DEFINING AND NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
Let's go!
What do these sentences have in common?
They gave the Nobel Prize to a scientist WHO/THATdid research on the effects of global warming.
This is the picture WHICH/THAT/Ø they took from space.
The physicist WHO/THAT/Ø he was speaking TO studies black holes. The physicist TO WHOM he was speaking studies black holes.
This is the scientist WHOSE husband is a lawyer.
What does the choice of relative pronoun depend on?
They gave the Nobel Prize to a scientist WHO/THATdid research on the effects of global warming.
Sir David Attenborough, WHO is a prominent naturalist, has a career that spans 8 decades.
SUBJECT
DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (NO COMMAS)They gave the Nobel Prize to a scientist WHO/THAT(PERSON-SUBJECT)did research on the effects of global warming.The key WHICH/THAT(NON-PERSONAL SUBJECT) opens the safe is on my desk.
NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (WITHIN COMMAS) Sir David Attenborough, WHO(PERSONAL SUBJECT) is a prominent naturalist, has a career that spans 8 centuries. London, WHICH (NON-PERSONAL SUBJECT) is the capital of England, is a vibrant city.
OBJECT
DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (NO COMMAS)The actress WHO/THAT/Ø (PERSONAL-OBJECT) you met yesterday is quite popular.The shoes WHICH/THAT/Ø (NON-PERSONAL OBJECT) I bought online do not fit me.
NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (WITHIN COMMAS) The Prime Minister, WHO(PERSONAL OBJECT) we met yesterday, has resigned. John's car, WHICH (NON-PERSONAL OBJECT) he bought last week, has already broken down.
OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION
DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (NO COMMAS) The physicist WHO/THAT/Ø(PERSONAL OBJECT) he was speaking TO studies black holes. The physicist TO WHOM (PERSONAL OBJECT) he was speaking studies black holes. (=uncommon, literary) The ladder WITH WHICH(NON-PERSONAL OBJECT) they climbed in suddenly collapsed. (=uncommon, literary) The ladder WHICH (NON-PERSONAL OBJECT) they climbed in WITH suddenly collapsed.
NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (WITHIN COMMAS) Black holes, ABOUT WHICH (NON-PERSONAL OBJECT)scientists do not know much, are fascinating. (=uncommon, literary) Black holes, WHICH (NON-PERSONAL OBJECT) scientists do not know much ABOUT, are fascinating. Anne Hathaway, TO WHOM(PERSONAL OBJECT) Shakespeare was married, was a remarkable woman. (=uncommon, literary) Anne Hathaway, WHO(PERSONAL OBJECT) Shakespeare was married TO, was a remarkable woman.
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE
DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES and NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES That is the woman WHOSE son won the lottery. That is the dog WHOSE owner feeds him seafood.
Darwin, WHOSE theory of natural selection revolutionized science, died at the age of 73. The Siberian tiger, WHOSE scientific name is Panthera tigris altaica, is an endangered species.
Can you tell the difference?
A-The students who failed the exam didn’t go on the trip.
B-The students ,who failed the exam, didn’t go on the trip.
Let's practice!
That is the boy. I met him at the party.
Mary doesn’t like shopping. She decided not to come with us.
That is the man. His son is the school principal.
I met Mary in Bern. She lives there.
Cudillero is the place. I have lived here all my life.
Thank you!
HOME
Only the students who failed didn't go on the trip. The ones who passed could go on the trip. This is what we call a DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE. It defines which of the students didn't go on the trip. Therefore, it provides ESSENTIAL INFORMATION.
The choice of RELATIVE PRONOUN depends on the FUNCTION (=subject, object...) it performs within the clause and on what it RELATES/REFERS to, a PERSON or an OBJECT. It also depends on whether the RELATIVE CLAUSE is DEFINING (=no commas) or NON-DEFINING (=within commas).
They all include what is known as a RELATIVE CLAUSE. Relative clauses are introduced by RELATIVE PRONOUNS, e.g. WHO, WHICH, THAT, WHOSE,WHEN, WHERE, etc. The choice of RELATIVE PRONOUN depends on their function within the clause.
All the students failed, so none of them went on the trip. This is a NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE. It provides EXTRA INFORMATION and it usually offers an explanation to the idea in the main clause, in this case the reason why the students didn't go on the trip.
