?

➢ My left ankle which I broke last winter is still giving me trouble.

➢ My left ankle, which I broke last winter, is still giving me trouble.

➢ The friend that I want to introduce you to is away this weekend.

➢ The friend that I want to introduce you to her is away this weekend.

Answer

➢ Have you ever been back to the town that you were born in?
➢ My left ankle, which I broke last winter, is still giving me trouble.
➢ The friend that I want to introduce you to is away this weekend.

Good luck!

R ESOURCES :
https://youtu.be/7AfKYUwlClo?si=U46hI6UVusJ62A7k
https://youtu.be/a_mFlafGyy8?si=Jut6mPewax66pIXP