DEFINING AND NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
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Transcript
DEFINING AND NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES
Let's go!
What do these sentences have in common?
They gave the Nobel Prize to a scientist WHO/THATdid research on the effects of global warming.
This is the picture WHICH/THAT/Ø they took from space.
The physicist WHO/THAT/Ø he was speaking TO studies black holes. The physicist TO WHOM he was speaking studies black holes.
This is the scientist WHOSE husband is a lawyer.
What does the choice of relative pronoun depend on?
They gave the Nobel Prize to a scientist WHO/THATdid research on the effects of global warming.
Sir David Attenborough, WHO is a prominent naturalist, has a career that spans 8 decades.
SUBJECT
DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (NO COMMAS)They gave the Nobel Prize to a scientist WHO/THAT(PERSON-SUBJECT)did research on the effects of global warming.The key WHICH/THAT(NON-PERSONAL SUBJECT) opens the safe is on my desk.
NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (WITHIN COMMAS) Sir David Attenborough, WHO(PERSONAL SUBJECT) is a prominent naturalist, has a career that spans 8 centuries. London, WHICH (NON-PERSONAL SUBJECT) is the capital of England, is a vibrant city.
OBJECT
DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (NO COMMAS)The actress WHO/THAT/Ø (PERSONAL-OBJECT) you met yesterday is quite popular.The shoes WHICH/THAT/Ø (NON-PERSONAL OBJECT) I bought online do not fit me.
NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (WITHIN COMMAS) The Prime Minister, WHO(PERSONAL OBJECT) we met yesterday, has resigned. John's car, WHICH (NON-PERSONAL OBJECT) he bought last week, has already broken down.
OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION
DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (NO COMMAS) The physicist WHO/THAT/Ø(PERSONAL OBJECT) he was speaking TO studies black holes. The physicist TO WHOM (PERSONAL OBJECT) he was speaking studies black holes. (=uncommon, literary) The ladder WITH WHICH(NON-PERSONAL OBJECT) they climbed in suddenly collapsed. (=uncommon, literary) The ladder WHICH (NON-PERSONAL OBJECT) they climbed in WITH suddenly collapsed.
NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (WITHIN COMMAS) Black holes, ABOUT WHICH (NON-PERSONAL OBJECT)scientists do not know much, are fascinating. (=uncommon, literary) Black holes, WHICH (NON-PERSONAL OBJECT) scientists do not know much ABOUT, are fascinating. Anne Hathaway, TO WHOM(PERSONAL OBJECT) Shakespeare was married, was a remarkable woman. (=uncommon, literary) Anne Hathaway, WHO(PERSONAL OBJECT) Shakespeare was married TO, was a remarkable woman.
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVE
DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES and NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES That is the woman WHOSE son won the lottery. That is the dog WHOSE owner feeds him seafood.
Darwin, WHOSE theory of natural selection revolutionized science, died at the age of 73. The Siberian tiger, WHOSE scientific name is Panthera tigris altaica, is an endangered species.
Can you tell the difference?
A-The students who failed the exam didn’t go on the trip.
B-The students ,who failed the exam, didn’t go on the trip.
Let's practice!
That is the boy. I met him at the party.
Mary doesn’t like shopping. She decided not to come with us.
That is the man. His son is the school principal.
I met Mary in Bern. She lives there.
Cudillero is the place. I have lived here all my life.
Thank you!
HOME
Only the students who failed didn't go on the trip. The ones who passed could go on the trip. This is what we call a DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE. It defines which of the students didn't go on the trip. Therefore, it provides ESSENTIAL INFORMATION.
The choice of RELATIVE PRONOUN depends on the FUNCTION (=subject, object...) it performs within the clause and on what it RELATES/REFERS to, a PERSON or an OBJECT. It also depends on whether the RELATIVE CLAUSE is DEFINING (=no commas) or NON-DEFINING (=within commas).
They all include what is known as a RELATIVE CLAUSE. Relative clauses are introduced by RELATIVE PRONOUNS, e.g. WHO, WHICH, THAT, WHOSE,WHEN, WHERE, etc. The choice of RELATIVE PRONOUN depends on their function within the clause.
All the students failed, so none of them went on the trip. This is a NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE. It provides EXTRA INFORMATION and it usually offers an explanation to the idea in the main clause, in this case the reason why the students didn't go on the trip.